Easter: Prepare To Rejoice!

Entombment of Christ, Caravaggio (1602-03)
The Vatican Museums

A message from CatholicVote.org:
Over the past few weeks, we have e-mailed you about a number of worrisome happenings. The conscience rights of medical professionals are under attack. Our government is using our taxes to fund abortion overseas, and maybe soon, here at home. The purposeful destruction of millions of human embryos has been authorized in the name of science. In the last 10 days, two more states have made a mockery of traditional marriage. And a premier Catholic university is honoring an unabashed champion of the culture of death. What could possibly be next? I sometimes wonder if the world is spinning faster and faster, and in the wrong direction.
So how could we be joyful in this time of uncertainty and darkness? In his letter to the Philippians, Saint Paul seems to be speaking directly to us when he writes: “The Lord is near. There is no need to worry” (4:5-6). This is the same Saint Paul that was beaten repeatedly, stoned, shipwrecked, sleep deprived, and starved. And yet he said: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: Rejoice!”
Our hope is that one of the distinctive characteristics of CatholicVote.org is our joy. Without saying it explicitly all the time, our aim is to “rejoice” in everything we do. And inspire others, especially people searching for answers, to do the same. We are called to be people of hope. Instead of thinking about how dark our world has become, what if we considered what a privilege it is to live at this time in history – and creatively tell the world why.
The late Father Richard Neuhaus once wrote: “We have not the right and we have not the reason to despair if we understand that our entire struggle is premised not upon a victory to be achieved, but a victory that has been achieved...far from despair, we have a right and reason to rejoice that we are called to such a time as this, a time of testing, a time of truth.”
Amen!Unlike the first Christians who witnessed the death of Jesus, we know what comes after Good Friday. Pardon the spoiler, but we have read the book! God wins.
And so our Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter message to you this year is simple: Rejoice. Always.

Notre Dame: 250,000+ Against!

From CNS News:
More than a quarter-million people have signed a petition sponsored by the Cardinal Newman Society calling on Notre Dame to withdraw its invitation to President Obama to speak at the May 17 commencement. As of April 7, the petition--found at notredamescandal.com--had gathered more than 250,000 signatures calling on Notre Dame’s president, the Rev. John Jenkins to withdraw the invitation, which includes the conferring of an honorary law degree on Obama. Nineteen Roman Catholic bishops, including Cardinal Francis George who is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have also spoken out in opposition to Obama speaking at Notre Dame. “The tremendous response of faithful Catholics and Catholic leaders to the petition is an indication that Notre Dame has betrayed the values of Catholics worldwide,” Patrick Reilly, the Cardinal Newman Society’s president, told CNSNews.com. The society, which is not an official organ of the Church, says that Obama should not receive an honorary award from the university in light of his advocacy for abortion, embryonic stem-cell research and the recognition of same-sex relationships--all of which are contrary to Catholic moral teachings. Catholic leaders from all across the U.S. have taken a public stance against the Indiana university’s invitation to Obama. “Bishops across the country have publicly insisted that Notre Dame is in violation of the bishops’ policy, and therefore Fr. Jenkins has no leg to stand on,” Reilly told CNSNews.com. In 2004, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops published a document saying that Catholic institutions should not honor or provide a platform to politicians who stand in opposition to Catholic moral teachings. The document specifically cited support for legalized abortion as a position that should disqualify a public figure from being granted a platform by a Catholic institution. Bishop John D’Arcy, who presides over the Roman Catholic diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., that includes Notre Dame, was one of the first to speak out, saying he would boycott the May 17 commencement ceremony-- the first time he has not attended a Notre Dame graduation in his 25 years as the local bishops. “Even as I continue to ponder in prayer these events, which many have found shocking, so must Notre Dame,” he said. “Indeed, as a Catholic university, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth.” Bishop Thomas Doran of the Rockford, Ill., diocese, suggested that if Notre Dame does not retract its invitation, the university should change its name. “I would ask that you rescind this unfortunate decision,” Doran said. “Failing that, please have the decency to change the name of the university to something like, ‘The Fighting Irish College’, or ‘Northwestern Indiana Humanist University.’” Cardinal George, who is archbishop of Chicago, questioned Notre Dame’s understanding of the Catholic faith. “Whatever else is clear, it is clear that Notre Dame didn't understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation,” he said in a statement. Cardinal George and the bishops speaking out against Notre Dame's invitation to Obama point out that it is a violation the bishops' 2004 document “Catholics in Political Life” that says Catholic institutions must not provide a platform to public figures who “act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles.” “They should not be given awards, honors, or platforms, which would suggest support of their actions,” the document states.
To sign the petition protesting Notre Dame's action click here.

