Read the referenced article. Then be sure to read all the comments below.
More abortion problems come to light at Catholic hospitals
“Most Catholic hospitals, their networks, their clinics, even on the labor delivery floor, do allow prescription of contraceptives. Some also allow sterilization … sometimes even elective sterilizations,” she said, adding that “a very few, I think a handful” perform abortions.
Court: Abortion “Bubble Laws” must apply equally to both sides
Walter Hoye, a minister and self-described “sidewalk counselor,” opposes abortion and seeks to convince women to eschew the procedure. After being convicted of two separate violations of the ordinance, he filed a federal complaint alleging violations of his free-speech and due-process rights.
While courts subsequently reversed Hoye’s two convictions on procedural grounds, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer dismissed the minister’s civil rights complaint, finding that the Oakland’s ordinance is content-neutral and therefore constitutional.
A three-judge appellate panel sitting in San Francisco agreed, but only partly.
While the ordinance, modeled after a Colorado law upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court more than a decade ago in Hill v. Colorado, is constitutional, Oakland failed to enforce it properly, the 9th Circuit found.
The appellate judges cited the testimony of an Oakland police officer who said that the ordinance is generally applied “only to efforts to persuade women approaching reproductive health clinics not to receive abortions or other reproductive health services, and not to communications seeking to encourage entry into the clinic for the purpose of undergoing treatment.”
Hoye also alleged that the “escorts” often tell women not to listen to him or take his literature, and they attempt to block his message by putting up barriers and making noise, the ruling states.
“The city’s policy of distinguishing between speech that facilitates access to clinics and speech that discourages access is not content-neutral,” Judge Marsha Berzon wrote for the unanimous panel. “It is the epitome of a content-based speech restriction.”
Tomb of St. Philip the Apostle discovered in Turkey
The tomb of St. Philip the Apostle, one of the original 12 disciples of Christianity’s central figure Jesus Christ, has been discovered during the ongoing excavations in Turkey’s south-western province of Denizli.
Italian professor Francesco D’Andria, the head of the excavation team at the Hierapolis ancient city in Denizli, told reporters on Tuesday that experts had reached the tomb of St. Philip whose name is mentioned in the Bible as one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus.
Professor D’Andria said archeologists had been working for years to find the tomb of the Biblical figure, and finally, they had managed to reach the monument while working on the ruins of a newly-unearthed church in Hierapolis.
D’Andria said the structure of the tomb and the writings on it proved that it belonged to St. Philip the Apostle, who is recognized as a martyr in the history of Christianity.
Seen on the web: “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand”
Another quote by economist Milton Friedman:
“The Great Depression, like most other periods of severe unemployment, was produced by government mismanagement rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy.”
This Week’s Ask Alice: “3 Angels”
She’ll answer your Catholic questions
right here, every Thursday.
Email responses will also be provided, as time permits.
Toni writes: A friend sent “3 angels” to my house through an email. My instructions were to make an altar with a candle, a white flower, an apple, and an envelope containing the names and addresses of 3 people who agreed to receive the angels after me, and my 3 wishes. I was told to light the candle for five days and talk to the angels so my wishes will come true.
But another friend told me that I’m calling up spirits, which is against the teachings of the Catholic Church. Now I am really scared! What should I do? Are the spirits really here? Are there demons in my home now? Will they not leave? Can I just ignore the actions I began as false superstition and throw away the candle or just burn it down? What should I do with my dozen white roses?
Alice responds: Sorry, Toni, but you’d better blow out that candle and burn those roses. The “3 angels” are, at best, useless superstitions and, at worst, could conjure up evil spirits in your home. The “3 angels” email was started by Irmi, a German psychic. Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims are cautioned against having any contact with psychics, mediums and spiritualists.
“Whoever sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord alone, shall be doomed” (Exodus 22:19)
The spirits invoked by psychics are usually demonic ones. At seances, demonic spirits often appear to mediums disguised as good spirits. As a fallen archangel, Satan, the Deceiver, has appeared to people in the image of saints, even the Virgin Mary. Catholics should avoid all occult practices such as Wiccan rituals, playing with Ouija boards, Tarot cards, attending a seance or visiting a psychic. Also, Catholics should not forward chain letters … be they email or postal.
What should you do with any remaining superstitious stuff at your house? You should burn the 12 roses, 3 wishes, 3 names and addresses, and the candle, then dispose of all the ashes.
Before posting my reply, I discussed your dilemma with Fr. Jerome Kish, Pastor of St. Joseph Church in Downers Grove, IL. Fr. Kish said that you should also remember to mention the “3 angels” incident during your next Confession.
