Frogzilla!

Click here if you can't see embedded video.

Bailing From The "Obama Sinking Ship"

There have been two prominent defections from the Obama camp within the past few days.  These "defections" seem to have been precipitated by some awakening.  I commend these two individuals for their honesty and courage.

The first epiphany is that of Artur Davis, a former co-chair for Obama's 2008 campaign.  Among other things, he cites his disagreement with the punitive taxation of businesses by the Obama administration.

The second is that of Jo Ann Nardelli, a Pennsylvania Democrat leader who rightly values her Catholic faith and its moral teachings over party affiliation.  For her, it was Obama's support for "gay marriage" that awakened her to the direction of the Democratic party.  I recommend her example to the progressives who prowl the dank, dreary halls of the USCCB building.

Welcome, Artur and Jo Ann!  May many more join you!

Maryland "Gay Marriage" To Go To Ballot

This past March I posted that we would need at least 57,000 signatures to put on the November ballot the "gay marriage" bill signed into law by Governor O'Malley.  Actually, the exact number was 55,736.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of many volunteers and the leadership of the Maryland Marriage Alliance, the total number of signatures submitted was 122,481.  The Maryland Board of Elections has 20 days to review the signatures.  No one seriously doubts that there is more than a sufficient number to ensure that this measure is put on the ballot so that all Marylanders can vote on it.

This electoral contest will draw nationwide attention.  Both sides will pour in much money.  Of course, the marriage-wrecking contingent will have "lame-brain" media shilling for it.  That means, of course, that our work is far from over.  But we've made progress.

Reminder - Stand Up For Religious Freedom

Another Fine Example Of A Planned Parenthood Employee

Not only is she a PR person for a Planned Parenthood in Sioux Falls SD, but Carmen Toft is a Democratic candidate for the state legislature.  Toft displayed absolute disregard for life and safety when she drove intoxicated and struck a 7-year old girl.  The status of the little girl is unknown at this time.

Toft refused to take a breathalizer test, but police administered it anyway.  This is one political career that I hope is nipped in the bud, as she has displayed that she is unworthy of any public trust.

Femicide - Courtesy Of Planned Parenthood

A few days ago in Des Moines IA, the Messiah Most Miserable had this to say about abortion and Planned Parenthood: "We don't need another political fight about ending women's right to choose or getting rid of Planned Parenthood."  Of course that was before the latest Planned Parenthood debacle was brought to light by Lila Rose and her Live Action group.

They did another "sting" of Planned Parenthood - this one in Austin Texas.  Here is the account on the Live Action site.  Click here if you can't see the embedded video.



"Rebecca" was soon fired by that Planned Parenthood after the incident.  The left-leaning Media Matters has news of that, plus the usual progressive spin on the latest Planned Parenthood embarrassment.  Isn't it just adorable how they start off by calling Lila Rose "discredited"?  They don't say why!  I guess they hope that if they repeat that word "discredited" enough, folks will believe it (and some will, like good little lemmings).  Anyway, they fired "Rebecca" because she "did not follow our protocol for dealing with a highly unusual patient scenario."  Let me translate - Rebecca was fired "because she gave prima facie evidence to Lila Rose that Planned Parenthood really doesn't give a rat's rump about women."  Read closely the third paragraph of the Huffington quote.  Notice how they acknowledge that PP will perform sex-selection abortions?  Of course that means that mostly girls will be aborted.  Hence the term "femicide".

Along these lines, the House of Representatives will vote tomorrow on H.R. 3541, "Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act" (PRENDA).  Introduced by Congressman Trent Franks of Arizona, it would restrict sex-selection and race-selection abortions.  Abortion is targeted at minorities, per the diabolical purposes of PP's foundress, Margaret Sanger.  Pick up any phone book and notice the physical location of the abortion mills - in areas with high minority populations.

Marylanders!  PRENDA is co-sponsored by our own Andy Harris and Roscoe Bartlett!  Thank you, gentlemen!

Obama VS Ryan: Who Is Really Threatening Grandma?

Remember that gem of an ad showing a Paul Ryan lookalike throwing an elderly woman off a cliff?  Look after the jump break.

In Honor Of Our Soldiers..

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."           John Stuart Mill, 1806-1873

True.

