Catholic Family Campaign

Since we are all seeing that the Pope’s prayer intentions for 2011 have been released, I bet you are asking what about 2010?  Well here you go courtesy of EWTN.

JANUARY 2010
Young people and Social Communications Media
General: That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society.

Christian Unity
Missionary: That every believer in Christ may be conscious that unity among all Christians is a condition for more effective proclamation of the Gospel.

FEBRUARY 2010
Scholars
General: For all scholars and intellectuals, that by means of sincere search for the truth they may arrive at an understanding of the one true God.

The Church’s Missionary Identity
Missionary: That the Church, aware of its own missionary identity, may strive to follow Christ faithfully and to proclaim His Gospel to all peoples.

MARCH 2010
World Economy
General: That the world economy may be managed according to the principles of justice and equity, taking account of the real needs of peoples, especially the poorest.

The Churches in Africa
Missionary: That the Churches in Africa may be signs and instruments of reconciliation and justice in every part of that continent.

APRIL 2010
Fundamentalism and Extremism
General: That every tendency to fundamentalism and extremism may be countered by constant respect, by tolerance and by dialogue among all believers.

Persecuted Christians
Missionary: That Christians persecuted for the sake of the Gospel may persevere, sustained by the Holy Spirit, in faithfully witnessing to the love of God for the entire human race.

MAY 2010
Human Trafficking
General: That the shameful and monstrous commerce in human beings, which sadly involves millions of women and children, may be ended.

Priests, Religious and Committed Lay People
Missionary: That ordained ministers, religious women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm into the communities entrusted to their care.

JUNE 2010
Respect for Human Life
General: That every national and transnational institution may strive to guarantee respect for human life from conception to natural death.

The Churches in Asia
Missionary: That the Churches in Asia, which constitute a “little flock” among non-Christian populations, may know how to communicate the Gospel and give joyful witness to their adherence to Christ.

JULY 2010
Justice in Electing those who Govern
General: That in every nation of the world the election of officials may be carried out with justice, transparency and honesty, respecting the free decisions of citizens.

An Urban Culture of Justice, Solidarity and Peace
Missionary:That Christians may strive to offer everywhere, but especially in great urban centers, an effective contribution to the promotion of education, justice, solidarity and peace.

AUGUST 2010
The Unemployed and the Homeless
General: That those who are without work or homes or who are otherwise in serious need may find understanding and welcome, as well as concrete help in overcoming their difficulties.

Victims of Discrimination, Hunger and Forced Emigration
Missionary: That the Church may be a “home” for all people, ready to open its doors to any who are suffering from racial or religious discrimination, hunger, or wars forcing them to emigrate to other countries.

SEPTEMBER 2010
The Word of God as Sign of Social Development
General: That in less developed parts of the world the proclamation of the Word of God may renew people’s hearts, encouraging them to work actively toward authentic social progress.

The End of War
Missionary: That by opening our hearts to love we may put an end to the numerous wars and conflicts which continue to bloody our world.

OCTOBER 2010
Catholic Universities
General: That Catholic Universities may more and more be places where, in the light of the Gospel, it is possible to experience the harmonious unity existing between faith and reason.

World Mission Day
Missionary: That the World Mission Day may afford an occasion for understanding that the task of proclaiming Christ is an absolutely necessary service to which the Church is called for the benefit of humanity.

NOVEMBER 2010
Drug Addicts and Victims of Every Form of Dependence
General: That victims of drugs or of other dependence may, thanks to the support of the Christian community, find in the power of our Saving God strength for a radical life-change.

The Continent-wide Mission in Latin America
Missionary: That the Churches of Latin America may move ahead with the continent-wide mission proposed by their bishops, making it part of the universal missionary task of the People of God.

DECEMBER 2010
The Experience of Personal Suffering as a Help to Others who Suffer
General: That our personal experience of suffering may be an occasion for better understanding the situation of unease and pain which is the lot of many people who are alone, sick or aged, and stir us all to give them generous help.

Opening Our Doors to Christ
Missionary: That the peoples of the earth may open their doors to Christ and to His Gospel of peace, brotherhood and justice.

Tags: Family Values, Human Dignity, Religious Freedoms
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The Vatican has released the complete list of Pope Bendict XVI’s prayer intentions for all of 2011.  This is a full year in advance.

January

General Intention: That the riches of creation be preserved, valued and made available to all, as a precious gifts from God to mankind.

Missionary Intention: That Christians may achieve full unity, bearing witness of the universal fatherhood of God to the entire human race.
February

General Intention: That the family may be respected by all in its identity and that its irreplaceable contribution to all of society be recognized.