Notre Dame Protest: 230,000+

The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) petition at NotreDameScandal.com, calling on University of Notre Dame President Father John Jenkins to rescind the commencement invitation to President Barack Obama, has grown to more than 230,000 supporters as of early Thursday, April 2. Now, two more US bishops and a Catholic College president joined the growing chorus of those opposing Notre Dame’s decision.
“The faithful Catholics praying in solidarity with the Notre Dame students this Sunday afternoon will be glad to have the moral and spiritual support of these Catholic leaders,” said CNS President Patrick Reilly.
In a public statement issued yesterday, Archbishop John Myers of the Archdiocese of Newark said, “When we extend honors to people who do not share our respect and reverence for life in all stages, and give them a prominent stage in our parishes, schools and other institutions, we unfortunately create the perception that we endorse their public positions on these issues. We cannot justify such actions, and the Bishops have stated so clearly and strongly.”
Archbishop Myers and several other U.S. bishops opposing the scandal at Notre Dame have either directly referenced or alluded to the 2004 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops statement, Catholics in Political Life, which stated, “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”
Archbishop Eusebius Beltran of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, also made a clear and concise public statement yesterday on the Notre Dame scandal.
“President Obama, by word and action, has approved of abortion and other atrocities against human life. Therefore he deserves no recognition at a Catholic institution,” the archbishop said.
The growing list of 16 statements by U.S. bishops criticizing the decision of the University of Notre Dame to honor President Obama on the NotreDameScandal.com website.

St. Joe Apes Notre Dame

From Chris Friend at The Bulletin of Philadelphia:
Ignoring the controversy surrounding Notre Dame's honoring of pro-abortion Barack Obama as its commencement speaker, Saint Joseph's University has followed suit.
It will grant an honorary degree to broadcast journalist Chris Matthews at the university's 2009 commencement ceremonies.
Despite Mr. Matthew's Catholic education, having graduated from the College of the Holy Cross, he is widely regarded as a strong supporter of abortion rights, and was unabashed in his admiration of Mr. Obama's positions.
Support for abortion is antithetical to the Church's teachings.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops opposes the practice of hosting speakers who are outspoken against Catholic doctrine.
"The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles," said the bishop's conference in a statement. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."
Calls to Saint Joseph's President Fr. Timothy Lannon went unreturned.
This move by St. Joe is a disgrace.
BTW: The commencement will also feature remarks by radical leftist Cornel West who will also receive an honorary degree.
And there's more:
I look forward to meeting these exemplary honorary degree recipients and welcoming them to our tremendous University community,” said University President Timothy R. Lannon, S.J.
Here's how you can make your voice heard:
Call the St. Joe communications office at 610-660-1385 or contact senior communications director Kelly Welsh at kwelsh@sju.edu.
Also, contact University President Timothy R. Lannon, S.J. by calling 610-660-1000.
You can reach the office of University Communications at ucomm@sju.edu., through their website, or by telephone at 610-660-1221.

Notre Dame: Jesus Weeps

Cartoon by Jack Higgins, Chicago Sun-Times

To add your voice in protest against Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama and the university's plans to honor the pro-abortion President click here.