I can think of no better way of honoring our fallen soldiers than by all of us making sure that the fruits of their sacrifices are not squandered by indifference and profligate lifestyles.   So often, when I hear the phrase "Rolling Thunder", I wonder if it can also allude to the dead of Arlington Cemetery spinning in their graves at the debacles that the progressives try to mainstream into American (and Western) culture.  We see the Catholic Church forced to sue the Federal government to keep the latter from forcing us to pay for baby-murdering concoctions.  We hear of Target and some comic books promoting "gay marriage".   We also hear of Planned Parenthood (with our tax dollars) promote "national masturbation month".  

Those are just the latest affronts to decency and common sense.  Did our military die so that pig-slop could be foisted upon the United States?  In their honor, let us redouble our efforts to restore this country to its Christian ideals.

Time For Some Humor!

Hitler is notified that - his dog is missing!  Guess why?  Click here if you can't see embedded video.

Bishop Blaire Revealing Leftist Streak

Most sane people are rejoicing that (at last) the bishops - as a whole - are finally displaying some mettle against the none-too-disguised tyranny of the Obama administration.  I refer, of course, to the lawsuits against the HHS mandate filed by over 40 dioceses, schools, hospitals, etc. that are Catholic.

However, Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, California is wagging his finger at the lawsuit.  He's concerned you see, "worried that some groups ‘very far to the right’ are trying to use the conflict as ‘an anti-Obama campaign".  Such weighty matters he has on his mind!

The poor man has had such "worries" on his mind before.  He has voiced them, if his name sounds vaguely familiar.  Back in September, when many of us including the American Life League were sounding the alarms about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Bishop Blaire (along with Bishop Soto) issued a ridiculous letter mocking the American Life League and its leaders - by name - for voicing their concerns.  What a waste of USCCB bandwidth!  The other waste of bandwidth  that occurred on the same day was this.  I posted a piece refuting it; here it is on the CMC website.

Let us pray that our bishops remain steadfast in their resolve - and that the "Bishop Blaires" either heed common sense or resign.

Allies In Fight Against Contraception Mandate

While Catholics are taking a leading role in resisting the onerous contraception, other people of good will are also standing up to that tyranny.  Apparently, last December more than 60 leaders of other faiths and denominations signed a letter to Obama decrying the mandate.

At the CPAC meeting last February, Mike Huckabee said in an address, "we are all Catholic now", in obvious solidarity with us as we all oppose Obama's increasingly blatant attacks on people of faith.  That statement was echoed a few days ago by Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America.

Glenn Beck, shortly after the last batch of cardinals were installed by Pope Benedict XVI, had this to say to Catholics (and other decent people).  Click here if you can't see embedded video.

Georgetown Digging In Its Heels - In The Sludge

Yesterday Georgetown President Fr John DeGioia defended the decision to have HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius deliver one of the commencement addresses.  He said "the secretary's presence on our campus should not be viewed as an endorsement of her views."  Oh, really?  Would he be so glib if the speaker were affiliated with, say, a white supremist group?

By the way - the Washington Post published the text of her address; read it.  Clearly she tooted her own horn - policies, views and all.  What else did they really expect?  Nothing, really.  Father DeGioia's nose might have grown just a tad.

I couldn't help but notice that Georgetown's name is missing from the list of Catholic plaintiffs in the twelve lawsuits filed earlier this week. That's no surprise.

Fortnight For Freedom

The USCCB has called for a 14-day period of prayer and other activities for the intention of defense of our First Amendment rights.  A "fortnight" is defined as a 14-day period, and this period will be from June 21st to July 4th.  June 21 is the Feast of Sts John Fisher and Thomas More.  Both these men, one a bishop and the other a high-ranking statesman, were beheaded by King Henry VIII because they refused to compromise their consciences by affirming the King's divorce from his first wife and his subsequent establishment of the Anglican Church.  Thus the beginning and the end days are quite appropriate.

As you visit the above site, Maryland and DC residents will note the two Masses.  Other events might already be posted that are local to you.  Please check back often.

Carhart Sends Woman To Hospital In Nebraska Mill

In addition to his "practice" of murdering babies at the Germantown Reproductive Health Services, Leroy Carhart also murders them at his Nebraska facility.  On March 31, that facility inflicted a botched abortion on a woman.  Operation Rescue obtained the recording of the 911 call placed to the local emergency line.  They have a full report, including the youtube of that recording.  If you can't see the embedded video on the OR site, click here.  As you listen, notice not only the screams of the woman in the background, but also that the dispatcher had to pull teeth to get some basic information to assess the woman's situation.  Clearly the abortuary personnel didn't really give a damn about that poor woman.

