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.

'Apology Tour' Folly

From Ralph Peters in the New York Post:
I, for one, don't think our country has anything to apologize for, either to Turkey or to Europe. Insisting that America's always guilty, Obama omitted any mention of Turkey's wartime betrayals of our troops, its continuing oppression of its Kurd minority or the AKP's determination to turn a state with a secular constitution into a Wahhabi playground. When it came to the Armenian genocide, Obama bravely ducked: He never dared use the g-word. And Obama's disdainful remarks about President Bush were just shabby. After those overpriced tour T-shirts have shrunk in the wash (trust me -- they will), what will we have gained from Obama's superstar act? He told the Europeans that the global economic crisis is all our fault. No mention of European greed, overleveraged governments, destructive Euro-loans or Chinese currency manipulation. We did it. Whip us, please. In return, the Europeans gave him . . . nothing. Even though Obama was right when he said that Europe faces a greater terror threat than we do, the entire continent only ponied up 2,500 short-term non-combat troops for Afghanistan. The Europeans know we'll do the heavy lifting. He gave the Russians yet another blank check, too. (Meanwhile, in Moscow, Putin's thugs beat an aging pro-democracy dissident to a pulp.) In return, the Russians promised to . . . well, actually, they didn't promise anything. Then Obama went to Turkey, undercut secular political parties, infuriated the Europeans -- and disclaimed our country's Judeo-Christian heritage. (Did Turkey's leaders respond by denying Islam's importance to them? Naw.) In Turkey, Obama got . . . nothing we didn't already have. Then he went to Iraq and told its prime minister that Iraq would get nothing. I believe that our president wants to do the right thing. But he doesn't have a clue how. For now, he's enraptured by the applause. But he hasn't tried to charge his fans for their tickets. And they've already made up their minds they won't have to pay.

Notre Dame Pressure Grows

From Ken Kusmer at the Associated Press:
Ten priests from the order that founded the University of Notre Dame say the school risks its "true soul" and could distance itself from the Roman Catholic church by inviting President Barack Obama to campus next month.
The members of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, which helps run the university, asked the Rev. John Jenkins, the Holy Cross priest who is Notre Dame's president, and the university's board of fellows to reconsider the invitation to Obama because he supports abortion rights.
"Failure to do so will damage the integrity of the institution," said the letter published Wednesday in Notre Dame Observer.
Notre Dame announced last month that Obama would deliver the university's May 17 commencement address and receive an honorary degree. The decision by the nation's best-known Catholic university sparked widespread anger among many Catholics who said Notre Dame should not honor someone whose policies on abortion and stem cell research clash with core church teachings on human life.
Hundreds of abortion opponents protested on campus Sunday, and the priests said the invitation has opened a "fissure" between Notre Dame and many bishops. More than a dozen bishops have denounced Obama's appearance, including Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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.

Obama Picks Anti-Catholic Zealot

From CNS News:
President Barack Obama has named to the federal government’s faith-based initiative a gay-rights activist who, last month, described Pope Benedict XVI and certain Catholic bishops as “discredited leaders” because of their opposition to same-sex marriage.
Harry Knox, who is a newly appointed member of Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is the director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual activist group.
In addition to his remarks about the Pope, Knox also criticized the Catholic Knights of Columbus as being “foot soldiers of a discredited army of oppression” because of the Knights’ support of Proposition 8. The latter was a ballot initiative that amended California’s state constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman, and passed in November 2008. . . .
The appointment of Knox advisory board makes a mockery of the faith-based program, said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League.
“This is exactly the kind of bastardization of common sense that the Obama people are putting forth,” Donohue told CNSNews.com. “Quite frankly, I would prefer to see the entire faith-based initiative closed down. They’re going to use this as political capital in the Obama administration to say, ‘We reach out to people of faith.’ The whole thing is a sham.”
“I’d rather people simply be honest and say we don’t believe in faith-based initiatives as they were initially intended by the previous administration, and what we’re going to do is thoroughly politicize them with these gay activists,” said Donohue.
Reports surfaced last week that both Knox and former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy – the latter an opponent of same-sex marriage -- were asked to join the president’s council.
However, in the release Monday afternoon, Dungy’s name was not included.
The council now has 24 out of 25 members appointed.
“Because of the screamers in the gay community that said we can’t have a man like Tony Dungy, they’ve decided to reach out and get someone like Harry Knox,” Donohue told CNSNews.com. “Whether Dungy dropped out himself or they dropped him, there was a dust up. That much we know. And this is the way the Obama people work.”
Conservatives have already expressed concern that Obama’s faith-based advisory council is heavy with liberal activists, such as the Rev. Jim Wallis, the Rev. Otis Moss Jr. and Rabbi David N. Saperstein, among other left-leaning clergy on the council who have advocated for more social spending, less restrictive immigration policies and more environmental regulations. Some council members have been avid supporters of abortion rights, gay marriage, and keeping a strict separation of church and state.
“It is expanded to go beyond faith-based organizations, which is a complete 180 of its original intent,” Tom McClusky, vice president of Family Research Council’s FRC-Alert, told CNSNews.com. “The numbers on the council are – as expected – much more heavily leaning liberals who are not as concerned about the right to practice one’s own faith when accepting federal dollars.”