Dolan Slaps Notre Dame

The future Archbishop of New York (and probably soon-to-be Cardinal) Timothy Dolan has joined the growing chorus of those critcizing Notre Dame University for its decision to invite President Obama to speak and to honor the President.
Here's the report from TMJ4 TV in Milwaukee:
Archbishop Timothy Dolan appeared on Today's TMJ4's "Sunday Insight" with Charlie Sykes, and was asked if the University of Notre Dame made a mistake by inviting President Barack Obama to speak at the school's graduation ceremony.
Dolan didn't hesistate a bit, responding "They did, and I say that as one who loves and respects Notre Dame. They made a big mistake."
"There's a lot of things that President Obama does that we can find ourselves allied with and working with him on, and we have profound respect for him and pray with him and for him," Dolan said. "But in an issue that is very close to the heart of Catholic world view, namely, the protection of innocent life in the womb, he has unfortunately taken a position very much at odds with the Church."
Dolan believes honoring and giving Obama a platform to speak at a premier Catholic University like Notre Dame sends a mixed message about the Church's teachings.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan will leave his post as Archbishop of Milwaukee and take over the reigns of the Archdiocese of New York April 15th.

Cardinal Says ND Wrong

From Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston:
In light of what I wrote above, I want to venture a comment on the recently released statement of the University of Notre Dame; that statement noted that the President has accepted an invitation to give the Commencement Address this year as well as receive an Honorary Law Degree. The news release then outlines the fact that a number of other Presidents have given the Commencement Address at Notre Dame and have thus highlighted, in effect, the university’s importance. I find the invitation very disappointing.
Though I can understand the desire by a university to have the prestige of a commencement address by the President of the United States, the fundamental moral issue of the inestimable worth of the human person from conception to natural death is a principle that soaks all our lives as Catholics, and all our efforts at formation, especially education at Catholic places of higher learning.
The President has made clear by word and deed that he will promote abortion and will remove even those limited sanctions that control this act of violence against the human person. The Bishops of the United States published a document a few years ago asking all Catholic universities to avoid giving a platform or an award to those politicians or public figures who promote the taking of unborn human life.
Even given the dignity of Office of the President, this offer is still providing a platform and an award for a public figure who has been candid on his pro-abortion views. Particularly troubling is the Honorary Law Degree since it recognizes that the person is a “Teacher,” in this case of the Law.
I think that this decision requires charitable but vigorous critique.

Write, call or e-mail:
President of the University of Notre Dame,
Father John Jenkins,
C.S.C. [Cong. of Holy Cross],
President@nd.edu(574) 631-5000 or Fax:(574) 631-7428

Go to http://www.catholicvote.org/ to join the protest and sign the petition.

Act now!
Take a stand for the unborn!

Weigel Blasts Notre Dame

From George Weigel in the Chicago Tribune:
When a university invites a prominent personality to deliver a commencement address and accept an honorary degree, a statement is being made to graduates, students, faculty, parents, alumni and donors: "This is someone whose work is worth emulating." The invitation, in other words, is not to a debate, or to the opening of some sort of ongoing conversation. The invitation and the award of an honorary degree are a university's stamp of approval on someone's life and accomplishment.
Which is precisely why the University of Notre Dame, which claims to be America's premier Catholic institution of higher learning, made an egregious error in inviting President Barack Obama to address its May commencement and accept an honorary doctorate of laws degree.
Since Inauguration Day, Obama has made several judgment calls that render Notre Dame's invitation little short of incomprehensible. The president has put the taxpayers of the United States back into the business of paying for abortions abroad. He has expanded federal funding for embryo-destructive stem-cell research and defended that position in a speech that was a parody of intellectually serious moral reasoning.
The Obama administration threatens to reverse federal regulations that protect the conscience rights of Catholic and other pro-life health-care professionals. And the administration has not lifted a finger to keep its congressional and teachers' union allies from snatching tuition vouchers out of the hands of poor inner-city children who want to attend Catholic schools in the nation's capital.
How any of this, much less the sum total of it, constitutes a set of decisions Notre Dame believes worth emulating is not, to put it gently, easy to understand. . . . .
If Notre Dame wished to invite Obama to debate the life issues with prominent Catholic intellectuals during the next academic year, it would have done the country a public service and no reasonable person could object. If Notre Dame had invited the president to address a symposium on the grave moral issues the president himself acknowledges being at the heart of the biotech revolution, that, too, would have been a public service. For that is one of the things great universities do: They provide a public forum for serious argument about serious matters touching the common good. But, to repeat, a commencement is not a debate, nor is a commencement address the beginning of some sort of ongoing dialogue, as Notre Dame officials have tried to suggest. A commencement address and the degree that typically accompanies it confer an honor. That honor is, or should be, a statement of the university's convictions.
By inviting Obama to address its commencement and by offering him an honorary doctorate of laws, Notre Dame's leaders invite the conclusion that their convictions on the great civil rights issues of our time are not those that once led [former Notre Dame President father Theodore] Hesburgh to stand with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and proclaim an America in which all God's children are equal before the law. And that is very bad news for all Americans.