Two weeks ago, the Germantown Patch featured an article entitled "Free Speech and the Abortion Debate: How Far Is Too Far?"  I suggest you read it, along with the comments - and post comments yourself.  It is obvious that it's the presence of this abortuary in Germantown (and all abortuaries for that matter) that's "too far".

The USCCB And Pogo

That is the title of an article written by my friend and Catholic Media Coalition colleague, Jim Fritz of Defenders of the Faith (headquartered in West Virginia).  Now follows the article...

Many readers will remember the famous quotation from an animal character named Pogo by cartoonist Walt Kelly back in the 1950s, “We have met the enemy and they are us.”  Set in the Okefenokee Swamp of the southeastern United States, the strip often engaged in social and political satire through the adventures of its anthropomorphic funny animal characters. As stated by one biographer of Kelly, “It perfectly sums up his attitude towards the foibles of mankind and the nature of the human condition.” There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny blast on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, but he may be us.

Perhaps the U,S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has finally realized that the enemy is the bishops themselves.  After decades of the bishops supporting liberal social policies, they must now realize who the real enemy is. During the last election, Catholics voted for Obama by 54 percent. The bishops promoted this by (1) their support of the health care law which is now resulting in mandates requiring religious employers to pay insurance coverage of birth control and abortifacients; (2) ignoring canon 915; and, (3) issuing a ridiculous, incorrect, and totally useless document titled, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.

When did this all begin? 

The Second Vatican Council (also known as Vatican II) addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. No one can really state that Vatican ll caused the decline of the Catholic Church; however, the fifty years since the end of Vatican ll have been a disaster for the Church. The number of priests has greatly declined even as the population has increased. The religious women have had an even greater decrease in numbers and those who are left have drifted so far from Church teaching they are now not even recognizable as nuns - especially those who sport business suits and mannish haircuts. Catholic schools have closed by the hundreds, and many parents refuse to send their children to those that remain open. Only a handful of Catholic colleges can really be classified as Catholic. After Notre Dame awarded an honorary law degree to Barack Obama it was renamed “Notre Shame” by true Catholics and even some Protestants. There are currently Pro-Homosexual (Pride) Clubs at 107 Catholic Colleges. Bankruptcies have occurred in eight dioceses due to the sexual abuse scandal. And the list goes on and on and on.

Yesterday, 43 Catholic organizations around the country, including the Archdiocese of Washington, joined in the filing of 12 lawsuits against the Obama administration.  They are doing so because the HHS contraception mandate is an egregious assault upon our First Amendment rights to live by the tenets of our faith in not paying for contraceptives and abortifacients in the health plans we sponsor.  As this statement of the Archdiocese of Washington put it, "It is not about whether people have access to certain services; it is about whether the government may force religious institutions and individuals to facilitate and fund services which violate their religious beliefs."  Harvard Law School professor Mary Ann Glendon has this to say on the matter.

The suit names as defendants (with their respective departments):

• HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (subject of our Georgetown protest last week)
• Labor Secretary Hilda Solis (another pro-abortion "katholyc")
• Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (aka Turbo Tax Timmy)

Several days ago, I announced on this blog the Stand for Religious Freedom Rally on June 8th.  These are occurring all over the country.  Check out www.standupforreligiousfreedom.com for a location near you and be there if at all possible. 

Wise Words From President Reagan

As you watch, pay attention at the 0:56, 1:07-1:15 (particularly relevant today), 4:00-4:11.  Click here if you can't see embedded video.

Truth Was Spoken To Georgetown University On May 18, 2012

Banner Displayed by American TFP

Concerned Catholics and other pro-life Christians went to Georgetown University Friday morning (May 18) to protest the self-defilement committed by Georgetown in allowing Kathleen Sebelius to address their graduates.  Her latest slap in the face to the babies occurred in the form of the HHS mandate that she engineered and that Obama is attempting to cram down our throats.  Even if she hadn't committed that atrocity, her chequered record as governor of Kansas should have been enough to disqualify her as any role model for Catholic youth.  To refresh memories, she was an accomplice to Kansas' late-term abortionist, the late George Tiller.  Just google their two names together and you will see an eyeful.

I'd like to recommend for your reading another first-hand account by Charles, a college student home on summer break who joined us.  See http://modernletters.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/1415/

I've a number of photos and videos to show (all taken by me).  I'll place them after the jump break so..

An Exorcism For Georgetown?

