Prolife "Cast the Gauntlet" Conference

My parish Knights of Columbus Council are having a conference this weekend in Scranton. It is our first event. Our registration deadline has been extended to this Wednesday and costs $25. Lunch is included in the price.

Our speakers are Alice von Hildebrand, Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, and Raymond D'Souza. The day begins with a Byzantine Divine Liturgy at 9:00am and the event ends at 4:30 in the afternoon.

For more information and to register, go here: www.prolifeknights.com

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OFFENSIVE: Pelosi Prays to St. Joseph for Health Bill

WOW.

This is an in-your-face to the Church. How offensive is this?!?!

No. Mr. President

This is floating around the blogosphere today.



An example of good ecumenism.

A Reasonable Evil

Matthew 18:7

Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh.

Notre Dame University did incalculable harm to the Church yesterday by having President Obama receive an honrary doctorate of law and give the commencement address. Lets look at this more closely.

President Father Jenkins just told off the bishops. He got up there on stage and launched into an apologia for why he was having Obama talk. He made a plea to faith and reason for why it was ok to have the President there. In fact by the end you might think we have as Catholics have a duty to honor the President. President Jenkins embarrassed the Bishops who stood up to him and made fools of the Pro-Life movement, all by sounding quite reasonable. Millions were watching.

President Jenkins showed us how to be "reasonable". He showed us that it is reasonable to "dialogue" and honor with a man who believes it is ok to kill a newborn child if you initially intended to kill it but by a miracle of God failed. That man believes this act should be lawful. They gave him a law degree.

That's all evil has to be for us to go along with it, isn't it? All evil has to do to win us over is to be reasonable. That is how weak we are. It doesn't necessarily have to be attractive, alluring, deceitful, in your face, or anything else. Just reasonable. After all, for what other reason do we choose it? Attraction to the evil is only the kickstart to the sin. We think our way to hell, hell becomes reasonable: "If I do this, it will be enjoyable..." "If I do that it will feel good..." "I'll stop tomorrow..." "I mean why can't they marry..." "Abortion is ok in some circumstances..." "Heck they are old and going to die anyway..." "By having him speak we are entering into dialogue..."

Reason, enlightened by Faith, should have shown Father Jenkins and Notre Dame that what they were doing would hurt the Body of Christ. It hurts our unity. It hurts the teaching authority of the Bishops which is already wounded for other reasons, and it leads people into error. How much worse can you get? He sounded entirely orthodox in his speech and was obviously trying to appeal to practicing and knowledgeable Catholics. How insidious. The devil has a slippery tongue as they say. May God have mercy on him, and on us.

After Mass and coffee hour yesterday I spent some time in front of the tabernacle as a reparation for the scandal. I also prayed for the conversions of President Jenkins, Obama, and the people who have reasoned with this evil. I want them to go to heaven. I want everyone to go to heaven. We need the strength of prayer and the Eucharist if we are to endure this age of dry martyrdom. A strong devotion to the Sacred Heart would be a good reparation to Our Lord.

This is an era in which we need to be saints. Every great persecution is a time of great holiness. We must remain unspotted from the world. Go to confession, pray, go to adoration, read holy books, study Scripture, pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet, wear the Scapular.

James 1:2-5

My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations; Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience. And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing. But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Read it.

I’ve been quiet on these issues. But I just got done reading more on the Diocese website. Is boo-yeah appropriate?

“My job as a Bishop is to promulgate the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church to all the faithful. I will continue to do so.”

Bishop Martino reflects on teaching diversity and tolerance.

In related news, Sen. Casey said voting to rescind the Mexico City policy was in accordance with his pro-life views. Uh-huh. I’m sure Catholics United would love him as member. Maybe he already is.

Pro-Life Ad during Obama Inaugural

This ad is running during Obama's inaugural in some places. I found this on CNA

Fight! Fight!

Can you hear the playground chants? They are echoing through the Catholic blogosphere halls now. Fr. Tom Euteneuer, president of Human Life International – a trusted, tried, and true priest - has denounced the NCRegister for its quasi-pro-Obama editorial. You might remember if you have a REALLY good memory that I posted a measly little blurb here too.

I read last night via Pewsitter.com this statement from the NCRegister wondering who and what they had to respond to. Now we know…

P.S. (added at a reader’s request on Dec. 1): Please do explore the rest of this site, especially the Hot Topics links at the bottom of the home page. We are 100% pro-life and pro-marriage, and we spent the months before the election educating readers about Obama’s pro-abortion positions. My only point in this post, nearly a month ago, was that many pro-life voters voted for Obama and are excited by him. Those are our voters, and we should win them back. We can’t win them back if we are polarized by rage. Our job now is to watch the Obama administration and relentlessly oppose what we must, and in the meanwhile shore up the pro-life and pro-family majorities in America.

Here is the editorial proof of our pro-life position on the election, for the unconvinced (click on the “abortion” or “obama” tags in red below to see post-election Daily Blog coverage):

“Catholics and Obama”

“Obama vs. the Right to Life”

“We’re Waiting, Barack”

“Obama’s Abortion Extremism” by Princeton’s Robert George.