Groge Weigel, aa eminent Catholic scholar and author is a distinguished senior fellow of Washington's Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he holds the William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies. Join with Weigel in protesting this outgaregous action by Notre Dame.

Write, call or e-mail:
President of the University of Notre Dame,Father John Jenkins, C.S.C. [Cong. of Holy Cross],
President@nd.edu
(574) 631-5000 or Fax:
(574) 631-7428

Go to http://www.catholicvote.org/ to join the protest and sign the petition.

Act now!
Take a stand for the unborn!

Notre Dame: Pressure Builds

From Ruth Gledhill of The Times of London:
The President of the United States is coming under growing pressure to withdraw from a public speaking event at a Roman Catholic university in an escalating row over his backing for abortion and stem cell research.
Conservative Christians are protesting against an invitation to Barack Obama to speak at a Catholic university because of the US President's enthusiasm for policies that go against Catholic belief, such as [abortion and] federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
President Obama is due to deliver an inauguration address at Indiana's Notre Dame University, one of the top 25 universities in the US, on May 17.
But senior Catholic lobbyists have launched a campaign to bar him from the ceremony in protest at his liberal views . . .
Bishops who are protesting include the Right Rev Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix, who described the invitation to the President as a "public act of disobedience" and "a grave mistake".
The Right Rev John D'Arcy of the diocese which contains the university, said he will boycott the ceremony.
Bishop D'Arcy said: "President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred.
"As a Catholic University, Notre Dame must ask itself if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth."
A coalition of conservative student groups has also come out against the event.

Notre Dame Protest Mounts

Anger is building over Notre Dame University's outrageous decision to invite pro-abortion President Barack Obama to speak at its upcoming commencement and to receive an honorary degree.
The anger is entirely justified.
Thousands of letters and phone calls have been pouring into the University protesting this morally wrong-headed decision. Alumni are particularly outraged.
They have a right to be.
Also, it should surprise no one that the university has received sharply worded letters from two bishops. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of the Phoenix Diocese on Wednesday called Obama's selection a "public act of disobedience" and "a grave mistake." On Tuesday, Bishop John D'Arcy of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, which includes Notre Dame, said he would not attend the ceremony because of Obama's policies.
More protests and letters will be forthcoming.
Notre Dame can call itself a Catholic institution or it can host and honor those who have been complicit in the grievous sin of abortion. But it cannot do both.
This is about fundamental Catholic teaching and Catholic doctrine.
If the Holy Mother The Church and its instutions and agents do not stand for life then the Church stands for nothing.
Those who do not agree with the teaching of the Church on such a benchmark issue have a choice: They can leave the Church and join another faith community if they wish. Nobody is forcing them (no matter who they are) to remain Catholics.
By rights, the President should simply announce that he doesn't want to turn the event into a circus and say he's saving Notre Dame a lot of trouble and angst by withdrawing his acceptance of the invitation.
Absent that, Notre Dame must rescind the invite.
Here's how you can join the protest:

Write:
Letters to the editor in chief of the Notre Dame newspaper,
The Observer,
Mike Connolly or directly via the Observer web site http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/home/lettertotheeditor/

Write:
Letters to the editor of the South Bend Tribune: vop@sbtinfo.com

Write, call or e-mail:
President of the University of Notre Dame,
Father John Jenkins, C.S.C. [Cong. of Holy Cross],
President@nd.edu(574) 631-5000 or Fax: (574) 631-7428

Go to www.catholicvote.org to join the protest and sign the petition.