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.

April Fools' Holiday

This one is making the rounds and it gave me a chuckle:
In Florida, an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover holidays.
He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days. The case was brought before a judge.
After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring,"Case dismissed!" The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the Ruling, "Your honor,how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."
The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant." The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."
The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day... Court is adjourned.

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!

Villanova's Dream Team!

Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (1), Shane Clark and Reggie Redding (15) celebrate Reynolds' game-winning basket against Pittsburgh, which earned the Wildcats a Final Four berth. (Yong Kim / Staff Photographer)

From Rich Hoffman in the Philadelphia Daily News:
Somehow, some way, Villanova is going to the Final Four.
It was a classic game. It was a game that will be talked about for as long as they talk about college basketball in Philadelphia. It was a tight, physical, brutal wonderful game – and Scottie Reynolds won it with a driving layup with 0.5 seconds left.
The final score was Villanova 78, Pittsburgh 76. And when everyone got done holding their breath at the end, when a Levance Fields 75-footer at the buzzer crashed off of the backboard and away, the Wildcats erupted to celebrate the school’s first Final Four appearance since 1985.
It is so hard to describe how tough and good this game was, and how it would have felt if the Wildcats had come up short. It was that good. It was that difficult.

What makes Villanova so special?

Well, of course I'm partial.
But I think it's a Villanova spirit - an honest, well-grounded "can do" spirit that drives the university and its community to do their very best and to give that extra effort that makes a difference.
Villanova is a school grounded in the Augustinian ethic and the teachings and values of St. Augustine. Villanova doesn't try to hide its Catholic identity or its Catholic heritage. Villanova is proud of it - proud of all of it.
Go to Villanova's web site and you will see Villanova's Christian character. You will see the daily quote from Augustine himself; the Lenten reflections and the open, giving, Catholic spirit of the university.
Here's what Villanova President Rev. Peter J. Donohue says: "We are a Catholic and Augustinian University with a well-rounded academic curriculum and a commitment to the greater good. Saint Augustine believed in the intrinsic connection between the mind and the heart, between truth and love. At Villanova, we celebrate this relationship through a passionate pursuit of knowledge and service to others."
Villanova's understanding of its own Christian character and Villanova's steadfast adherence to the teachings of St. Augustine set it apart.
I honestly believe that Villanova is infused with the love and the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Sprit knows.

And that makes all the difference!

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!

Hillary: Clueless On Guadalupe?

From the Catholic News Agency:

During her recent visit to Mexico, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unexpected stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and left a bouquet of white flowers “on behalf of the American people,” after asking who painted the famous image.
The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously imprinted by Mary on the tilma, or cloak, of St. Juan Diego in 1531. The image has numerous unexplainable phenomena, such as the appearance on Mary’s eyes of those present in the room when the tilma was opened and the image’s lack of decay.
Mrs. Clinton was received on Thursday at 8:15 a.m. by the rector of the Basilica, Msgr. Diego Monroy.
Msgr. Monroy took Mrs. Clinton to the famous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which had been previously lowered from its usual altar for the occasion.
After observing it for a while, Mrs. Clinton asked “who painted it?” to which Msgr. Monroy responded “God!”
Clinton then told Msgr. Monroy that she had previously visited the old Basilica in 1979, when the new one was still under construction.
After placing a bouquet of white flowers by the image, Mrs. Clinton went to the quemador –the open air area at the Basilica where the faithful light candles- and lit a green candle.
Leaving the basilica half an hour later, Mrs. Clinton told some of the Mexicans gathered outside to greet her, “you have a marvelous virgin!”
This evening Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to receive the highest award given by Planned Parenthood Federation of America -- the Margaret Sanger Award, named for the organization's founder, a noted eugenicist. The award will be presented at a gala event in Houston, Texas.

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.

Fired For Catholic Slur

From Kerry Burke and Oren Yaniv at the New York Daily News
The manager of one of the city's most luxurious hotels was given the boot after ordering a Catholic employee to clean up his forehead on Ash Wednesday.
"Wipe that f-----g s--t off your face," managing director Niklaus Leuenberger told a bell captain at the New York Palace Hotel on Feb. 25, sources said.
The unholy ultimatum ended up costing Leuenberger his job at the Palace, a swanky 55-story tower on Madison Ave. across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral.
"As of Monday, March 23, Leuenberger is no longer employed by the New York Palace," hotel spokeswoman Teresa Delaney told the Daily News Tuesday.
The incident was deemed so severe, Christopher Cowdray, head of the London-based Dorchester Collection, which owns the Palace, flew here to hand Leuenberger the pink slip.
"We take the well-being of our employees extremely seriously and that is why our CEO, Mr. Cowdray, went to New York in person to deal with this matter," the company said.
The object of the manager's insult, bell captain Mike Murray, said the cross of dark ashes was liberally applied to his forehead at his Long Island church.
"My priest did a real number on me," he said with a chuckle.
Catholics receive the ashes as a reminder of their own mortality on Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of penance that ends on Easter.
"The [general manager] wanted it off, and he knows he was wrong," added the observant Irish Catholic employee. "I've never been approached on a religious issue [before]."

