We Can’t Have Anti-Catholic Bigot in White House
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R.-Ohio) said that Obama adviser Harry Knox should resign because of anti-Catholic statements he has made.
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Entries Tagged as 'Religious Freedoms'
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Do your part to stamp out bigotry!
CatholicVoteAction.org is organizing a petition drive to counter the attacks on the USPS decision to issue a new stamp honoring Mother Teresa. Atheist groups are mobilizing in an attempt to pressure the Postmaster General from going forward with the issuing of the stamp on honoring Mother Teresa for her tireless service to the poor.
Holy Father’s prayer intentions for 2010
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.
Holy Father’s prayer intentions for 2011
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.
When politics dictates religion
My colleague over at the Portland Progressive Examiner page has a good article on politics and religion. It is too bad that he has it backwards. The Manhattan Declaration is not an attempt to force any specific denominations beliefs on society; it is a step in the process to ensure that Christians have a place at the table. Christians enjoy the same rights as all Americans; the right to participate in the political process. With that participation comes, the values and principles that we as individuals possess. Specifically, the Manhattan Declaration addresses the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty. These are issues that have been under attack from left for the last three decades. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Catholic Bishops and other religious leaders are well within their rights as American citizens to advocate for their position; and failure to do so is to fail to provide the leadership and example that every organization expects of its leaders. Read more…
Woolsey: IRS should look at bishops
from Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif)
I expect political hardball on any legislation as important as the health care bill.
I just didn’t expect it from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Who elected them to Congress?
The role the bishops played in the pushing the Stupak amendment, which unfairly restricts access for low-income women to insurance coverage for abortions, was more than mere advocacy.
They seemed to dictate the finer points of the amendment, and managed to bully members of Congress to vote for added restrictions on a perfectly legal surgical procedure.
And this political effort was subsidized by taxpayers, since the Council enjoys tax-exempt status.
When I visit churches in my district, we are very careful to keep everything “non-political” to protect their tax-exempt status.The IRS is less restrictive about church involvement in efforts to influence legislation than it is about involvement in campaigns and elections.
Given the political behavior of USCCB in this case, maybe it shouldn’t be.
Conference of Catholic Bishops urge action by parishioners
As Catholics in Kansas City and across the country head to Mass this weekend, they can expect to see messages in their weekly bulletins urging them to contact Congress about the recent health reform initiatives. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has distributed the message that they cannot support the existing health care proposals unless it includes language specifically forbidding the use of taxpayer dollars funding abortions. To date, the Democratic leadership has refused to include such language and is said to be considering rules to prevent amendments from being attached on the House floor.
Rep. Bart Stupak (D- MI) has proposed…read more at the Examiner
Dolan takes on Anti-Catholicism
FOUL BALL!
By Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York
October is the month we relish the highpoint of our national pastime, especially when one of our own New York teams is in the World Series!
Sadly, America has another national pastime, this one not pleasant at all: anti-catholicism.
It is not hyperbole to call prejudice against the Catholic Church a national pastime. Scholars such as Arthur Schlesinger Sr. referred to it as “the deepest bias in the history of the American people,” while John Higham described it as “the most luxuriant, tenacious tradition of paranoiac agitation in American history.” “The anti-semitism of the left,” is how Paul Viereck reads it, and Professor Philip Jenkins sub-titles his book on the topic “the last acceptable prejudice.”
If you want recent evidence of this unfairness against the Catholic Church, look no further than a few of these following examples of occurrences over the last couple weeks:
Cruise daughter to attend Catholic school
Katie Holmes has reportedly enrolled her daughter Suri in a Catholic school, despite arguments over it with Scientologist husband Tom Cruise. Interesting…
A bishop in Michigan watching out for his flock
Thanks to Father Z for bringing this to my attention!
Statement of Bishop Alexander K. Sample In Response to Bishop Thomas Gumbleton’s Public Appearance in the Diocese of Marquette.