Act now!
Take a stand for the unborn!

Notre Dame: Protest Now!

So many people have been asking who to write to or who to contact regarding Notre Dame University's outrageous decision to invite President Obama to speak and to award him an honorary degree.
We urge you to act now. Here's what you can do:

Write to:
Most Reverend Archbishop Zenon Grocholewski
PrefectThe Congregation for Catholic Educationof Seminaries and Institutes of Studies[Secretary: Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès, O.P.]
00120 CITTÀ DEL VATICANORoma, Italy
phone: 011.39.06.69.88.41.67fax: 011.39.06.69.88.41.72

Contact
Bishop John D'Arcy, Diocese of South Bend, Indiana, where Notre Dame is located:

Write:
Letters to the editor in chief of the Notre Dame newspaper,
The Observer,
Mike Connolly
or directly via the Observer web site http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/home/lettertotheeditor/

Write:
Letters to the editor of the South Bend Tribune: vop@sbtinfo.com

Write, call or e-mail:
President of the University of Notre Dame,
Father John Jenkins, C.S.C. [Cong. of Holy Cross],
President@nd.edu
(574) 631-5000 or Fax: (574) 631-7428

Notre Dame As Enabler

William McGinn in the Wall Street Journal writes on Notre Dame University's appalling decision to invite President Obama to speak and award him an honorary degree:
In the end, the result is moral incoherence. It is an incoherence in which abortion-rights advocates have the most to gain, because it demoralizes those who support the cause of life while removing fears of even the slightest social sanction for those who do not. And it is an incoherence we see all across American Catholic life today.
In our intellectual life, this incoherence gives us a college president who tells the campus paper that honoring an abortion-rights president is consistent with the bishops' statement that such leaders "should not be given awards, honors, or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."
In our public life, it has brought us to a day where the most prominent Catholics in America -- from Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to virtually every well-known Irish Catholic in the Senate -- now defend the snuffing out of tens of millions of innocent human lives as the exercise of a fundamental right.
And on the Midwestern campus of the Golden Dome, it allows administrators and professors to tell themselves they are in "dialogue" with the spirit of John F. Kennedy when they are in fact surrendering to a Ted Kennedy reality they themselves have helped create.
CatholicVote.org has partnered with the Cardinal Newman Society, a dynamic organization dedicated to the renewal of Catholic higher education in establishing www.NotreDameScandal.com. Together their aim is to collect thousands of signatures and present them to University officials. Sign the petition now.
Also, contact Notre Dame and express your outrage. Contact Notre Dame President Father Jenkins at (574) 631-5000.

Protest Notre Dame Shame!

From CNS News:
The University of Notre Dame announced on Friday that it will award President Barack Obama an honorary law degree and that Obama will give the principal address at the university’s May 17th commencement ceremony.
Obama supports abortion on demand, government funding of abortion, government funding of stem cell research that kills human embryos, legally granting same-sex unions all the rights and privileges of marriage, and repealing the federal Defense of Marriage Act that protects states from being forced to recognize same-sex marriages contracted in other states as they otherwise might be compelled to under the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution. The Catholic Church holds that abortion and same-sex unions are immoral and must be opposed. . . .
Notre Dame alumnus Joe Scheidler, national director of the Pro-Life Action League, quickly responded to Notre Dame’s announcement that Obama would deliver its commencement speech by issuing a statement calling on Father John Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame, to withdraw the invitation to Obama.. “Over the first two months of his administration, Barack Obama has established himself as the most pro-abortion president in U.S. history,” said Scheidler. “My alma mater should not be providing a platform for this president.” “Starting from his first week in office, President Obama has enacted a string of executive orders, appointments and policy decisions that contradict Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life--a teaching that Notre Dame is supposed to uphold,” said Scheidler.“Father Jenkins cannot expect pro-life Catholics to stand back and allow the most pro-abortion president in U.S. history to make a mockery of Notre Dame's Catholic identity,” Scheidler said. . . .
Here is a special message from Brian Burch, President of Catholicvote.org recommending four courses of action:
1) CatholicVote.org has partnered with the Cardinal Newman Society, a dynamic organization dedicated to the renewal of Catholic higher education in establishing www.NotreDameScandal.com. Together our aim is to collect thousands of signatures and present them to University officials. Sign the petition now.
2) Contact Notre Dame and charitably express your outrage. CatholicVote.org is large enough to have a major impact, and we urge you to contact Notre Dame President Father Jenkins at (574) 631-5000.
3) Join your fellow CatholicVote.org members in a prayer of reparation on May 17 from 2-4 PM. We encourage you to organize local groups to pray for mercy for the decision by Notre Dame, but also for our nation for continuing to permit the tragedy of abortion.
***If you live in the Midwest, or near Notre Dame University, we invite you to personally join us in prayer at the Grotto on the campus of Notre Dame from 2-4 PM on May 17, where we will be joined by several Notre Dame professors, alumni, and current students. The gathering will be a peaceful and prayerful.
4) Please forward this message to your family and friends. Let them know about Notre Dame's decision to honor the most pro-abortion President in American history. We must not remain silent over this scandal!