Don’t be afraid, Toni. You didn’t realize what you were doing. There will likely be no demons lingering in your home after you destroy all the associated Irmi articles. If you want to do a good deed, albeit a difficult one, please tell the friend who sent you the “3 angels” what I’ve shared with you.
It’s always wise to keep Holy Water in your house, so you can bless yourself and then sprinkle it both indoors and out, should spiritual difficulties arise. It’s also good policy to keep sacramentals (blessed sacred objects) such as rosaries, crucifixes, miraculous medals, etc. in your home.
As a baptized Catholic, you are marked with the sign of your faith. You belong to God, so you need not fear anything or anybody.
“As for you, every hair of your head has been counted; so do not be afraid of anything.” (Matthew 10:30-31)
In Christ’s Love,
Alice
The secret diary of the most recent papal conclave
Sunday, 17 April. This afternoon I took a room at Casa Santa Marta. Setting down my bags, I tried to open the shades, as the room was dark, but it was impossible. One of my brothers had the same problem, and asked for help from the sisters in charge. He thought it was a technical problem. The sisters explained that the blinds had been sealed shut. Seclusion of the Conclave….A new experience for nearly all of us: out of 115 cardinals, only two had previously participated in the election of a pope….
With these words begin the “secret diary” of the conclave that led to the election of Benedict XVI on 19 April 2005 – the confidential, hand-written notes of an anonymous cardinal upon returning to his room after voting in the Sistine Chapel. This remarkable document, published in the journal Limes, allows a step-by-step reconstruction of the balloting process, raising the veil of secrecy that, by the will of the Popes, has always covered the conclave. From the cardinal’s notes obtained by the journal, we learn first of all that Ratzinger’s candidacy was extremely strong from the beginning.
Recap: Couples for Christ – Foundation for Family and Life – Pro-Life Summit – Chicago 2011
CFC-FFL Pro-Life Summit, Chicago 2011
This is an exciting time to be a Christian, a Catholic, a Filipino and a pro-lifer. Just this year alone many pro-life bills in US Congress have already been moved forward, with many more coming down the pipeline. The youth are being awakened and activated in record numbers. The generation that grew up with abortion as a “human right” are finally acknowledging and recognizing the havoc that it has wreaked on family, society and country. We are at a crossroads. And though we can not turn back the hands of time, we can certainly move forward.
If one had any doubts at all that the culture of life is gaining ground in this country, such doubts would have been laid to rest on July 16, when CFC-FFL held its Pro-Life Summit at the Hyatt Regency in O’hare, Chicago. The ballroom was hopping at 7:30 in the morning, when we started out with the Holy Rosary and Consecration prayer to our Blessed Mother. The Most Reverend Francis Kane, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, presided at the Mass following. He commended CFC-FFL for its continued commitment in upholding the traditional values of marriage and family. More than 700 people, from Illinois and beyond, were in attendance as the Summit officially started after the Mass.
Four powerhouse speakers of the pro-life movement came, beginning with Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life. He started out by telling us that pro-life isn’t simply a political or activist movement, or an ideology or philosophy. Neither is it a white or Republican movement. It is a foundational aspect of our spirituality. Our goal is to end abortion completely, but to do so we need to acquire virtues that will guide us in our work. Taking from his book Pro-Life Reflections for Every Day, Fr. Frank affirmed these virtues that we pro-lifers need to cultivate : a spirit of joy, serene confidence, deep compassion, radical solidarity, readiness for public witness, and a passion for justice. We need to reach out boldly, but with compassion, sorely needed as we engage those who have unfortunately fallen into an anti-life mentality. Fr. Frank emphasized, “They are not our enemy. They are temporarily captive to the enemy and our goal is to set them free in Jesus Christ.” We should look beyond the surface, and see our interlocutors as fellow strugglers in the daily quest to choose right from wrong. We too have aborted God’s will in our own lives, and we go into this battle because we repent of our own sins. There is great need for humility, including a proper understanding of what it is. Humility isn’t about staying hidden or quiet; it is subjugating and conforming our will to the One who gave us free will. It is being where God wants us to be, and being ready to serve whenever and wherever He wants us to serve.
We serve by being vigilant and proactive. Susan B. Anthony List’s Marjorie Dannenfelser spoke next, with a quiet, moving conviction. She spoke about women’s role today in building a culture of life. As pro-life women, we are often seen by pro-choicers as a threat to the status quo. Many of our policies today aren’t truly for the good of women but are sold as such. We must eradicate this kind of “compassion” that leads to the gas chamber. She led us in praying the Litany of Humility, again highlighting the need for this virtue in our work. She called it “the binding force” that attracts people and emboldens our movement. What was most encouraging was her insistence that we have the power in our hands. “We have everything for truth to prevail. All we need is a sense of urgency.” Indeed, this is not the time for complacency. We need to get pro-life people elected into office – people who will make a difference both in the national and international arena, and who will work to pass laws that protect both women and the unborn. At CFC-FFL we need to heed this call and heed it now.
