A Note From Michael Hichborn of American Life Leaague

Michael Hichborn of the American Life League posted a comment to my piece about the National Catholic Reporter on Tuesday.  I'm reproducing it here, so that his links are "clickable".  He's doing great work, too, so I urge support of the ALL's efforts.  Here it is..

I wanted to let you know that our latest video on the CCHD is up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTaW60MNb_g  If you'd like to be on our blog-list for American Life League, e-mail me at mhichborn@all.org .

Here's the video.

Catholyc Left-Wing Infatuation with Environmentalist Junk Science

First our intelligences are insulted by the "lenten carbon fast".  Then this weekend, the Archdiocese of Baltimore will have a gab-fest on "peace, poverty and mother earth".  Do we all notice the obsession with the environmentalist, "climate change" junk science?



Father Goodvibes, where are you???

DC Catholic Charities Solves Same-Sex Benefits Quandry - NOT!

Previous postings on this blog detailed the moral quandry in which the DC Catholic Charities found itself when the DC City Council made plain to them that faith-based organizations will not be exempt from the requirement to offer benefits to same-sex partners of employees.  At first, the DC Catholic Charities appeared to be taking a principled stance by stating they'd have to cease services in DC.  Right on cue, various council members called them meanies for trying to adhere to who they were.  The DC Catholic Charities squirmed.

Today's Catholic Standard revealed the less-than-stellar solution at which DC Catholic Charities arrived.  They're throwing their own employees under the bus.

As of March 1st, DC Catholic Charities is no longer offering spousal employee benefits.  Employees who already had them at that date are permitted to keep them (Gee!  Isn't that swell?), but now no one can elect spousal coverage should they entertain silly ideas such as getting married in the future.

According to a Washington Post article, this decision came from Archbishop Wuerl himself.  Now why, oh why, does the Catholic Standard make no mention of that teensy detail?  He made much talk about "just wage", but at the end of the day, this is still about placating the DC government at the expense of the employees.

In the words of Edward Orzechowski, Catholic Charities president, "The challenge for us was how to comply with the new same-sex marriage law requirements, and continue our partnership with the District of Columbia in serving the poor and vulnerable, and remaining true to the teachings of our faith."  Got that?  In order to please the powers-that-be and to not be considered "meanies", Catholic Charities is committing gross injustice against its own employees.  Since when does that constitute "the teachings of our faith"?

Organizations such as Catholic Charities tout how they're advocates of "social justice".  Many of them favor "Obamacare" in the mistaken belief that such will effect universal health coverage. Yet these same Catholic entities, when they wish to kiss up to malevolent politicians, turn around and block that same coverage to their own employees!  Go figure!

Years ago, when the New York Catholic hospitals were to be coerced into providing abortions, John Cardinal O'Connor stood them down to a man.  He said that he'd close each and every hospital before that happened.  The New York bosses knew O'Connor was a man of courage and integrity; they backed down.  It would have been far better if Catholic Charities had done the same and maintained its integrity: not only towards the city, but also towards its employees.  Like too many Catholic institutions today, they are playing the cowards.

We should bear this in mind at the next Catholc Charities collection in the pews.

Hope for Those Who Have Broken - The Lenten Carbon Fast

PARODY ALERT!    PARODY ALERT!   PARODY ALERT!

For those of you who have already broken the Lenten Carbon Fast, there's hope!  You can confess your sins against Mother Earth to (drum roll, please!)

FATHER LEFTY GOODVIBES!

Observe a sample of Father's wonderful work!

(Father Goodvibes sits in his confessional.  A rather distraught woman enters..)

Woman: Bless me, Father, for I have sinnned.

Father: My daughter, so that I can have perspective in giving spiritual advice, tell me a bit of your background.

Woman: Well, I left my husband and three small children.  You see, I determined that I'm gay, and have moved in with my girlfriend, whom I met at our monthly wiccan-activists meeting.  I'm also studying to be ordained a priestess.  I also spend Saturday mornings at the local women's health center to combat those rigtht-wing extremists who want to deny women their right to choose.

Father: Why, that's wonderful, my daughter!