Sebelius Pick Disgraceful

From Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in The Leaven newspaper:
Normally, it would be a source of joy and pride to have a Catholic from Kansas named by the president to an important Cabinet post. Unfortunately, I experience neither with President Obama’s selection of Governor Kathleen Sebelius as his choice to serve as the secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). . . .
On the fundamental moral issue of protecting innocent human life, Governor Sebelius, throughout her career, has been an outspoken advocate for legalized abortion. For this reason, her appointment to HHS is particularly troubling. . . .
The secretary for HHS will be a key figure in developing and implementing health care reform for the nation. There are those who have great influence within the Obama administration and with whom Governor Sebelius has been associated throughout her political career (e.g., Planned Parenthood, National Organization for Women, NARAL, etc.), who want abortion not only to be permitted in this country but considered a right. If they are successful in their efforts to have abortion included among “basic health care services,” then it is entirely possible that doctors, nurses and health care institutions will be compelled to cooperate in the provision of abortion.
Those advocating for abortion to be considered a “right” would love to see Catholic hospitals faced with the choice to either cooperate in providing abortions or close.The protection of conscience rights for individuals and institutions is extremely important. The Obama administration has already expressed a desire to rescind the policies of the Bush administration to strengthen conscience protection for health care workers and providers. President Obama, when he was Senator Obama, co-sponsored the so-called Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) that was introduced in the previous Congress. That version of FOCA would have, among other things, forced health care providers to cooperate in abortion. Regretfully, Governor Sebelius throughout her political career has been associated with and supported by Planned Parenthood, NOW, NARAL and others advocating for abortion to be considered a “health care right.”Even more troubling is that earlier in her political career Governor Sebelius accepted political contributions from Wichita’s notorious late-term abortionist, Dr. George Tiller.
When this was no longer politically opportune, Dr. Tiller established a political action committee through which he donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the election and re- election of Governor Sebelius, as well as other equally staunch supporters of legalized abortion.Kansas has one of the most restrictive laws regarding late-term abortions. Yet, it has become, in large part because of Dr. Tiller, the late-term abortion capital of the Midwest. How is this possible? It is possible because our current laws have not been enforced. Each time the Kansas Legislature has passed statutes in an effort to improve enforcement of late-term abortion restrictions, Governor Sebelius has vetoed these laws.
As you are aware, because of her long history, both as a legislator and governor, of consistently supporting legalized abortion, and after many months of dialogue, I requested Governor Sebelius not to present herself for Communion. I did this in the hope that it would motivate Governor Sebelius to reconsider her support for what is an intrinsic evil — the destruction of innocent human life by abortion. I
also took this pastoral action to protect others from being misled by the governor’s public support and advocacy for legalized abortion.
The appointment of Governor Sebelius as the secretary of HHS concerns me on many levels. With her history of support for legalized abortion and embryonic stem-cell research, it is troubling the important influence that she will have on shaping health care policies for our nation.
Having elected President Obama with his own record of support for legalized abortion, our nation should not be surprised by his appointment of a secretary for HHS who shares his views. Though many people voted for President Obama not because of his support for legalized abortion, but despite it, voters in effect gave him the ability to appoint individuals who share his anti-life views to his Cabinet and, even more troubling, to the courts.
I am also concerned personally for Governor Sebelius. Her appointment as secretary for HHS places her in a position where she will have to make many decisions that will in all probability continue her personal involvement in promoting legalized abortion and her cooperation in this intrinsic evil.
I am also concerned that the appointment of Governor Sebelius places another Catholic supporting legalized abortion in a prominent national position. She joins Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and unfortunately a host of Catholic senators and members of the House of Representatives who support legalized abortion, contrary to the clear and consistent teaching of their church. It saddens me that so many Catholics, to gain political advancement, have chosen to compromise their Catholic faith by their failure to defend the most fundamental of all human rights — the right to life.

