Vietnam: Catholics Heavily Fined for Violating Two-Child Policy

Catholic villagers in Vietnam say they are trying to follow Church teaching on contraception in the face of high fines levied against them under the country’s two-child policy. They pay the fines as a way of showing their fidelity to Catholic teaching.

Since a 1994 nationwide “family planning” program, Vietnamese have been required to have no more than two children per family. Those with two children are told to use artificial contraceptives or undergo vasectomies free of charge.

Families with more than two children must pay rice to the government as a fine, UCA News reports.

While many Catholics say they have done their best to remain faithful to Catholic teaching, some have had to resort to contraceptives because they could not afford the significant fines.

Villagers in Thua Thien-Hue province spoke to UCA News about the government's punishment.

Catherine Pham Thi Thanh, 44, said that since 1996 she has been fined a total of 3,800 kilograms of rice for having six children, who now range from two to 15 years of age. Her family makes an annual profit of only 700 kilograms of rice by producing rice alcohol and raising pigs.

She told UCA News she was fined 300 kilograms for her third child, 600 for her fourth, 900 for her fifth and 2,000 for the sixth.

In 2007, she decided to use an intrauterine contraceptive device to save her family from a 3,800 kilogram fine in the event she had a seventh child. In 2005, village authorities had confiscated the possessions of a family who could not afford to pay such fines. (continue)

Was Michael Jackson a Christian?

I find this to be an intriguing question, partly because of the variety of religious phases Jackson seems to have passed through in his 50 years on this earth: Jehovah's Witness, Muslim (allegedly), and evangelical Protestant (allegedly). I'm not sure we'll ever know for sure if he died as a professing Christian, not that knowing would make a difference one way or the other, but, of course, we should certainly pray for the repose of his soul in hopes that he found the narrow gate that leads to eternal life while he had time to.

Christianity Today took up this issue shortly after the singer's death, as did another blog which I link to below.

Pop culture news blog reports that rumors that Michael Jackson accepted Christ may have been false. Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest last week at the age of 50, was rumored by some to have become a Christian just weeks before his death.

Gospel singer Andrae Crouch and his twin sister, singer and minister, Sandra, apparently visited Jackson recently at the pop star's request, and they did pray together. But exactly what they prayed depends on whom you ask.

Last Friday, gospel duo Mary Mary blogged on their Facebook page that Jackson "prayed with Sandra and Andre and accepted Christ into his heart. Now he's singing in the heavenly choir! Our hearts rejoice!"

But the Bully! Pulpit reported that that wasn't the full story, or even fully accurate.

On her Facebook page, Sandra Crouch wrote, "It has been brought to my attention that several media outlets have been erroneously reporting that my brother, Andrae Crouch and me met our dear friend Michael Jackson several weeks prior to his death so he could accept Christ. This is incorrect and absolutely not true.

"We loved and respected Michael enormously and we've been friends with him for many, many years, and are deeply saddened by his sudden and tragic death.We recently met with Michael to discuss recording two songs with our choir for his newest recording project. Michael always had a respect and curiosity for spiritual things. During our meeting, not unlike many other creative/music meetings we've had with him the past, we sang together, prayed together and had a wonderful time. We are praying for Michael's family and desire nothing less than God's best for them."

A spokesman for Andrae Crouch added that at the meeting, Jackson "asked for prayer concerning the anointing of the Holy Spirit . . . So Andrae and Sandra explained to him about the anointing and about Jesus."

But did the legendary singer pray to receive Christ? The Crouch spokesman responded: “He did NOT reject Jesus or the prayer when (we) prayed, and gladly joined in prayer . . . There was NO actual ‘sinners prayer’ however, but they did talk and pray about Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit."

The Bully! Pulpit story also said that Jackson, forbidden as a child from celebrating Christmas because of his Jehovah’s Witness faith, still had Christmas decorations up in his home in June. . . . (continue reading)

Read here what another blogger had to say about this.

Can You Spot Yourself in This Picture?

Jesus Christ is shown in the center of this picture, carrying His cross, surrounded by the rest of us. Can you see yourself? I see myself. It's not a pretty picture, is it?

Vatican dress code: Do's and don'ts for presidential, pilgrim attire

Deciding what to wear to an evening wedding is challenging enough; imagine how daunting it is to choose proper attire for a papal audience.