Missionary Intention: That in the mission territories where the struggle against disease is most urgent, Christian communities may witness to the presence of Christ to those who suffer.
March

General Intention: That the nations of Latin America may walk in fidelity to the Gospel and be bountiful in social justice and peace.

Missionary Intention: That the Holy Spirit may give light and strength to the Christian communities and the faithful who are persecuted or discriminated against because of the Gospel.
April

General Intention: That the Church may offer new generations, through the believable proclamation of the Gospel, ever-new reasons of life and hope.

Missionary Intention: That missionaries, with the proclamation of the Gospel and their witness of life, may bring Christ to all those who do not yet know Him.
May

General Intention: That those who work in the media may always respect truth, solidarity and the dignity of each person.

Missionary Intention: That the Lord may grant the Church in China the capacity to persevere in fidelity to the Gospel and to grow in unity.
June

General Intention: That priests, united to the Heart of Christ, may always be true witnesses of the caring and merciful love of God.

Missionary Intention: That the Holy Spirit may bring forth from our communities numerous missionary vocations, willing to fully consecrate themselves to spreading the Kingdom of God.
July

General Intention: That Christians may contribute to alleviating the material and spiritual suffering of AIDS patients, especially in the poorest countries.

Missionary Intention: For the religious who work in mission territories, that they may be witnesses of the joy of the Gospel and living signs of the love of Christ.
August

General Intention: That the World Youth Day taking place in Madrid may encourage all the young people of the world to root and found their lives in Christ.

Missionary Intention: That Christians of the West, docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, may re-encounter the freshness and enthusiasm of their faith.

September

General Intention: For all teachers, that they may convey love in truth and educate in authentic moral and spiritual values.

Missionary Intention: That the Christian communities spread throughout the Asian continent may proclaim the Gospel with fervor, bearing witness to beauty with the joy of the faith.

October

General Intention: For the terminally ill, that in their sufferings they may be sustained by faith in God and by the love of others.

Missionary Intention: That the celebration of World Mission Sunday may increase in the People of God the passion for evangelization and the support of missionary activity through prayer and economic aid for the poorest Churches.

November

General Intention: For the eastern Churches, that their venerable tradition may be known and appreciated as a spiritual treasure for the entire Church.

Missionary Intention: That the African continent may find in Christ the strength to fulfill the path of reconciliation and justice, indicated in the second Synod of Bishops for Africa.
December

General Intention: That the nations of the earth, through knowledge and mutual respect, may grow in harmony and peace.

Missionary Intention: That children and young people may be messengers of the Gospel and that their dignity may always be respected and preserved from all violence and exploitation.

Tags: Family Values, Human Dignity, Religious Freedoms
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Kansas City, Kansas Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Kansas City – St. Joseph Bishop Robert W. Finn have released a joint pastoral statement on Principles of Catholic Social Teaching and Health Care Reform.  The statement reflects the fundamental principles of Catholic social and moral teaching that must accompany any evaluation of the varied health reform proposals.

1. The Principle of Subsidiarity requires the we respect the inherent dignity and freedom of the individual by never doing for others what they can do for themselves, and thus enabling individuals to have the most possible discretion in the affairs of their lives.
2. The Principle of Sanctity of human life ensures respect for the sacredness of every human life and the dignity of the human person — no matter stage of development, age, or physical or mental condition.
   • The “Right to Health Care” as taught by the Church is a companion to the fundamental right to life.  Therefore, every individual is entitled to have access to health care as well as the other necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter for sustaining and caring for human life.
   • The responsibility of each individual to take proper care of his or her health and a duty to acquire health care for oneself and one’s family.
3. The Principle of Promotion of the common good reminds us that we have an obligation to be concerned not just about our own welfare and the welfare of our family, but the welfare of each and every member of society.
4. The Principle of Solidarity reflects the special claim the poor and vulnerable have on our concern.  As such, we should desire for them the same access to quality health care as we want for ourselves and our own families.

The pastoral statement does a good job of making the case for why reforms are needed from a moral perspective in order to ensure that all individuals have access to adequate heath care but also defines the principles that should be a guiding force to evaluate and craft an effective health care reform measure. 

Tags: Human Dignity, Religious Freedoms
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Abercrombie & Fitch is at it again.  They have just begun offering their “New College” line of T-shirts.  And they are real classy…just what you would want your kids to be wearing. 