Arguably that wouldn't be a bad idea.  However, another sort of remedy is in the works.  William Peter Blatty, author of "The Exorcist" and 1950 alum of Georgetown, is filing canonical suit under the auspices of The Father King Society.  They are joining forces with the Cardinal Newman Society in this venture.

In Blatty's words, the basis of the suit is Georgetown's "failure for more than two decades to comply with the requirements of Ex corde Ecclesiae".  Apparently in 1991, canonical law proceedings were enough to make then Dean of Student Affairs Fr DeGoia rescind support and funding for a pro-abortion advocacy group on campus.

Blatty also urges all alumni to suspend any donations to Georgetown.  I echo that call.

Murderer Of Infant Daughter - Life In Prison

That's the sentence handed down to this guy, Chris Fitzpatrick (I refuse to call him a "man") who murdered his newborn daughter on the same day that she was born.  He took her to his work place, crushed her with a cinder block and buried her.  This happened in Wayne County, PA.  The report is here.

In Montgomery County, MD, a baby-killer named Leroy Carhart has murdered over 700 babies via late-term abortions.  What's the difference?  Essentially, not one bit.

Father Norman Weslin - Requiescat In Pace

Yesterday evening Father Norman Weslin, founders of Lambs of Christ, passed to his eternal reward at the age of 81 years.  He had been arrested during pro-life rescues and other protests over 100 times.  He was one of the "Notre Dame 88", arrested during the Notre Dame commencement ceremony that was polluted by Obama.  The American Catholic has a biographical sketch of him, including a video of his arrest.  His attorney at Notre Dame posted this tribute to Father.

Let us pray for his speedy entry to heaven, and for his intercession as we carry on with the pro-life cause.

Who will join us at Georgetown tomorrow in honor of his memory?

"How Do Tea Party Crackpots Keep Winning?"

Such are the mysteries of the universe that befuddle Chris Matthews.  He asked this question yesterday of some other liberals as together they bemoaned recent victories of Tea-Party-favored candidates throughout the country.  He actually answered (partially) his own question when he said of Democrats, "they believe in government."

Between this incident here and the equal consternation to which Nancy Keenan (see yesterday's post) admitted, we see some progressives are beginning to sense that their halcyon days are drawing to a close.  We the People are waking up to the fact that we are people, not sheeple.  We do not need the Messiah Most Miserable, his Minions Most Mindless and the progressives they represent to be our nannies - and our masters.

Is Nancy Keenan Starting To Smell The Coffee?

Nancy Keenan, current president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, has announced her retirement from her post effective the end of 2012.  In this Washington Post piece, Keenan says she fears that she is "holding the pro-choice movement back".  Whatever.

But what's really interesting is the distinctions that she sees between pro-life youth and pro-abortion youth; she dubs it the "intensity gap".  Here it is, according to the Post.   "While most young, antiabortion voters see abortion as a crucial political issue, NARAL’s own internal research does not find similar passion among abortion-rights supporters."  She's onto something, although she is not admitting to some very obvious causes.

These young people, pro-life and pro-abortion, have some key things in common:

• They are a generation who did not enjoy legal protection as persons while they were in their mothers' wombs.  The generations preceding them (including Keenan) did enjoy such protection.
• At least one third of their generation is missing due to abortion.  Those aborted individuals might have been a neighbor, best friend, sibling or spouse.  They know it.

So given all that, is it any wonder that the pro-life youth are so passionate to end the scourge that has robbed them of so many people in their lives while the "pro-choice" youth are less than enthused about the same scourge that has deprived them in similar fashion?

As Keenan leaves that atmosphere of death and darkness, let's pray that she continues to wake up.  Perhaps for that intention, we can ask for the intercession of Dr Bernard Nathanson, the late co-founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League who realized the errors of his ways, left that business and died an ardent pro-life Catholic.

The Real War On Women

From the Susan B. Anthony List (click here if you can't see embedded video).



Additionally, come November, make sure to vote for the GOP candidate (no 3rd party / no-vote nonsense).  We must defeat Obama.

Another Bishop Wimps Out In Face of Homosexual Ire

Last week I wrote that Bishop Martin Amos of Davenport Iowa was heroic for standing up to a gay-"rights" group in one of the diocesan high schools.  We'll need to walk that back a tad for news comes today of the diocese's capitulation to the gay-gestapo elements in the diocese.  They caved big-time, and the cowardice is magnified by the principled stance they took last week and since abandoned.  Today's Vortex has details on that; click here if you can't see embedded video.

Picket Sebelius Appearance At Georgetown!