Even the most seasoned president, prime minister and ambassador must struggle with deciphering proper protocol. But women, whether they are government leaders or the first lady, have to grapple with a lot more when they meet the pope.

While the men can usually do no wrong donning a dark suit and tie, women are more vulnerable to sartorial snafus.

The most famous fashion failure among first ladies was in December 1989 when Raisa Gorbachev showed up wearing "a bright red dress," as more than one veteran Vatican reporter recalled.

She must have been aware of the uproar her red skirt and jacket with a black collar had caused because when she and her husband, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, returned 11 months later, her outfit was considerably toned down.

For her second visit, Gorbachev wore a bright crimson blouse and bow knotted tightly under her chin that peeked out from under a gray wool jacket and long skirt.

To avoid any gaffes, dignitaries preparing for a papal audience usually contact their embassy to the Vatican for some pointers.

The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See has a Vatican protocol primer that walks people through what is considered the proper dress code.

For men: black or dark suit, aka business attire, with a dark tie.

For women: black skirt or dress that reaches at least the knees, black top with mid- to long-sleeves, no pants, simple jewelry, dark closed-toe shoes, and a black hat or veil is optional.

Some blogs and news stories assumed U.S. first lady Michelle Obama wore a long black veil to her July 10 audience with the pope because she was required to do so.

But the Vatican does not mandate that women cover their heads. In fact, the pontifical household said there is no formal or specific dress protocol at all.

The household's regent, Msgr. Paolo De Nicolo, told Catholic News Service that as long as a person's outfit is "decent" and "in good taste," anything goes. . . . (continue reading)

Rush-Hour Traffic in Hell

The Weirdness Deepens: Ireland Passes New "Anti-Blasphemy" Law

Check out this blog entry by Stacks Rosch, an outspoken atheist who has caught wind of a new law passed by the Irish government that bans "blasphemy" against any religion whatsoever. Rather than try to explain it myself, I'll let you read his take on it. Keep in mind that he's commenting on this strange new law from the standpoint of atheism ("Atheists are not the only ones being targeted here") — N.B. actually, I don't think atheist are at all the target here. I'll give you one guess against whom I think this law is ultimately targeted (hint: it ain't atheism). Read on:

On Friday July 11th, 2009, Ireland passed the Defamation Bill by one vote. One of the aspects of this bill would make it illegal to criticize religion… any religion under penalty of fines up to 25,000 Euros. That is the equivalent to nearly $35,000.

When I first heard this story on the internets, I was certain that it was a false story. I read the story, googled it, checked out legitimate Ireland news sites, and double checked more Ireland news sites. The story checks out. It seems that the Blasphemy Clause of the Defamation Bill was challenged in the legislature by an amendment which would delete such a clause. The amendment to delete the clause initially passed by one vote, but a request was made for a “walk-through vote.” During that time two more Senators came in and voted against the amendment to delete the clause. This meant that the clause would stay in the bill. The bill then passed by the same margin.

Here is an excerpt from the Blasphemy Clause:

Section 36

(1) A person who publishes or utters blasphemous matter shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding €100,000. [Amended to €25,000]

(2) For the purposes of this section, a person publishes or utters blasphemous matter if (a) he or she publishes or utters matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion, and (b) he or she intends, by the publication or utterance of the matter concerned, to cause such outrage.

This part of the bill makes it illegal to criticize any religion either verbally or in writing. Saying anything in which a “substantial number” of followers might find offensive would now be a crime in the Ireland. But the bill goes even further. Here is another excerpt:

Section 37

(1) Where a person is convicted of an offence under section 36, the court may issue a warrant (a) authorising any member of the Garda Siochana to enter (if necessary by the use of reasonable force) at all reasonable times any premises (including a dwelling) at which he or she has reasonable grounds for believing that copies of the statement to which the offence related are to be found, and to search those premises and seize and remove all copies of the statement found therein, (b) directing the seizure and removal by any member of the Garda Siochana of all copies of the statement to which the offence related that are in the possession of any person, specifying the manner in which copies so seized and removed shall be detained and stored by the Garda Siochana.

The Garda Siochana is the Irish police who can now (under this law) break into people’s homes and confiscate copies of any book which might be critical of any religion. I keep trying to point out that any religious criticism is a crime, because many Christians are critical of differing religions. Atheists are not the only ones being targeted here.