Woman: But what brings me here is this.  I've (sob!) broken the lenten carbon fast!  I let my car idle while I checked my mail box, emitting green house gases.  I have not properly recycled my garbage.  I have not converted my lamps to those squigly, mercury-filled bulbs.  I've wasted hot water in my daily showers.  I have not let my dishwasher breathe!

Father: Why, that's terrible, my daughter!

Woman: Oh, Father, I am so ashamed!  I have put Mother Earth in the emergency room! (starts to cry unconsolablely)

Father: You must make amends!  For your penance, you must sit through ten showings of Al Gore's movie "Inconvenient Truth" and buy at least three carbon offsets.  Now go out to the parish compost pile, breathe in the fragrance of recycling.  Now go, and be at peace as you become one with the Earth.

Woman: Thank you, Father!

Minutes later, we see that this woman has joined other penitents circled around the parish compost pile.  They are holding hands, singing "Polar bears drownin', Lord!  Kum-bye-yaaaah!"

Thus ends our parody!  At least, I hope it's a parody.  I fear, though, these days, the above scenario may, in some confessionals, resemble fact more than fiction!  During this time of Lent, I would urge the use of the Sacrament of Confession to truly put yourselves aright with God and His Church, as has been done for hundreds of years.

Pro-Abortion Speaker to Address Catholic Education Convention

The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), at its annual convention, is featuring Garrison Keillor as its keynote speaker.  Keillor is well known as a humorist and the host of A Prairie Home Companion.  He is also unabashed in his approval of abortion and gay marriage.  The Lifesitenews site has many samplings of his anti-life and anti-decency comments.  In fact, according to Keillor, we who speak out for the Magisterium are "shrieking ninnies and pompous blowhards".  So the obvious question is, "What business does the NCEA have, inviting an anti-Christian such as Keillor to address Catholic educators?  How dare the NCEA waste the time of Catholic educators to toady up to someone to curry favor?"  Rather, it's folks like Keillor who need to be listening to authentic Catholic educators, not the other way around.

The convention is to occur from April 6-8, at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  There is still time to protest this unseemly appearance so as to prevent it.  The contact information for NCEA can be found here.  To our neigbors in the Diocese of Arlington: the NCEA is right in your midst.  To those of us in the Archdiocese of Washington: Archbishop Wuerl is the board chair of the NCEA.  This is happening on his watch!

Dutch Clergy Turn Tail, Betray Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament

On Feb 19th, I wrote how a priest of the Netherlands took a stand for the Blessed Sacrament.  I wrote in a congratulatory tone, extolling his courage.  Sadly, I must retract my congratulations, as the Dutch clergy, to a man, are playing cowards in the face of gay threats.

I've no doubt that the bishop is most likely ordering the priest to capitulate.  However, an order to do that which is inherently wrong is invalid on its face and not to be obeyed.

St. Tarsisius, pray for us!

National Catholic Reporter Rails Against Faithful Catholics

On February 22, I blogged about us having the right kind of enemies.  I did so to make clear that we are being successful at either 1) pricking some consciences and/or 2) cutting off support for nefarious elements within the Church.  We are called to exercise the Spiritual Works of Mercy.  One of them is "rebuke the sinner."  We are also advised to expect opposition from those in opposition to the Church.

Today the National Catholic Reporter, a very liberal catholyc (I'm going to use American Papist's spelling when referring to these CINO types) magazine, today released a snit-fit called "An Indecent, Unchristian Witch Hunt."  As did Catholics United, they sally forth to the defense of their favorite USCCB cash cow, namely, Catholic Campaign for Human Development (gotta keep those dollars going to the Dems now, don't we?)  By name, the vent their spleens at: Catholic Advocate, American Life League, Reform CCHD Now, Bellarmine Veritas Minsitry, Real Catholic TV.

Among other things, notice that we are accused of being partisan.  Its proof?  Well, apparently a staff member of Richard Nixon noticed the left-wing proclivities of the CCHD, so therefore, anyone else who also has functioning eyeballs and brain cells must be "partisan"!  Get the logic?  Well, if not, you too are engaged in an indecent witch-hunt!

Fellow witch-hunters, we've got them on the run!  Let's keep it up!