Let me preface this by pointing out that the Archdiocese of Washington, in an editorial in last week's Catholic Standard, has expressed displeasure with Georgetown's decision to honor "katholyc" Kathleen Sebelius this coming Friday.  While I commend them for taking this step, I urge them to act decisively on this matter.  I believe that the Cardinal can remove from Georgetown the right to call itself "Catholic".  Time and time again, Georgetown has thumbed its nose at the Magisterium; it's time to call a spade a spade.

At 10:00am this Friday May 18th, we will be meeting at the entrance to Leavy Center (on Reservoir Road at 38th St) to advise attendees of the travesty that Sebelius's appearance is.  Come join us to offer some authentic Catholic witness to the graduates and their guests.

Ron Paul Drops Out - Now Let's Move On And Defeat Obama!

A Newsmax story today brings news that Ron Paul will no longer campaign in primaries, although he appears unlikely to endorse Mitt Romney.  I salute him for having the good sense to understand that he'd be engaging in a destructive act of futility to continue and echo his call to pay attention to local elections.

There are many who find themselves cool towards Romney, as his stances towards social issues are rather lackluster in comparison with those of recent GOP candidates.  Still, they are light-years better than those of Obama.  In all fairness, the position of an earthworm on the social issues would be better than those of Obama; all the more reason to do what needs to be done to cause his defeat in the polls.

I've heard it asked "why vote for Obama-lite"?  Why?  Because we don't want "Obama Regular".  One, and only one, of Obama or Romney will take the White House.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that more damage will be wrought under Obama than Romney - and yes, I'm speaking of spiritual damage as well.  So let's lay aside - mortify- our feelings of disgust (yes I said "our"; I share those feelings) and work to defeat Obama.  Anything else is akin to moral/political/spiritual hara-kiri.

Upcoming "Stand Up For Religious Freedom" Rally

An Interview With Bishop Morlino

On Thursday I touched a bit on Bishop Morlino of Madison Wisconsin.  He made the news because of his defense of his traditionalist parish priests against subterfuge by liberal/dissident parishioners.  In that post I linked to an earlier post showing how he took exception to the USCCB support of the public union workers against Governor Walker.

I applaud Bishop Morlino for not being afraid to go "against the wind" (of hot air) emanating from the dark halls of the USCCB.  He has done so again in defending Rep Paul Ryan from specious charges of "going against Church teaching" lobbed at him from the USCCB.  (By the way - here's an interesting article entitled "Are Catholics Required to Support a Continually Expanding Welfare State?")

In this brief episode of an EWTN program, Bishop Morlino is interviewed on the topic of Paul Ryan, as well as the topic of Sebelius's scheduled appearance at Georgetown this coming Friday.  Click here if you cannot see embedded video.

A Most Forgetable Mother's Day Gift

For this you can thank the fertile imagination of Obama himself!  I understand the deadline for acquiring this most unique of gifts was yesterday, so if you missed it, count your blessings!

You also needed to be a grassroots fundraiser for Obama with your own campaign page.  If you got five contributions to the messiah's coffers, you would have been eligible for a raffle, and that prize would have been a memorable mother's day gift.  And just what would that priceless treasure have been?  Well, sit down and have the smelling salts handy, for you will faint from the sheer ecstasy of the thought!

Ready?  Here it is!

A tweet from Obama to your mother on Mother's Day!

Oh, ineffable joy!  Oh, sublime bliss!  A tweet - from the Messiah Most Miserable himself!

If ever I did that to my mother, she'd disown me - and for good reason!  Obama is a narcissist with no shame! Vote for the GOP candidate (no third-party or non-vote crap!) and send him packing in November!

Some Good Bishops Are Standing Up

Bishop Robert Morlino of the Diocese of Madison brought to two of his parishes priests from the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest.  This is an order devoted to the traditional liturgy.  Some parishioners rebelled, threatening the parish school with closure.  Bishop Morlino acted not only in defense of the parish priests but of the traditional Catholic life that they are trying to reintroduce into those parishes.  Read the bishop's letter to the people of St Mary's regarding the school and conditions in their parish in general.  (By the way - when Wisconsin union workers were rioting at the state capitol last year, with the USCCB cheering from the sidelines, it was Bishop Morlino who, with another letter, injected some sobriety into that situation.  Read  my post here.)