“I attempted to handle this matter in a private, respectful and fraternal manner with Bishop Gumbleton. It is unfortunate that what should have remained a private matter between two bishops of the Catholic Church has been made available for public consumption.I want to first of all say that my decision to ask Bishop Gumbleton not to come to Marquette had absolutely nothing to do with the group who invited him to speak, Marquette Citizens for Peace and Justice, nor with the topic of his publicized speech, since the Church is a strong advocate of peace and justice. I am sorry for the negative impact this has had on those planning this event.
There is a common courtesy usually observed between bishops whereby when one bishop wishes to enter into another bishop’s diocese to minister or make a public speech or appearance, he informs the local bishop ahead of time and seeks his approval. Only on October 9 did I receive any communication from Bishop Gumbleton, after this situation had already become public.
As the Bishop of the Diocese of Marquette, I am the chief shepherd and teacher of the Catholic faithful of the Upper Peninsula entrusted to my pastoral care. As such I am charged with the grave responsibility to keep clearly before my people the teachings of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals. Given Bishop Gumbleton’s very public position on certain important matters of Catholic teaching, specifically with regard to homosexuality and the ordination of women to the priesthood, it was my judgment that his presence in Marquette would not be helpful to me in fulfilling my responsibility.
I realize that these were not the topics upon which Bishop Gumbleton was planning to speak. However, I was concerned about his well-known and public stature and position on these issues and my inability to keep these matters from coming up in discussion. In order that no one becomes confused, everyone under my pastoral care must receive clear teaching on these important doctrines.
I offer my prayers for Bishop Gumbleton and for all those who have been negatively affected by this unfortunate situation.”
Irish priest was kidnapped Sunday in the southern Philippines
Father Michael Sinnott, part of the Missionary Society of St. Columban, was kidnapped at about 7:30 p.m. local time “from outside his home in Pagadian City, Province of Zamboanga del Sur, Mindanao, as he was taking an evening stroll in the garden,” the society said.
Catholic Bishops step into health care debate
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Penn & Teller’s attack on the Church
CBS/Showtime Airs “Most vile, Obscene” Attack on Catholic Church “Ever Aired” according to Bill Donohue of the Catholic League. I have seen the video and I have to agree. It is vulgar and obscene. See for yourself.
Penn and Teller attack on the Church (WARNING- HIGHLY OFFENSIVE AND FOUL LANGUAGE)
Donohue has spoken with one official but has not had an opportunity to have an official meeting.
Maybe we should all contact them ourselves.
Contact CBS rep Nancy Tellem at nancy.tellem@tvc.cbs.com
-Or-
Mr. Leslie Moonves
Chairman of CBS
7800 Beverly Blvd., Rm. 23
Los Angeles, CA 90036-2112
Matthew Blank, the Chairman and CEO of Showtime.
The Fallacy of Separation of Church and State
Miranda Hale has a post over at the Examiner criticizing Bill Donohue from the Catholic League. In writing the article, Ms. Hale is playing into Mr. Donohue’s hand and proving the point that he is often trying to make; that secularist are trying to keep religion out of the public discourse.
The premise tat she starts off with is incorrect. The article describes his belief that America is a Christian Nation built on Judeo-Christian principles as “misguided”. A simple review of our laws and history will show that these principles were considered and built upon in determining the laws of our nation.
Accusations are made but the author fails to fully explain the reasoning for the criticisms. For example the claim is made that Donohue is trying to “force their religion into the public sphere” and “try to force it into government”. The statement leads one to believe that religion has no place in the either of these places. The constitution does not forbid these institutions from having a seat at the table; only that the government can not establish and force upon the citizens a specific religion.
I do agree with Ms. Hale that Mr. Donohue does tend to get carried away on various talk shows. His antics often distract from the message that he is trying to get across. However, that does not change the fact that forces do exist that are overly critical of the Catholic Church and religion in general and would like nothing better than to completely remove any mention or influence of God from the public sphere.
Look Who’s Discriminating Now
The Federal government has taken a giant leap toward discriminating against the religious freedoms of Catholics. The EEOC office in Charlotte, N.C. ruled that Belmont Abbey College in discriminated against female employees by refusing to cover prescription contraceptives in its health insurance plan.
This is a ominous sign of things to come if the government succeeds in taking over health care. What is going to keep the government from mandating that contraception be covered? Or Abortion? Or Euthanasia?