Joe Scheidler of Pro-Life Action League is currently doing Face the Truth tours, and he gave us a lighthearted yet serious peek into his experiences as a long-time pro-life activist. In his work, he has had to endure the angry reactions coming from the other side: hateful words, knives and guns, paint in his eyes. But he reminded us that the fight is worth it. “One blastocyst is more precious to God than the entire universe.” “Christ didn’t come to save the elephants.” He lamented the loss of our sense of morality. He bemoaned the fact that our young adults often go into marriage ill-prepared, not having even talked about issues so important today, like divorce and abortion. We live in a society where these are deemed acceptable, and so we must continually engage in battle to turn things around. He ended with a quote from Shakespeare’s Henry V: “For he to-day that sheds his blood with me / Shall be my brother;” … and those who were not here in this movement “Shall think themselves accursed they were not here / And hold their manhoods cheap.”
With twelve minutes in the program left to spare, Dr. Ligaya Acosta, Regional Coordinator for Human Life International-Asia, came armed with information-packed slides and a presentation on the Reproductive Health bill currently pending in Philippine Congress. An avid promoter of contraceptives for 28 years, she shared a unique perspective on how we got to where we are now. Her conversion did not happen overnight, and their family’s journey has been fraught with trials, but through the process she has come to depend completely on our Lord. The facts she presented about the bill left no doubt as to its diabolical nature and its deceptive origins and goals. Citing documents outlining the agenda behind the bill, she confirmed the verbal engineering and manipulation behind what is in truth a concerted effort to market and legalize abortion in the Philippines.
But trust a Filipina to bring out the humor in a situation that is anything but funny. She had the audience in stitches, laughing at the ridiculous propositions of the RH bill. And despite the time constraints, she was able to focus on the pertinent issues: its coercive mandates, its emphasis on indoctrination of the youth through comprehensive sexual education, its use of euphemisms to push ignoble ideas, its distortion of traditional values and its ultimate end, the promotion of “reproductive health” as a human right, including access to “safe and legal abortion”. There was much to be shocked and angry about, but it is important that we remember what Fr. Frank shared earlier. The late Bernard Nathanson, former abortionist turned pro-lifer, said that the leaders of the pro-choice movement were able to accomplish as much as they had because they took a gamble that the Church would be silent. Well, if in some respects the Church was indeed silent in the past, She is not silent now. And we are, after all, the Church.
Fr. Frank explained WHY being pro-life isn’t an addition to being Christian – it’s part and parcel of who we are. Marjorie Dannenfelser answered the question of WHEN we need to be active in the movement, and the answer is NOW. Joe Scheidler showed us HOW we can be bold and fearless in the face of opposition, knowing that truth is on our side. Dr. Acosta presented us the WHAT – all the reasons, big and small, why we need to get involved in this fight. We fight this not just in our own backyard, but on an international scale. Like droplets of water falling onto a vast ocean, we may view our own efforts as minuscule, but let’s not forget that these droplets ripple. Just as the effects of Roe v Wade and all that makes up the culture of death reach down through the years, what we do in the here and now will reverberate through future generations. We owe it to our children and our children’s children to deliver a crushing blow to defeat the culture of death. If we are able to stop the anti-life movement here in the US, we will be doing much to prevent its reaching the Philippines and other shores. Likewise, anything we can do to prevent the passage of the RH bill in the Philippines will ultimately help the pro-life movement anywhere we are, here in the US and around the globe.
There is much to grieve: the loss of innocence, of decency, of spirituality and morality. But as Fr. Frank has pointed out, we as Christians can grieve and rejoice at the same time. We choose to rejoice, because in Christ’s resurrection, the victory has already been won. And we can make a renewed commitment to proclaim truth in our homes, our Churches and our communities, and help to regain what we have lost. Ora et labora. There is much to be done, and we’ve got our work cut out for us. Now more than ever, it’s a time to pray and fast, and to keep our noses to the grindstone until the job is accomplished. With God’s grace, anything and everything is possible.
Written by Stef, CFC-FFL Ohio
Submitted by Luciano Coson, John Costello
Abortion patient (victim) told to “walk off her labor” in the parking lot. Guess what happened next!