Simply claiming that the Pope is not infallible might be considered blasphemous to many Catholics. Claiming that the prophet Joseph Smith was not really visited by angels and given magic golden plates would be blasphemous to Mormons. Mentioning the prophet Mohammad without adding the phrase “peace be upon him” would be considered blasphemous to Muslims. And claiming that Scientology is a sham and that Tom Cruise is crazy would obviously be blasphemous to Scientologists.

What if a Christian claimed that if someone was not saved through Jesus Christ, he or she would spend eternity in Hell? An argument could be made that such a statement and even the Bible itself might be considered blasphemous to other religions. In fact, most religious are blasphemous to other religions. Maybe the Irish police will fine everyone.

(continue reading)

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"Welcome to the World of Consenting Adults"

Read this breathless tabloid report of an alleged strange chapter in the annals of modern luv:

Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman [68] plans to marry his step-granddaughter and possible mistress E'Dena Hines, family sources tell the National Enquirer.

The actor's nearly decade-long affair with his step-granddaughter, 27, hit the tabloids last month. E'Dena Hines is the grandchild of Morgan's first wife.

He and his now-estranged second wife, Myrna Colley-Lee, raised her.

The long-secret relationship with Hines likely led to the breakup of their marriage, say sources close to both Morgan Freeman and Myrna Colley-Lee.

That's bad enough. But today, The Enquirer reports that Freeman and Hines are planning to get married after Morgan's contentious divorce battle is over!

(source)

[Hat-tip for the link and the title to Frank Beckwith.]

Is Your City Prepared for a Home-Made Nuke?

As US president Barack Obama visits Moscow this week to discuss nuclear arms reduction with his Russian opposite number Dmitry Medvedev, a different nuclear threat is preoccupying emergency planners back home.

A panel of medical experts has just released its assessmentof the technologies and therapies that could be rolled out if a home-made nuclear bomb was ever detonated in the heart of an American city.

A device of this kind — now judged by Obama to pose "the most immediate and extreme threat to global security" — would kill hundreds of thousands of people. But as catastrophic as such an attack would be, it would not level an entire city, and a timely response could save many lives. Recent advances in techniques for mapping the path of radioactive fallout after an attack, combined with novel therapies for treating radiation victims, will improve survival chances, the report says.

"Clearly there would be loss of life, but it's not hopeless," says Georges Benjamin, head of the panel of doctors and public health officials that was convened by the National Academy of Sciences to assess the nation's level of preparedness for such an attack. "We feel that there are things that one can do to mitigate it."

So what would a city need to do? The panel explored the consequences of a nuclear explosion packing a punch equivalent to 10,000 tonnes of TNT. That's tiny compared with the thermonuclear weapons deployed by the US and Russia — and smaller even than the 15-kiloton bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 — but plausible for an improvised device.

The blast wave would destroy buildings and kill almost everyone within 1 kilometer (see map), so the panel focused its attention on people outside this zone, for whom the main danger would come from radioactive fallout. "That's a place where you could get big gains if you plan right," says panel member Fred Mettler of the New Mexico Veterans Administration Health Center in Albuquerque.

Highly radioactive rubble and dust thrown up by the explosion would . . . (continue reading)

"Holy War" Brewing Over Virgina Islamic Academy's Expansion Plans

A holy war is brewing in Virginia, where a controversial Islamic school is seeking permission to expand its campus and a group of residents is going all out to stop it.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing Monday night to consider a proposal to expand the campus of the Islamic Saudi Academy, a Saudi-owned college preparatory school.

Critics of the plan point to former students of the school who have been convicted in a plot to assassinate former President Bush, and more recently, arrested for trying to board an airplane with a seven-inch kitchen knife.

And others say they oppose the move to expand the school for one reason only:

"We're opposed to the operation of the Islamic Saudi Academy because it teaches and practices Shariah law," said James Lafferty, chairman of the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force (VAST). "Shariah law is anti-constitutional and we feel that it is the ultimate improper land use here in the state where the Constitution was created."

Lafferty said his organization is a coalition with roughly 10 other groups that oppose the land-use expansion. By teaching Shariah law, Lafferty says, the school replaces the U.S. Constitution with a "very backward and barbaric" rule of law.

"Shariah law advocates rights via gender and religion," Lafferty told FOXNews.com. "They allocate rights by gender and religion. If you are a male who is Islamic, you have rights. If you're not, you have no rights."