The first A&F t-shirt pictures a young girl opening her blouse – exposing herself. A&F titles the image: “Show the Twins”.

The second picture is of a female running nude. A&F titles it: “Female streaking encouraged.”

The next Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt is entitled: “Female Students Wanted for Sexual Research”

The American Family Association has issued an action alert.  Visit their site to do your part. 

Tags: Family Values, Human Dignity
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In South Dakota, doctors must disclose to pregnant women that “the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being.”

In doing so, the federal judge upheld part of the 2005 informed consent law that had been challenged by Planned Parenthood.  Unfortunately the judge rejected other portions of the state’s 2005 informed consent law that required doctors to tell women that abortion increases the risk of suicide and that they have “an existing relationship with that unborn human being.”

Tags: Human Dignity, Pro-Life
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Tags: Human Dignity, Pro-Life
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CNN has a story on the labor conditions that exist for those who work to harvest cocoa beans in West Africa.  Many of the workers are under age.  The article states that the industry agreed to wean itself from child labor but that little progress has been made in over 7 years.

I wanted to share this one picture from the story as it really made me think.  This seven year old boy does not go to school.  Instead he works in his uncles cocoa grove.  I am not sure if the photographer was trying to make a point but I think that the boy’s t-shirt speaks for itself…..

Learn more about the Fair Trade Cocoa Campaign at Global Exchange!

Tags: Fair Trade, Human Dignity
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Archbishop says he will close Catholic Charities rather than compromise Church teaching

Though Colorado Catholic Charities “does not proselytize,” said Chaput, it also “has no interest at all in generic do-goodism; on the contrary, it’s an arm of Catholic social ministry. When it can no longer have the freedom it needs to be
‘Catholic,’ it will end its services.

“This is not idle talk. I am very serious,”

This is a great article that is posted over at The Catholic Association website. Check it out today and forward to all your Catholic friends.

Tags: Fair Trade, Family Values, Human Dignity, Religious Freedoms
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This story at CNN is reminder for all of us to be aware of what we are buying.  If the price seems too good to be true, maybe there is a reason for it!

Tags: Economic Justice, Fair Trade, Human Dignity
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for those of you in Missouri, here is some information on the proposed amendment to the state constitution to close the loophole that currently exists allowing cloning.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF MISSOURI

Be it resolved by the people of the state of Missouri that the Constitution be amended :

One new section is adopted by adding one new section to be known as Section 38(e) of Article III, to read as follows:

Section 38(e)

1. It shall be unlawful to clone or attempt to clone a human being as that term is defined in subsection 2 of this section. Researchers may conduct stem cell research to discover cures for disease and develop stem cell therapies and cures, provided that the research complies with the limitations of this section and the limitations of Section 38(d). The prohibition of this section shall be in addition to the prohibitions of Section 38(d).

2. For all purposes within this article, “Clone or attempt to clone a human being” means create or attempt to create a human embryo at any stage, which shall include the one-cell stage onward, by any means other than fertilization of a human egg by a human sperm.
3. No taxpayer dollars shall be expended:

   1. to clone or attempt to clone a human being; or

   2. to research or experiment using a human embryo, or any part of a human embryo, derived from cloning or attempting to clone a human being.

Tags: Human Dignity, Pro-Life, Pro-Life
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Senator Sam Brownback joins with 12 other US Senators to call for an end to funding for organizations that promote abortion, such as Planned Parenthood.

“We write to urge you to suspend funding in all future Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bills for organizations that promote abortion. While an amendment to this effect was not adopted in the U.S. Senate last month, we believe recent findings warrant such a suspension pending further investigation.

“One recipient of such funding is the Planned Parenthood Federation of America which receives more than $300 million in taxpayer funding each year. According to a 107-count complaint filed in Kansas’ Johnson County District Court two weeks ago, Planned Parenthood is accused of performing illegal late-term abortions in violation of state law. It is also accused of falsifying documents and failing to comply with medical reporting requirements.

“Unfortunately this is just one example of a troubling trend. Too often we hear about negligent medical practice or inadequate reporting from abortion clinics that lack sufficient oversight. One of the many reasons to withhold federal funding from groups that promote abortion are these troubling accusations of negligent medical practice. Most recently, amendment S.A.3330 to H.R.3043, the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bill would have  corrected this problem by denying federal funding to groups that promote abortion.

“While amendment S.A.3330 was not adopted by the Senate, we believe an amendment to that effect should be reconsidered in the future given this troubling evidence of wrongdoing and neglectful medical practice.  While we continue to have a rigorous debate in this country about abortion, we should be able to come to some fundamental agreements. We should not use tax dollars to subsidize abortion clinics – particularly when there are serious concerns regarding their compliance with state law and medical standards.”