At approximately 1:30 PM, on November 15, 2001, unlicensed workers administered Cytotec, a drug meant to treat ulcers that has the unfortunate side effect of causing uterine contractions, and RU 486, an abortion pill not approved for use after the seventh week of pregnancy. The off-label use of this deadly combination of drugs sent her into painful labor. Pendergraft’s unlicensed staff, following Pendergraft’s protocols, administered twelve doses of 200 mg of Cytotec over an eleven hour period, which vastly exceeded any recommended dosages.
“Juror” wrote on Stanek’s blog site that C.H. was in severe pain, but was denied pain medication and requests to speak with Whitney by Tanya Severence, a medical aide with only a high school education, who “ran the show.” He indicated that testimony showed that the excessive doses of Cytotec put C.H. at high risk for uterine rupture.
At about 1:00 AM on November 16, 2001, C.H. was in excruciating pain.
WYD Spain 2011: Michael Voris/Real Catholic TV events “not approved”.
This is quite unusual, perhaps even unprecedented, in the 27-year history of the Vatican-sponsored World Youth Day (WYD) events held every three years in a major city around the world. The official WYD website contains the following announcement in which it takes the remarkable step of publicly spurning American Catholic Internet commentator Michael Voris.
Editor’s note: Ain’t church politics grand?!
This Week’s Smoke of Satan: Errors of Modernist Churchmen
In 1972, Pope Paul VI observed,
“From some fissure,
the smoke of Satan
has entered the Temple of God.”
The purpose of this weekly column is to help wake
the bulk of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics
from their self-imposed slumber
and powerfully remind them of who they are,
and what they are called by God, to be.
This week’s story: Jesus Christ Crucified by unknown assailants.
(CNA).- Germany’s Passion Play at Oberammergau – an event which only takes place every 10 years – was recently lauded by New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Rabbi Gary Greenebaum as more balanced and less prone to what has been viewed as anti-Semitic stereotypes in the past.
Both the New York prelate and rabbi watched the play, which runs from May 15 to October 3, last Thursday in the Bavarian village where it has been performed for more than 400 years.
The Passion Play, considered to be one of the most famous in the world, supposedly began in the 1600s to thank God for preventing Oberammergau from undergoing the Black Plague. Held every 10 years, the event is performed by some 2,500 people, around half of the town’s population.
In separate phone interviews, the two religious leaders told the Associated Press (AP) that this year’s performance was more sensitive in avoiding what has been viewed as anti-Jewish stereotypes in past events.
“I have always been sensitive to Jewish concerns that the play could perpetuate the ancient and tragically unjust misunderstanding that the Jews are responsible for the killing of Jesus,” Dolan told the AP.
“But thanks to the courage of the directors, the villagers and the Jewish leaders,” he added, “the script has gradually been renewed.”
Excerpt from the original “script” (known as the Bible):
Matthew 27:11-26 And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus saith to him: Thou sayest it. And when he was accused by the chief priests and ancients, he answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to him: Dost not thou hear how great testimonies they allege against thee? And he answered him to never a word, so that the governor wondered exceedingly.
Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner, whom they would. And he had then a notorious prisoner that was called Barabbas. They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said: Whom will you that I release to You: Barabbas, or Jesus that is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
And as he was sitting in the place of judgment, his wife sent to him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and ancients persuaded the people that they should ask Barabbas and make Jesus away. And the governor answering, said to them: Whether will you of the two to be released unto you? But they said: Barabbas.
Pilate saith to them: What shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ? They say all: Let him be crucified.
The governor said to them: Why, what evil hath he done?
But they cried out the more, saying: Let him be crucified.
And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, taking water washed his hands before the people, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just man. Look you to it.
And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and upon our children.
Then he released to them Barabbas: and having scourged Jesus, delivered him unto them to be crucified.
*****
Any ideas or suggestions? Anything that’s working well
in your parish? How about things that are NOT working,
but should be? Let us know about it!
“Dispersing the Smoke of Satan”
Your comments and suggestions are very welcome.
Thank you!
The distinctiveness of Catholicism: A living Tradition, centered on Jesus Christ and his truth.
This irreplaceable center of life then becomes the reference point when we hear from politicians, the media, the guy at the bar, our next-door neighbor. They all claim to speak with certitude. They claim to be true. Some of them will be speaking the truth, others will be partially true, and still other will be wrong – and some will even be deliberately misleading.
When we are dealing with serious topics then we need a reference point. And we have it in Christ in his Church.