The other heroic bishop is Bishop Martin Amos of Davenport Iowa had to deal with the faculty of a Catholic school who were all swooning over a graduating student of theirs who claims to be gay.  They wanted to allow a "gay rights" group to present a scholarship to this student - on school property.  They had already allowed him to bring his "boyfriend" (that is, accomplice in sin) to the prom.

As you watch today's Vortex about these bishops, contrast them with the chancery of the Archdiocese of Washington and its abysmal treatment of the faithful priest Father Marcel Guarnizo.  On February 25, he upheld the sanctity of the Eucharist when he withheld Holy Communion from a practicing lesbian (in doing so, he also attempted to protect her from committing a mortal sin of sacrilege which she wound up committing anyway).  As soon as word traveled throughout the world of her hurt feelings (listen to the 3:07 mark), the chancery shot off an "apology" to her and yanked Father Guarnizo from the parish.  I think it so amazing that word of this spread so quickly (set-up?), but I digress.  As I was reading the accounts of the situation in Madison, I couldn't help ..  Oh, I dare not say it, but I'm sure you can guess!  Anyway, click here if you can't see the embedded video.

Inside Blessed Sacrament With Chris Matthews

On February 12th, despite our warnings and pleadings with both Blessed Sacrament church and the Archdiocese of Washington to reconsider, Blessed Sacrament Church in Chevy Chase hosted the noisily pro-abortion Chris Matthews for a book-signing.  We were there to offer much-needed witness and rebuke and I reported that on Feb 13th.

I remained outside that day, distributing flyers to people coming from the church and leafletting cars.  Other pro-lifers went into the room where Matthews was merrily peddling his book.  I knew at that time that those proceedings were recorded but then the recording wasn't available.  I'm pleased to report that it is, and I post it below.  Click here if you cannot see embedded video.



So Matthews' eyes got teary?  Would that those were tears of repentance!

The Jailhouse Vote!

In yesterday's West Virginia Democratic primary, the Messiah Most Miserable won with 59% of the vote.  The other 41% went to Keith Judd.  Mr. Judd is currently serving jail time in Texas for felonious extortion.

I'm not sure of what Mr. Judd's positions are regarding the various issues.  This is just a wild guess, but I'd suppose his positions cannot be much worse than Obama's.

There's so much I could say about this; I could go on and on.  Maybe I will at a later time.  For now, I'll let you all ponder the significance of a sitting president almost losing a primary to a convicted criminal!

How Bishops Insert Their Feet In Their Mouths

Phil Lawler at Catholic Culture said it quite well.  On May 4th he congratulated the bishops for taking a strong stand regarding the HHS mandate.  However he rightly points out that the bishops since then have diluted their message by issuing similar statements on matters about which good Catholics can disagree, e.g., the federal budget, immigration, etc.

We know that when the bishops treat issues of intrinsic morality as just a few among a whole laundry list of "issues" that are, morally speaking, of less import, that dissident politicians can glom onto those latter issues to make themselves appear to be faithful.  Such is the case with the rabidly pro-abortion Vice President Joe Biden.  Because Rep Paul Ryan's budget proposal calls for social program cuts (along the lines of the principle of subsidiarity), many of the progressive-leaning bishops frown upon it.  Biden has decided to jump on that bandwagon, scolding Ryan for "violating Catholic social teaching".  Stop laughing!  Bishop Biden is very, very serious - don't you understand?  He says to Ryan that the budget is "contrary to the social doctrine my church teaches".   Quick!  Where's the ACLU when you need them to screech about "separation of church and state"?  Nah - I don't hear them, either!

"The social doctrine which his church teaches" states that the murder of babies is always intrinsically wrong.  No one can call himself a faithful Catholic who lends support to that evil, as Biden continues to do, to this day.  On the other hand, good Catholics can disagree as to how best to aid the poor.  The so-called "safety net" that the government offers is one of fatal entanglement.

Paul Ryan, whose voting record is pro-life, is stating his case quite plainly that his budget proposal is sound and moral.  Town Hall has a piece detailing that Ryan is not taking these insults sitting down;  he is challenging his opponents to stop measuring compassion by how much we spend. Read it and watch the video of Ryan.  If you cannot see the embedded video, click here.

Georgetown's Pathetic Attempt At Damage Control

It looks like Georgetown University is trying the old "soft-shoe tap-dance" around its debacle.  They have earned thousands of well-deserved rebukes for its plans to foist upon its graduates one of the most traitorous "katholycs" of this century - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  They tried to accomplish that by editing slightly the announcement of So-bilious' appearance.  (Note: to all you fastidious types who object my modified spelling of her name, consider both her draconian mandate AND the fact that she ran legal interference for George Tiller aka "Tiller the Killer" as governor of Kansas).