Cleric Warns Of 'Adulation'

From the Catholic News Agency:
Canadians packed St. Basil’s Church in Toronto . . . to hear Archbishop Charles Chaput speak about how Catholics should live out their faith in the public square. He warned that in the U.S., Catholics need to act on their faith and be on guard against "a spirit of adulation bordering on servility" that exists towards the Obama administration.
The public lecture by Archbishop Chaput took place on the campus of the University of Toronto at St. Basil’s Church and was attended by an overflow crowd of more than 700 people.
After giving a sketch of the basic principles in his New York Times Bestseller "Render Unto Caesar," the archbishop offered his insights on the need for an honest assessment of the situation of the Church in the public square.
"I like clarity, and there’s a reason why," began the archbishop. "I think modern life, including life in the Church, suffers from a phony unwillingness to offend that poses as prudence and good manners, but too often turns out to be cowardice. Human beings owe each other respect and appropriate courtesy. But we also owe each other the truth -- which means candor."
The Denver prelate then provided his critique of President Obama.
"President Obama is a man of intelligence and some remarkable gifts. He has a great ability to inspire, as we saw from his very popular visit to Canada just this past week. But whatever his strengths, there’s no way to reinvent his record on abortion and related issues with rosy marketing about unity, hope and change. Of course, that can change. Some things really do change when a person reaches the White House. Power ennobles some men. It diminishes others. Bad policy ideas can be improved. Good policy ideas can find a way to flourish. But as Catholics, we at least need to be honest with ourselves and each other about the political facts we start with."
Yet this will be "very hard for Catholics in the United States," Chaput warned.
According to the archbishop, the political situation for Catholics is difficult to discern because a "spirit of adulation bordering on servility already exists among some of the same Democratic-friendly Catholic writers, scholars, editors and activists who once accused pro-lifers of being too cozy with Republicans. It turns out that Caesar is an equal opportunity employer." . . .
"All political leaders draw their authority from God. We owe no leader any submission or cooperation in the pursuit of grave evil."
"In fact, we have the duty to change bad laws and resist grave evil in our public life, both by our words and our non-violent actions. The truest respect we can show to civil authority is the witness of our Catholic faith and our moral convictions, without excuses or apologies."
In a reference to the messianic treatment that Barack Obama received from some Americans during the presidential primaries, Archbishop Chaput delivered his second point: "in democracies, we elect public servants, not messiahs."
Noting that Obama actually trailed in the weeks just before the election, the Denver archbishop said that this places some of today’s talk about a "new American mandate" in perspective.
"Americans, including many Catholics, elected a gifted man to fix an economic crisis. That’s the mandate. They gave nobody a mandate to retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life and abortion. That retooling could easily happen, and it clearly will happen -- but only if Catholics and other religious believers allow it."