Now if we are slaves to the social mode of truth then we are influenced by the company that we gain when we hold a certain idea: This idea makes me part of this club and I want to be associated with them. Only if we push through this social way of choosing ideas to ask the most fundamental question — is this idea true? — do we come face to face with truth itself.
The truth question brings us to Christ and his Church. All of the profound human questions end up right back here, not as just as another news outlet among many but rather as the benchmark for all truth.
Is the U.S. Catholic Church leadership undermining traditional marriage?
Adultery and divorce are justice and morality issues. But one of the biggest proponents of social justice remains inactive: the leadership of the Catholic Church in America. The Canon Law of the Catholic Church protects marriage and recommends “medicinal penalties” for those who gravely breach the moral order. However, these laws are ignored in the United States.
In the Washington Post, Roland Warren, president of the National Fatherhood Initiative, makes an analogy between Mothers Against Drunk Driving and mothers against home wrecking adulteresses. He looks for modern women willing to fight to protect marriages against the “other woman.” As a Catholic woman working to protect marriage, my efforts are undermined by the Catholic Church leadership in America.
If the Catholic Church in America followed its own Canon Law, it would intervene when a Catholic celebrity was having an affair. The innocent wife could invoke Church authority (canon 1150-1155, 1401, 1411, 1055) to investigate. The Church would publicly instruct the adulterous couple that they are in manifest grave sin, causing scandal, and are not in good standing with the Catholic Church. Those who obstinately persevere in grave manifest sin, cannot receive Holy Communion (canon 915).
Traditional Latin Mass DVD now available
“The Latin Mass DVD is nice for people who don’t have that Mass in their area or are curious about it,” said Diehl. “My friends were surprised by how different it was, how calming, how reverent, how different from a modern Catholic Mass. My parents have been traditional Catholics since I was a toddler. They made sure their children had an understanding. I don’t think you can love your faith if you don’t understand it. I love them for it.”
Rita and Chris McEvoy think there’s a market for the DVD. They’d like their children and grandchildren to know about the traditional rite they grew up with in Detroit. Both attended Latin Mass when she was a student at Visitation Elementary and High School and he attended church at St. Dominic, St. Agnes and St. Francis de Sales. Today both are parishioners at St. John Neumann in Canton where an English Mass is offered.
“It was very well done and it’s great for the kids to know what you’re talking about,” said Chris McEvoy of Canton.
“It’s great if you can’t go to church,” added his wife, Rita.
The Latin Mass DVD is available at www.stjosephsmedia.net or amazon.com. The cost is $20 plus shipping and includes the Mass missal. Or send a check for $23 to St. Joseph’s Media, P.O. Box 186, Wayne, MI 48184.
Quo vadis, John Corapi?
From Wikipedia:
Quo vadis? is a Latin phrase meaning “Where are you going?” or “Whither goest thou?”
The modern usage of the phrase refers to Christian tradition, related in the apocryphal Acts of Peter (Vercelli Acts XXXV), in which Saint Peter meets Jesus as Peter is fleeing from likely crucifixion in Rome.
Peter asks Jesus the question “Quo vadis?”
Jesus’ answer, “I am going to Rome to be crucified again.” (Eo Romam iterum crucifigi) prompts Peter to gain the courage to continue his ministry and eventually become a martyr.
Quo Vadis, John Corapi?
Holy Communion in space
Just over a week into the mission, one of us realized it was Sunday again, two weeks after Easter. Our shifts overlapped for a few hours, so during one orbital night Sid, Kevin and I gathered on the flight deck for a short Communion service.
Kevin, a eucharistic minister, carried the Blessed Sacrament with him, contained within a simple golden pyx. The three of us shared our amazement at experiencing the beauty of creation, and thanked God for good companions and the success achieved so far. Then Kevin shared the Body of Christ with Sid and me, and we floated weightless on the flight deck, grateful for this moment of comradeship and communion with Christ.
Our silent reflection was interrupted by a sudden burst of dazzling white light. The sun had risen (as it did 16 times each day) just as we finished Communion, and now its pure radiance streamed through Endeavour’s cockpit windows and bathed us in its warmth. To me, this was a beautiful sign, God’s gentle touch confirming our union with him.
I rolled away from my crewmates, unable to stem the tears evoked by that singular sunrise. My gaze turned to the overhead windows and the Pacific Ocean, the dawn lighting its surface in a rich, limitless blue.
I called out to Kevin and Sid, “Look at that ocean—what an incredible color!” They both turned and drank in hues unmatched by the palette of any human artist. After a moment, Kevin said simply, “It’s the blue of the Virgin’s veil, Tom.” He was right. There were no other words for that vision out the window.
Doug Lawrence's Catholic Site 