A note to the Georgetown administration.  As complaints increase and donations decrease, understand that you can stave off disasters on many fronts simply by rescinding your invitation to So-bilious.  If this atrocity is allowed to occur, there will be protests.  Please do the right thing, find your Catholic consciences and spines, remember that you are sons of St Ignatius Loyola (not Robert Drinan) and keep Kathleen So-bilious from besmirching Georgetown University.  Once Georgetown was a fine institution of Catholic higher learning.  Decisions of the past several years have caused a precipitous decline in Georgetown. Please reverse that trend and don't plunge Georgetown further down the toilet on May 18th.

LCWR Arrogance Personified

If anyone questions the necessity of the Vatican's intervention with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, let this interview enlighten you.  Sr Brigid McDonald of the Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet exemplifies and personifies the errors that the Vatican hopes to correct if religious life among women is to survive.

It's obvious that the reporter is entirely sympathetic to Sister's errors, given her repetition of them.  Of the Holy Father she says, "I think they are overstepping their jurisdiction to expect that nuns are going to think as they tell us to think. To me those issues are not spiritual issues; many of them are political issues and some, of course, are social justice issues. I think that our personal spiritual life, it is another matter and that is our private belief."   No, Sister, it is not just your "private belief".  The Magisterium defines what constitutes the faith and morals of the Catholic Church; it is their jurisdiction, not yours.  If you care to believe at variance with the Magisterium, understand that those beliefs are not Catholic.

I could go on and on, line by line, and pick out errors galore from this, but I don't want to take too much time.  One, however, does stand out and I must quote that word for word, lest you (understandably) not believe it.  Sister says,"Because [before] we were just school teachers and we just had nice little kids in front of us, you know, and we just emptied bed pans in the nursing homes and in the hospitals. But now they are right, we are out there in the different movements. We help with the Occupy movement and the right-to-choice movements. It is giving us more credibility in the public..."  Regrettably, when she says "help with the right-to-choice movement, I suspect she doesn't mean telling pro-aborts that they are engaging in mortal sin. She's saying that she and her fellow renegades are also facilitating in the mortal sin of murdering babies.  Of course that means that she and her fellow faux-sisters are committing mortal sin to the damnation of their immortal souls!

The reporter mentions Sister's age as nearing 80 years and is "not about to stop calling things as she sees them".  Well yes, she is getting up there - with her day of death drawing near.  Perhaps, while she still has some time left, she might consider the Last Four Things: death, judgment, heaven and hell.  The first two we will all experience; the next two are mutually exclusive alternatives and right now it appears that Sister Brigid is careening in the wrong direction.  How many souls has she sent down that primrose path by her rebellion against Jesus Christ and His Church?

This bunch running the LCWR has set itself as its own faux-magisterium, as it were.  I for one think the call for reform by the Vatican is long overdue.  Let the purging begin!!

Important Information On Just Faith

While all readers can surely benefit from what follows, I especially address this post to those of you who attended the presentation by Jack Jezreel at St Mark's today.  I've no doubt that what you heard seems to be at least benign and even helpful.  However, the Just Faith program is designed to instill in its participants sympathy for liberation theology, "gay" rights, women's "ordination" and other sundry dissidence from authentic Catholic social teaching.

My friend and Catholic Media Coalition colleague, Stephanie Block, has spent countless hours researching the programs of Just Faith, along with the books they recommend.  She has written eleven articles in her series about Just Faith.  With what she is discovering, the number of articles may yet grow.  I link to them below.

1. Setting the Stage
2. Growing in Compassion
3. The Seven Themes of Catholic Social Justice
4. Challenge and Spirituality of Catholic Social Teachings
5. Tattoos on the Heart
6. Waging a Living
7. Portrait of a Radical
8. Rising to Common Ground
9. How Much Is Enough?
10. Keeping the Earth: Just Faith and the Environment
11. Solidarity Will Transform the World
12. Journey to Justice Day

Two years ago I wrote a piece on Just Faith, focusing on the problematic individuals who were board members of Just Faith at that time.  I have found that much of the character and philosophy of any organization can be determined by the composition of its board of directors.  Right below the highlighted sentence is a link to a biographical article written by Jack Jezreel himself.  Pay very close attention to the "conversion stories" at the end.  You'll see people getting involved in "homosexual rights", "women's voices from the pulpit" (women's ordination), etc.