Joining with Sen. Brownback are Senators David Vitter (R-LA), Jim Bunning (R-KY), John Barrasso (R-WY), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), James Inhofe (R-OK), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Trent Lott (R-MS), Mel Martinez (R-FL), Pat Roberts (R-KS), and John Thune (R-SD).

Tags: Human Dignity, Pro-Life
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Here is a copy of the letter sent to each United States Senator and Congressman asking them to stop the Federal funding of Planned Parenthood.  Let’s hope that they listen! (more)

October 24, 2007

The Honorable NAME
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator,

In light of recent revelations of Planned Parenthood’s alleged systematic violation of state laws in Kansas, the undersigned organizations request the immediate suspension of Planned Parenthood’s federal funding until it can be determined whether the organization violated state and/or federal laws.

According to the 107-count complaint filed in Kansas’ Johnson County District Court last week, Planned Parenthood purposefully performed illegal late term abortions in violation of Kansas State law and unlawfully falsified documents in order to conceal that fact. They are also accused of failing to comply with the required medical reporting guidelines.

The complaint alleges 29 misdemeanor counts of performing “unlawful late term abortions,” 29 misdemeanor counts of “unlawful failure to determine viability for late term abortion,” 23 felony counts of “making false information,” and 27 misdemeanor counts of “unlawful failure to maintain records.”

Planned Parenthood operates around 860 facilities around the country, and there are approximately 40 states with laws banning late term abortions. This illegal conduct may be happening all over the country.

While Planned Parenthood claims that it does not perform late-term abortions after 22 weeks, the charges were reviewed by a Johnson County, Kansas district judge who found probable cause. These are substantive charges levied against Planned Parenthood. States have passed laws on late-term abortions because they are detrimental to women as well as babies. Women are often not informed that late-term abortions increase the likelihood of severe blood loss, damage to vital organs, later premature births and loss of fertility.

We urge you to act to ensure that our tax dollars are not subsidizing abortion clinics that perform possibly illegal late-term abortions.

Sincerely,

Tags: Human Dignity, Pro-Life, Pro-Life
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The Weitz Company Rocky Mountain construction company has refused to reconsider their decision to building the largest abortion facility in the United States.  The Senior Vice President for the company is a member of the Catholic Church and reportedly refused to view documents of Planned Parenthood’s alleged involvement with child rape cover-ups in both Kansas and Indiana.  (from Catholic News Agency)

Here are the core values of the company as posted on their website….

Honesty and Integrity. We deal honestly and fairly. Integrity and adoption of a high ethical standard of conduct are crucial in dealing with clients, designers, subcontractors, vendors, and each other.

high ethical standard of conduct – building abortion facilities ????

Respect for People. We value relationships. We strive for a friendly, cooperative, informal, and safe workplace where trust, openness, and respect for individuals are a matter of course.

not much respect for the babies who will be aborted or the woman who will be harmed by this facility

Performance with Absolute Reliability. We aim to be the best in our various businesses and in the markets we serve. We achieve this by solving clients’ problems and meeting their needs through superior performance with absolute reliability.

solving clients’ problems – more abortion facilities is not solving the problem…it is part of the problem!

Other Clients…

• CHRIST THE KING CHURCH PARISH CENTER ADDITION – Omaha, NE

• ST. MARGARET MARY SCHOOL RENOVATION & ADDITION, PARISH HALL, CHURCH RENOVATIONS, SITE DEVELOPMENTS.  Omaha , NE

Here is the Contact information for the Denver office:

The Weitz Company
4725 South Monaco Street, Suite 100
Denver, CO 80237-3405
Phone: (303) 860-6600
FAX: (303) 860-6698

Tags: Human Dignity, Pro-Life
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Discipline and balance equal joy. An odd combination.

Or at least one we don’t think of very often.

When we think of intense happiness, we think of family. We think of good times. We think of Christmas morning.

And joy there is at such times.

But long-lasting, continual joy comes by way of spiritual discipline, it comes in exaltation of the Cross, which brings balance and brings us closer to the love and Mind of God.

You can go from “drug” to “drug”: from money and sex and vacations and consumerism and indulgent eating to every form of past-time and entertainment and you will not find yourself content in a permanent fashion until the inside is purged and there is an evenness in your life that opens the door to grace.

Often, we commit excesses — we are out of balance — because we are trying to fill an inner void.