Founded in 1984, the Islamic Saudi Academy seeks to "enable students to excel academically while maintaining the values of Islam and proficiency with the Arabic language" . . . (continue reading)

Me and Father Z

Back in February, the illustrious Father John Zuhlsdorf was kind enough to have me as a guest on his podcast. We discussed a variety of issues, including the (then) recently revealed Father Maciel scandal that rocked the Legionaries of Christ and the rest of the Catholic world, we touched on the controversy surrounding the SSPX's Bishop Williamson, Catholic apathy, situation ethics, "new math," homeschooling, and other sundry items.

Sects and Sin in Manila

The sun is 93 million miles from the earth, but in the Philippines it feels a lot closer. Never have I experienced heat like the heat I endured in Manila during a week's visit in May of 1994. I was there to make preparations for Catholic Answers' evangelization work during Pope John Paul II's visit to World Youth Day '95 in January.

— By Patrick Madrid, This Rock Magazine, 1994 —

At World Youth Day '93, held in Denver, Catholic Answers distributed 225,000 free copies of its evangelization booklet, Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth. We hope to give out as many as twice that number--some in English, some in Tagalog--in Manila, where up to a million people are expected to participate in the week-long activities.

LAX, Monday, 10:00 a.m.

Two hundred of us were herded aboard the Northwest Airlines 747, and I settled into my seat for the 13- hour flight to Seoul, where, after a two-hour layover, I'd catch my connecting flight to Manila. Catholic apologetics is a no-frills occupation, and I had a no-frills coach-class ticket. I was seated in the no-smoking section, but my seat was close enough to the cigarette crowd that it should have been called the no-inhaling section. For a moment I wondered why my row was empty, even though the rest of the coach seats were occupied. I discovered the reason when I tried to recline the seat--it wouldn't move. In fact, the entire row of seats wouldn't recline because of the bulkhead right behind them. "Oh well," I sighed. "At least I'll be able to lie down later and sleep." But I never could get to sleep, so I sat up straight and read.

Aquino International Airport,
Manila, Tuesday, 11:09 p.m.

I cleared customs quickly--officials waved me through without glancing at my bags--and headed across the concourse toward the exit which, even at that late hour, was jammed with travelers. By the time I exited the terminal I felt like I was wrapped in a soggy heating blanket--and that was the comfortable part. As I'd learn in a few hours, in the Philippines the evening's heat and humidity are mild compared to the day's.

My Catholic contacts, Rommel and Cocoy Garcia, sons of General Vic Garcia (retired from the Philippine National Police), were waiting for me at the curb in an air-conditioned Toyota. As we drove to their home in Angeles City, 90 minutes north of Manila, I asked lots of questions, and they filled me in on the state of the Church in the Philippines. They told me about the challenges the Catholics face: a government which promotes mass-distribution of contraceptives, a lack of solid Catholic books and tapes, a lack of funds, a lack of priests to minister to the islands' 56 million Catholics, and stiff competition from sects.

During the drive I counted at least a dozen Iglesia ni Cristo churches along the way. (Iglesia ni Cristo is a fast-growing, virulently anti-Catholic sect headquartered near Manila). Rommel and Cocoy were enthusiastic when I explained about Catholic Answers' evangelization efforts planned for Manila. They knew that the distribution of Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth would give a boost to the Church.

At about 12:30 a.m. I arrived at the home of Hermie and Cen Yusi, a couple active in the local prayer group. They offered to put me up in a spare room of their home for the entire week. I unpacked my bags and headed for the shower. My room had a large fan but no air-conditioner, and though the mercury was past the 90 degree mark, I was too exhausted to care about the heat. I set the fan on high, aimed it at the bed, and fell asleep.

Iglesia ni Cristo headquarters,
Quezon City, Wednesday, 10:15 a.m.

I figured that since I was in Manila, I'd take the opportunity to rattle Iglesia ni Cristo's cage and put its leaders on notice that Catholic Answers is coming to town to explain and defend the true faith.

Iglesia teaches that at the Second Coming of Christ all true believers (Iglesia members in good standing) will be "caught up into heaven." But this isn't your usual rapture, according to a widespread and (alas!) probably false rumor. Iglesia members, having received advance warning, are to make their way to the local Iglesia church and await the rapture indoors. The entire building and all its occupants will be lifted up to heaven. This idea may have been inspired by Iglesia architecture: The buildings are aerodynamic, as though designed to fly better in the rapture.