Vatican Insiders: Pope Kaput!

From Nick Squires at Britain's The Telegraph:

Pope Benedict's repeated gaffes and the Vatican's inability to manage his message in the internet era are threatening to undermine his papacy, Vatican insiders have said.
The Holy See is struggling to contain international anger over the Pope's claim on his first official visit to Africa that Aids "cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems".
The Pope's remarks about condoms, and a recent furore over his lifting of the 20-year excommunication of a British bishop who has questioned the Holocaust, has left him looking isolated and out of touch, prompting calls for a radical shake-up of the way the Holy See delivers its message.
The Pope is isolated and fails to adequately consult his advisers, said a Vatican source with 20 years' knowledge of the Holy See.
Another Vatican insider described Pope Benedict's four-year-old papacy as "a disaster", recalling the pontiff's previous inflammatory remarks on Islam and homosexuality.
"He's out of touch with the real world," the Italian insider said. "On the condom issue, for example, there are priests and bishops in Africa who accept that condoms are a key part of the fight against Aids, and yet the pope adheres to this very conservative line that they encourage promiscuity. The Vatican is far removed from the reality on the ground."
The Vatican's traditional culture of secrecy has made it ill-equipped to communicate its message in the internet age.
The Holy See claimed that the Pope had no idea that British bishop Richard Williamson had denied the extent of the Holocaust, but critics have pointed out that a simple Google search would have uncovered the maverick's anti-Semitic views.
"Until recently the Vatican was secretive and their way of controlling the message of the Church was to release information slowly and highly selectively through carefully worded documents," said Francis X Rocca, Vatican correspondent for Religion News Service.
"The problem now is that the internet and the blogosphere won't wait for the Vatican, so its message gets swamped."

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.

War On Crucifixes

And now the latest "controversy" brought to you by the ever-sensitive "politically-correct" crowd: Crucifixes in a Catholic school.

OMG! Crucifixes in a Catholic School? Perish the thought!

From Richard Weir at the Boston Herald:

Some Boston College professors and students are raising a holy ruckus over the Catholic school’s return to its religious roots by hanging crucifixes in all its classrooms, calling the move “offensive” and a break from the Jesuit tradition of tolerance. “There is no choice if you don’t think it’s appropriate. You can’t turn it around,” said biology professor Dan Kirschner, faculty adviser for BC’s chapter of Hillel, a Jewish student group. “I think it is being insensitive to the people of other faith traditions here.”
Amir Hoveyda, head of BC’s chemistry department, blasted the school in an e-mail to the Herald for “not being interested in an exchange with its faculty members.”
In an interview with the college newspaper, The Observer, which broke the story, Hoveyda described the crucifixes as “offensive” and the university’s actions as “anti-intellectual.”
“I can hardly imagine a more effective way to denigrate the faculty of an educational institution,” he is quoted as saying. “The insult is particularly scathing, since such symbols were installed without discussion . . . in a disturbingly surreptitious manner.”
BC spokesman Jack Dunn said college President Rev. William P. Leahy decided to install crucifixes in the university’s 151 classrooms as a means of reconnecting the school with its “Catholic mission.”
“As a Catholic university, we view the crucifix as a sacred symbol and its placement reflects our commitment to our religious heritage. We hope that those who do not share our faith tradition can respect our intentions,” he said.
Dunn said many BC classrooms and lecture halls already displayed crucifixes and religious icons, such as images of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. But over winter recess, crosses were put in some 40 rooms - including science labs - sparking the backlash.
The display of crucifixes - some of them hand-carved works brought back by students from volunteer missions overseas - is an outgrowth of the college’s Committee on Christian Art, formed in 2002 to promote Christian artworks on campus..
Patrick Reilly, head of The Cardinal Newman Society, said he was “thrilled” by the action of Boston College, which too often “seemed to shy away from any overt affiliation as Catholic.”
“Catholic colleges across the country will be grateful for Boston College’s taking such a clear stand in support of its Catholic identity,” he said.
Many students agreed.
“Boston College welcomes students, faculty and staff from all religious persuasions with welcome arms,” said senior Patrick Fouhy, 21. “But at the end of the day, we are still a Jesuit, Catholic university and that is a core part of our identity. Putting crucifixes up is a nice reminder of that.”
But sophomore Alex LoVerde, 20, believes a crucifix “pushes the Catholic religion” and does not belong in a classroom. “I think the Jesuit tradition is more of openness and tolerance,” LoVerde said. “I think that an overt display of crucifixes is not what the Jesuits would have had in mind.”

Message to Alex: If I wear a crucifix around my neck am I "pushing" Christianity on you? When we put an American flag in every classroom are we "pushing" America on you? If you don't like the display of crucifixes in a Catholic school (you knew it was Catholic when you enrolled) then go to a different school, Alex!