Read more of this great article at Spiritdaily

Tags: Human Dignity
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from Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. and the National Catholic Bioethics Center

1. Stem cells can only come from embryos. In fact stem cells can be taken from umbilical cords, the placenta, amniotic fluid, adult tissues and organs such as bone marrow, fat from liposuction, regions of the nose, and even from cadavers up to 20 hours after death.

2. The Catholic Church is against stem cell research. There are four categories of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, embryonic germ cells, umbilical cord stem cells, and adult stem cells. Given that germ cells can come from miscarriages that involve no deliberate interruption of pregnancy, the church really opposes the use of only one of these four categories, i.e., embryonic stem cells. In other words, the Catholic Church approves three of the four possible types of stem cell research.

3. Embryonic stem cell research has the greatest promise. Up to now, no human being has ever been cured of a disease using embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, have already cured thousands. There is the example of the use of bone marrow cells from the hipbone to repair scar tissue on the heart after heart attacks. Research using adult cells is 20-30 years ahead of embryonic stem cells and holds greater promise. This is in part because stem cells are part of the natural repair mechanisms of an adult body, while embryonic stem cells do not belong in an adult body (where they are likely to form tumors, and to be rejected as foreign tissue by the recipient). Rather, embryonic stem cells really belong only within in the specialized microenvironment of a rapidly growing embryo, which is a radically different setting from an adult body.

4. Therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning are fundamentally different from one another. The creation of cloned embryos either to make a baby or to harvest cells occurs by the same series of technical steps. The only difference is what will be done with the cloned human embryo that is produced: will it be given the protection of a woman’s womb in order to be born, or will it be destroyed for its stem cells?

5. Somatic cell nuclear transfer is different from cloning. In fact, “somatic cell nuclear transfer” is simply cloning by a different name. The end result is still a cloned embryo.

6. By doing somatic cell nuclear transfer, we can directly produce tissues or organs without having to clone an embryo. At the present stage of research, scientists are unable to bypass the creation of an embryo in the production of tissues or organs. In the future it may be possible to use chemicals, hormones or even elements from the cytoplasm of a woman’s egg to “reprogram” a somatic cell (like a skin cell) into a stem cell, without ever creating an embryo. This is called “de-differentiation,” and if this becomes feasible, there would be no moral objections to such an approach to getting stem cells.

7. Every body cell, or somatic cell, is somehow an embryo and thus a human life. People sometimes argue: “Every cell in the body has the potential to become an embryo when we do cloning. Does that mean that every time we wash our hands and are shedding thousands of cells, we are killing life?” The problem is that this overlooks the basic biological difference between a regular body cell, and one whose nuclear material has been fused with an unfertilized egg cell, resulting in an embryo. A normal skin cell will only give rise to more skin cells when it divides, while an embryo will give rise to the entire adult organism. Skin cells are not potential adults. Skin cells are potentially only more skin cells. Only embryos are potential adults.

8. Because no sperm is used in cloning, the resultant embryo can’t be a human being and it must be OK to destroy it for its stem cells. Normally when sperm and egg join, each provides half the DNA to make the full complement in the embryo. That embryo then grows to become an adult. When you do cloning, you avoid the first step of mixing parental DNA, obtaining the full complement instead from the nucleus of the regular body cell that is transferred inside the woman’s egg. That cloned embryo then grows to become an adult. Because Dolly the Sheep was made without sperm, this does not imply that she was some kind of being other than a sheep. Similarly, a human embryo made without sperm is not some kind of being other than a human. Cloning simply provides a workaround for the first step of fertilization, producing a genuine human who should never be destroyed for his or her stem cells.

9. Because frozen embryos may one day end up being discarded by somebody, that makes it morally allowable, even laudable, to violate and destroy those embryos. The moral analysis of what we may permissibly do with an embryo doesn’t depend on its otherwise “going to waste,” nor on the incidental fact that those embryos are “trapped” in liquid nitrogen. If we imagine a coal mine with miners who are permanently trapped inside through no fault of their own, with the certainty that they are all going to die, that would not make it okay to send a remote control robotic device to harvest organs from those miners and cause their demise.

10. Because large numbers of embryos generated during intercourse are lost from the woman’s body and die naturally, that makes it permissible for us to destroy embryos in research. What Mother Nature does and what man may do are two distinct realities that should never be confused. If Mother Nature sends a tsunami that claims thousands of human lives, that does not make it morally permissible for me to take a machine gun and shoot into a stadium filled with thousands of people.

Tags: Human Dignity, Pro-Life
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