Iglesia ni Cristo's sprawling headquarters reminded me of the Emerald City in the "Wizard of Oz," the difference being that these munchkins were anything but friendly once they found out what organization I represented. After persistent negotiations with the guards at the front gate I managed to wrangle a meeting with Bienvenido Santiago, the editor of Iglesia's monthly magazine, Pasugo. I was ushered into his office and shown to a seat. Also present was Samuel Paran, a minister on staff. Santiago handed me his no-nonsense business card. It read: "Bien C. Santiago, Minister of the Gospel."

I think these fellows were a little surprised, perhaps a little miffed, at my persistence in trying to see them, but after I was seated Santiago did his best to put me at ease with his gracious banter.

"So, Mr. Madrid. What do you want?"

"I just dropped by to say howdy, and to tell you that Catholic Answers is sending a team of apologists to Manila for World Youth Day '95 to help out with the Holy Father's visit." He grimaced when I said "Holy Father."

"We are well aware of your pope's visit next year."

"Oh? And do you have special plans to mark the occasion?"

Santiago grinned. "Let us just say that Iglesia ni Cristo will be ready for his visit."

I knew what that meant. Iglesia ni Cristo hates the Catholic Church and attacks its teachings whenever the chance presents itself. Each issue of Pasugo is crammed with articles showing how "unbiblical" the Catholic Church is for teaching doctrines such as the Trinity, the divinity and Incarnation of Christ, the Mass, and purgatory. As our chat progressed I gleaned that Iglesia was gearing up for an anti-Catholic proselytization push to coincide with World Youth Day. This push will include open-air preaching by Iglesia personnel, a barrage of anti-Catholic radio broadcasts throughout the Philippine islands, a massive tract distribution effort, and televised broadsides against the pope and the Catholic Church.

We sparred for fifteen minutes or so, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Paran jotting down notes. For all I knew, the whole thing was being videotaped through the two-way mirror behind Santiago's desk, and I was being weighed, measured, and CAT-scanned, all for some sinister use by Iglesia at a later date.

I smiled. "Look, Bien, do you think you Iglesia folks might have an interest in another debate with Catholic Answers when we're here in January?" Karl Keating had accepted a challenge to debate one of their ministers a few years ago. Held in a high school gym, the debate drew an overflow crowd of 3,500 spectators, most of them Iglesia members bused in from throughout Southern California. No doubt the video tapes of the debate had been studied carefully by Iglesia's high command, which knew all about Catholic Answers.

Santiago smirked. "Why would you want another debate? Are you admitting that your Keating lost the first debate and now you would like a chance to redeem yourself?"

"Oh no, Bien," I smiled even more broadly. "Whatever would give you that impression? Haven't you seen the video of the debate? Keating killed your guy in that debate. We'd like to whip you again."

"That debate was a great victory for Iglesia ni Cristo. Keating lost."

The barbs went back and forth for several minutes, each of us smiling. I left a copy of Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth and the issue of This Rock that contained a cover story about our work in Denver at last year's World Youth Day. We made no agreement about a debate, except to express mutual interest in debating either the divinity of Christ or the papacy.

Outside, I looked back at the odd, streamlined buildings. With ten million members, Iglesia ni Cristo is growing quickly--not just in the Philippines, but among Filipinos in America. Nearly all converts, of course, are former Catholics.

Iglesia ni Cristo, which in its evangelization activity and theology is like the Jehovah's Witnesses, is tenacious in challenging the Catholic Church. Come World Youth Day, even if no other anti-Catholic sects show up to harangue visiting youths, Iglesia alone will pose a stout challenge.

Makati, Wednesday, 3:00 p.m.

I finished a long and beneficial meeting with one of the printers who will produce Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth. His card gives his name as Felicito Abiva, but everyone calls him Toots. He is president of the Asian Catholic Publishers Consortium and owns Felta Publishing.

Printing as many as 500,000 copies of the booklet in the Philippines will save us thousands. Plus, we'll have them on site and ready for distribution when our evangelization team arrives on January 9, the day before the first scheduled event.

Toots and I hammered out the details of the project--getting bids from other publishers, determining the booklet's paper and size specifications, figuring out printing and shipping logistics, and, most importantly, agreeing on a price. The booklets will be dropped off by the printers and stored at our hotel and distribution center at Manila's gigantic Rizal Park, the venue for the major World Youth Day events, including the Pope's Masses.