I believe the following lines are what caused this dust up: (From the original post)

We at the Register were very focused on the life issue, and will remain so. But we always knew John McCain was no pro-life hero (he supports using taxpayer money to fund fatal experiments on embryos) and though we disagree on much, I, for one, always liked Obama.

He is a civil, decent man. His historic election is exciting in that it hails, we hope, the end of an era when race was factored into decisions it had nothing to do with.

Now I read this from the American Papist blog:

Fr. Tom Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, has gone so far as to claim that the Legionariest of Christ are "now officially part of the problem, not part of the solution" and have "lost it on this one" because of a supposedly "pro-Obama" editorial penned by National Catholic Register editor Tom Hoopes, a layman employed by the Legionaries. Fr. Euteneuer even goes so far as to claim that the Register editorial at issue reminded him of a National Catholic Reporter editorial, and as a result he has cancelled his subscription and urged others to do this same. Now these are very serious accusations and actions taken. And I think they are misguided.

Personally, I think the editorial is poor, and I ndicated as such after I read it. To say you’ve always liked Obama and not clarify that statement is simply imprudent and I cannot fathom that a professional editor would not have seen black lash coming. But apparently that is what happened.

But is the NCRegister a faithful Catholic newspaper? From what I saw during my trial subscription it is and a few lines in one editorial shouldn’t sway people from keeping theirs going.

Report: Earth Still here, Sun came up

On day 2 after the election of Barrack Hussein Obama, the earth is still here and the sun came up. Things may be a little dimmer for the outlook of the "shining city on the hill" but it still stands. It will do us good for the second time this year (in some cases, like mine) to celebrate the feast of Christ the King at the end of the month.

It will be yet another reminder for the reeling and recovering Pro-Life community that no matter who occupies the White House he is temporarily in charge.

I think it is also a good time for everyone to calm down. Barrack Obama is child of God who happens to be exceptionally wrong in seriously grave matter. But God loves us all and we need to keep that in mind.

Yesterday, even though I fought it with some difficulty, I was seething. I probably made comments I shouldn't have regarding some people, especially in my head. Many of us have a tendency to get pretty upset when it comes to this sort of thing. I know I do.

There is now a great need to pray for the Catholics who voted in favor of pro-abortion candidates while not bullying them out of the pews. Along with that goes the need to pray for the Candidates themselves because Judgment Day is a reality. We don't want anyone, ourselves included, to suffer the consequences of our sins when the debt has already been paid.

Amen? Amen.

There is ONE teacher in this Diocese

Three cheers and a loud huzzah for Bishop Martino, who apparently showed up at a forum designed to present differing Catholic views on abortion, something which cannot be tolerated. When I sat down at my desk this morning and began going through my Google Reader I came across this story on Whispers and then followed the link to the newspaper story.

He is quickly becoming a pro-life hero and I'm proud to have him as my bishop this morning. Excellency isn't just a title.

Read the story:
"This is madness people: In surprise cameo, Scranton bishop repudiates USCCB, Dems., et al."


Just one more comment, as it relates traditionalists and one of his comments. Bishop Martino said this:

“No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese,” said Martino. “The USCCB doesn’t speak for me.”

“The only relevant document ... is my letter,” he said. “There is one teacher in this diocese, and these points are not debatable.”

The USCCB has a reputation for not being popular with traditionalists. I'm kind of ambivalent towards them because I don't think half of what they do is relevant or necessary. Bishop Martino, in just those two sentences has articulated clearly what most traditionalists feal. Although I'm not sure thats what he was aiming at, he's right on all accounts. The USCCB is not our authority, they are not the shepherd of any particular diocese. The bishop is. For whatever my kudos are worth, I give them again.

Great News from Ireland!

Fr. Groeschel asked his audience to pray a Novena starting two Sundays ago for Ireland to reject the Lisbon Treaty that would give the EU a much stronger foothold there and well, everywhere else. I joined in the novena because the EU is a terrible thing. Here is a clip of the story from CWNews:

Dublin, Jun. 13, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Voters in Ireland have rejected the Lisbon Treaty, casting into doubt the drive for approval of a new and stronger constitution for the European Union.

.....

The Catholic bishops of Ireland had not taken a formal position on the Lisbon Treaty, but were generally regarded as strong favorable to the agreement. Pro-life and pro-family groups, on the other hand, were deeply suspicious of the treaty because it would have enhanced the power of the European Union, and added to pressure for Irish compliance with European policies that favored abortion and same-sex marriage.

Full Story.

If you were really Pro-Life...

Excuse me, Mr. President. But I am really Pro-Life and I know a lot of other people who are. I don't know one pro-life person who is vengeful or hateful. But I do know a lot of them who are prayerful, calm, but immovable. What you and those in your audience need to understand is that we pro-lifers exactly don't want to put every woman and doctor who has had or has performed an abortion in jail. We recognize that the term "Pro-Choice" is a false name. Most women have abortions because they have no choice. Many women have serious trauma after their abortions, as well they should. Guilt is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it is your conscience waking you up. We want it illegal going forward but to embrace those who in the past may have taken part in abortions under the assumption they were moral and legal, and especially those who were forced against their will.

Just a side note. I'm not so sure those protesters did more good than harm. We need to pick our battles wisely.