In all these articles, you'll notice that problematic teachings occur at the end of the recommended books and/or articles.  That seems to be a pattern, one which might suggest that while Just Faith seems innocuous enough, it is a Trojan Horse that insinuates (ever so subtly) erroneous philosophies.  While I'd like to think that such is accidental, the regularity and frequency of it indicates deliberation.

Beware before making any commitment to Just Faith.

Kathleen Sebelius To Give Georgetown Commencement Address

Put her name next to the little magnifying glass at the top left and see how many times I reported on her many atrocities.  The latest one, of course, is the HHS mandate that crams down the throats of all decent people the onus of paying for contraceptives and abortifacients in health-coverage plans.  She has been rightly chided by bishops and laity alike.

Therefore I can only assume that Georgetown University is deliberately thumbing its nose at the Magisterium by extending an invitation to her to speak at the commencement of one of Georgetown's schools on Friday May 18th.  The disgrace will occur at 11:00am at the Leavey Center Ballroom.

The Cardinal Newman Society has a link by which you may send a petition to protest this inappropriate invitation.  You may sign it if you wish - or contact the Georgetown administration yourselves to protest.

Will we have to picket???

Chen Guangcheng: Ongoing Developments

Most people by now have heard of the plight of Chen Guangcheng, the blind Chinese lawyer who was instrumental in blowing the lid off of Communist China's "one-child policy" that is enforced by forced abortions on mother who already have their "one child".  For his efforts in this regard, he has been imprisoned repeatedly.  He and family members have been beaten severely and repeatedly; his health is impaired as a result.

He and his family were under house arrest when he fled to the US embassy under cover of the night.  This has proven to be embarrassing, not only for the Chi-Com thugs, but to the Messiah Most Miserable and Minions Most Mindless.  One of them, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was on her way to Beijing for a meeting with her counterpart regarding finances.  We owe the Chi-Coms lots and lots of money, you know.

According to Lifesite News and other outlets, US embassy officials goaded Chen into leaving, stating that Chinese officials would beat his wife to death if he didn't.

He has called the embassy to express his request that he and his family be brought to the United States.  His phone calls are going unanswered.

This is a disgraceful chapter in US history - that a human rights activist, who is undergoing severe punishments and deprivations at the hands of barbaric Communists, is being ignored and even betrayed by American officials.  Yes, we do owe these same barbarians much money, but that is no excuse for our officials forgetting that they are Americans.  It lends weight to the notion that perhaps these officials haven't the slightest clue of what being American is all about, as they value money and abortion more highly than life, liberty and decency.

Representative Chris Smith and others are investigating the Obama administration's scandalous handling of this matter.

UPDATE:  I'm writing this over two days and have received word of a deal in the works that would permit Chen to come here and take up a fellowship at an American university.  He would bring his wife and two children (no mention of his mother).  Let us pray that this goes through.  I truly hope that Obama and cartel are acting as true Americans.

Camouflage Catholics

Here is today's episode of the Vortex.  Pay special attention to the section starting at 5:09.  You - yes you have a duty to point out to "camouflage Catholics" the errors of their ways.  It's not just "the priests' job" to exercise the Spiritual Works of Mercy such as "rebuke the sinner" and "enlighten the ignorant".  It's your job - no excuses!  A tool that you may wish to use is Wisdom on Windshields  available here .  Download it and have a copy handy on your own hard drive.

Click here if you cannot see embedded video.

Irish Law Targets The Confessional Seal

The Justice Minister of Ireland has proposed 5-year sentences for priests who don't report cases of sexual abuse when they hear it confessed in the confessional.  Needless to say, a proper outrage has arisen not only from the clergy but also the laity.

Make no mistake.  This is not about "protecting children and the vulnerable".  It is an excuse to attack the priesthood.  Does anyone really think that any serial abuser will step into a confessional if he/she knows they'll be reported?

I might suggest an immediate cessation of the "face-to-face" confession.  Restore the practice of all confessions taking place in a screened confessional.  I suggest it not only for Ireland (St Patrick must be rolling in his grave) but for all Catholic churches.  With all the attacks that the Church here is undergoing in the U.S., it's just a mater of time before this confession stunt is attempted here.

Gay Activists - Bullied? Or Bullies?

A number of bullying incidents have occurred - that most likely have never made the mainstream media.  Why? Because these acts of bullying were perpetrated by gay rights activists.

Since there are a number of videos in this post, I will place them after the jump break.