Notre Dame Newspaper Rejects Column by Charles Rice

I read from my friend at Les Femmes that Dr. Charles Rice, renowned for his fidelity to the Church and who has for some time written a regular column for The Observer (campus newspaper)  had his column rejected because he presented correctly the Church's teaching on homosexuality.  The Les Femmes article has all relevant contact information.  I wrote to the editor.  Because I highly suspect that my letter won't be printed in that paper, I reproduce it below:

"Mr. Gamber, I read the correspondence between you and Dr. Rice regarding your rejection of his article. Need I remind you, sir, that you edit a Catholic newspaper? Accordingly, you are solemnly charged with presenting the teaching of the Magisterium as such. It is not just a "viewpoint"; it represents God's will with regards to the topic of the disorder known as homosexuality. Apparently the liberal powers-that-be do not consider Holy Mother Church to be politically correct - but so what? You, as the editor of a Catholic newspaper, are charged with presenting Church teaching, not with spouting politically correct pabulum. If that is disagreeable to you, perhaps you should resign as editor. Thank you."

I then advised him that the letter is reproduced here. Please write your own.

"Catholic" Democrats Urge Pro-Life Congressmen to Fast From "Bipartisanship"

Catholic Democrats is yet another cog in the left-wing "catholic" socialist machine that is undermining the true Catholic voice in political arenas.  Witness this press release that they issued a few days ago to urge Catholics to "provide leadership in wake of bipartisan summit."  Now read this thing!  Notice to whom it is addressed.  It is addressed only to the Minority Leader, John Boehner.  Why isn't this admonition to "bipartisanship" addressed also to the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi?  I find this curious!  This statement ostensibly urges bipartisanship, yet it is addressed only to one party - the one opposing the Hell Bill.  The Democrats are conveniently let off the hook here!  I find that very, very partisan on the part of the Catholic Democrats!  Don't you?

Also notice that this release was issued in the name of Lent!  The Republicans (not the Democrats!) are being admonished to "fast" from bipartisanship, yet this release is itself partisan.  How stupid do they think we are?

Perhaps the Catholic Democrats should go back to the "lenten carbon fast" and stop killing the trees by their press releases and cut down on greenhouse gases by closing their mouths.

Bishops & Obamacare - "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"

The USCCB simply will not cease their pipe dream of socialized health care in this country.  In numerous places in this blog (and others - look to the right sidebar), it has been amply demonstrated how nationalized health care will be inherently anti-life, as government bureaucrats take authority over our health decisions.  The USCCB, and the rest of the left-wing contingent in the Church hierarchy and establishment, think that if abortion funding is removed and some other tweeks occur, then the Hell Bill will be hot to trot!

In the Feb 25th issue of the Catholic Standard, page 8, we see an article written by Richard Doerflinger, an associate director of the USCCB's Pro-Life Office, entitled, Health Care Reform and the Pro-Life Agenda.  By the way - I don't see it on the Standard's web page, but the exact article is on that of the Arlington Catholic Herald - that's why I linked to that.

When I first saw that title, I suspected that there would be an attempt to wed inextribly the unborn children and the Obama Hell Bill.  Unfortunately I was correct.  The bulk of the article can be summed up in this paraphrase: "Gee whiz, Congress!  Please, oh pretty please, don't accuse the Church of being obstructionists!  All we want is abortion funding removed; you're the meanies!  Just take abortion funding out and we'll be ecstatic, and we'll love and worship and be grateful to you forever!"

The last few sentences are especially telling. "To Catholics, abandoning helpless unborn children is not an option. Nor is abandoning millions of people who lack access to health care."  Notice the none-too-subtle equating of the murder of the unborn with the situation of some uninsured people.  Mr. Doerflinger, please do not equate the two, especially when one of them is cold, calculated murder.  He then says (wait for it!) "Members of Congress made some progress last year toward reform that respects the life, health and conscience of everyone."  You mean the Stupak Amendment?  The one that most with the brains of billygoats knew would be scuttled - as it was?  Please, oh please, take off those rose-colored glasses!  But wait!  Could all this be its own ruse?  This article is coming from the USCCB, that stellar, sterling, prestigious institution infested with liberal Democrats who funnel donation dollars to their liberal pro-abortion chums.