Redefining 'Free Speech'

From Johnny Johnson at The Oklahoman:
The police officers who stopped Oklahoma City motorist Chip Harrison and confiscated a sign from his car told him he has a right to his beliefs, but the U.S. Secret Service "could construe this as a threat against President Obama," according to the incident report released this morning.
Capt. Steve McCool of the Oklahoma City Police Department is seen in this NewsOK.com video frame grab. McCool says an officer who wrongly pulled a man over last week and confiscated an anti-Barack Obama sign from his vehicle misinterpreted the sign as threatening.
The sign, which read "Abort Obama Not the Unborn," was returned to Harrison later that day, the report said.
Police spokesman Steve McCool said this morning that the sign was taken in error, and Oklahoma City residents should not be worried that their First Amendment rights will be violated. He said a supervisor "intervened and quickly returned the sign" after Harrison called the police department.
"Obviously, it was not a good decision to confiscate the sign," McCool said.
Harrison, who could not be reached for comment this morning, told the officers that in his opinion the words "Abort Obama" meant to impeach him. He told the officers he does not believe in abortion because he is a Christian.
Harrison was stopped while driving a white truck on westbound Interstate 44 at SW 119th at 8:45 a.m. on Feb. 12, according to the police report.

Pope Warns Queen Nancy

From the Catholic News Service:

Pope Benedict XVI met privately with U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, and told her that all Catholics, especially those who are lawmakers, must work to protect human life at every stage.Pelosi, a Catholic Democrat from California, has been criticized by many Catholics for her support for keeping abortion legal.

"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death," the Vatican said in a statement about the Feb. 18 meeting.

Natural law and the church's own teaching require "all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development," the statement said.

Pelosi was making an official visit to Italy to meet members of the U.S. military stationed in the country and to discuss common security concerns with Italian government leaders.Her 15-minute meeting with Pope Benedict took place in a small room in the Vatican audience hall after the pope's weekly general audience.

Pelosi and her staff were not immediately available for comment.As a publicly practicing Catholic and a public opponent of efforts to make abortion illegal, Pelosi has come under sharp criticism by some bishops and other Catholics who believe that a politician who supports legalized abortion should not be allowed to receive Communion.

Queen Nancy (be she secular "royalty" or not) has no business approaching the Communion rail until she amends her beliefs and actions.

Queen Nancy Of Rome

Quenn Nancy (aka Nancy Pelosi) has railed against corporate execs and Wall Street types who live expense-account style. Yet, she herself is currently on a taxpayer-funded junket to Italy. And, get this: The Queen (who rules in the super-secular realm of San Francisco) will spend some time with The Pope.

Here's the story from the Catholic News Agency (CNA):

On Monday at noon in Rome, the Vatican’s Press Office confirmed to CNA that Pope Benedict will be receiving U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in an audience at noon on Wednesday. Pelosi, a self-proclaimed "ardent Catholic" who has sparked significant criticism from fellow Catholics in the U.S. for her pro-abortion views, arrived in Italy on Sunday for an eight-day official visit.
After landing at the USAF base in Aviano, she and the American delegation met with the mayor Florence, Leonardo Domenici at the "Palazzo Vecchio" (The Old Palace.)
On Monday, Pelosi began a series of meetings with Italian political authorities at the Quirinale Palace, where she was received by the President of the Italian State, Giorgio Napolitano. She then moved to the nearby Italian Congress for a meeting with the President of the Government, Gianfranco Fini.
Later in the evening, a reception honoring the U.S. delegation will take place at the Library of Montecitorio Palace where Pelosi will deliver the address: "Strong Allies for a Secure Future." On Tuesday, the Speaker of the House will be received by the President of the Council of Ministers, Silvio Berlusconi, at Villa Madama. In the afternoon Pelosi will hold meetings with the Minister of Defense, Ignazio La Russa and the Minister of International Affairs, Franco Frattini.
Although numerous reports have been published either confirming or denying that Pope Benedict would receive Pelosi in an audience, the Holy See’s Press Office confirmed to CNA on Monday at noon Rome time, that the Holy Father will receive the U.S. representative on Wednesday at midday.The press office made clear that the Pope will meet with Pelosi in his capacity as a head of state since the Speaker of the House is the third in line to lead the U.S., should the president and vice president be unable to do so.
The idea of providing Pelosi with a photo-op has disturbed a significant number of U.S. Catholics and pro-life activists.