Catholic Answers' headquarters will be at the Hotel Manila, directly across from Rizal Park. From there, and from our main distribution point within the park itself and just across the street, our team will coordinate the efforts of 200 volunteers who will see to it that copies of Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth get into the hands of the visiting young people.

Angeles City, Thursday, 2:15 p.m.

I had several objectives during my visit, so I had to move quickly. I had to meet with printers, arrange for the translation of the booklet into Tagalog (the Filipino national language) visit Cardinal Jaime Sin and other bishops to acquaint them with Catholic Answers and secure their blessing on our evangelization plans, reconnoiter the World Youth Day sites in Rizal Park, arrange lodging and transportation for our staff, and otherwise make as many contacts as possible. I spent the afternoon drinking coffee in an effort to shake off the jet lag and making phone calls to arrange meetings. Soon I had a full appointment book.

At 8:00 Hermie and I drove through driving rain to a chapel used by the Sacred Heart parish prayer group. The storm had knocked out the power, and as I stood in the darkened doorway of the small building I could see by candlelight the outlines of the fifty people inside, praying and singing.

It was easy to picture this as a scene from second- or third-century Rome, when Catholics had to gather in secret, lest they be rounded up by the authorities. Then another thought intruded: The need for catacombs and clandestine Masses could arise again. Our World Youth Day efforts may be helping to convert and equip the Church's future leaders and martyrs. (I had cause to recall this thought a few days later.)

Hermie introduced me to Fr. Larry, the youthful pastor. Speaking loudly so he could hear me over the crash of the lightning and the steady drone of the rain, I acquainted him with the work of Catholic Answers, explained our plans for World Youth Day, and summed up by asking him to help us organize a cadre of volunteers to pass out booklets.

He was pleased with the project and promised to help however he could, including by contacting his bishop, Most Rev. Anacleto Aniceto, to seek his support. Mass was about to start, so I said good-bye and gave him copies of Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth and This Rock. We shook hands, and I headed into the rain.

Angeles City, Friday

I spent the day talking with other printers, arranging for volunteers, and visiting parishes to get a feel for the level of activity as Catholics prepare for the Pope's visit. What struck me was the profound spirituality of the average Filipino Catholic. Everywhere I went, in all the people I met, I saw a deep and reverent love for Christ and his Church. The people, like Catholics anywhere, were not particularly well-catechized, but they loved the faith. Every church I entered, at any time of the day or night, had dozens of men, women, and children on their knees praying before the Blessed Sacrament.

Still, I was worried by the anti-Catholic challenge. Many Filipino Catholics abandon the faith. You can't walk a block, it seems, without seeing a newly-constructed Iglesia ni Cristo church or Fundamentalist chapel or Kingdom Hall. The Philippines is a Catholic country now, perhaps, but the writing is on the wall, and it's not hard to read: The Philippines won't be Catholic in 25 years unless more is done to combat the spread of heresies.

I was cheered to find that everywhere I went, priests, nuns, bishops, and lay people were enthusiastically supportive of Catholic Answers' plan to blanket World Youth Day with copies of Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth. One delightful young nun beamed at me after thumbing through the booklet. "This is just what we need here! What a great shot in the arm this will be for our young people!"

Manila, Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

I was in the waiting area at the residence of Cardinal Jaime Sin, Archbishop of Manila. This was the only time during the whole week that I wore a suit. Sweat trickled down my back as I sat in a wicker chair and chatted with Sr. Amparo Sanchez, B.V.M., the Cardinal's secretary. She told me the history of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and how, lately, it was experiencing great strain because of the onslaught of the sects.

"That's why I'm here, Sister." I smiled. "Catholic Answers hopes to secure Cardinal Sin's approbation for our evangelization plans."

A seminarian directed me to the second floor of the old building where the Cardinal had his quarters. I stepped into a small, high-ceilinged office, and there was Cardinal Sin, seated behind a modest and book-laden desk (which was cleared off for our photograph).

He spoke with conviction about the need for evangelism and fidelity to the Church. For half an hour we discussed Catholic Answers' work. He was pleased with our efforts and kindly agreed to tape a brief message of greeting to Catholics in the U.S., inviting them to come to Manila for World Youth Day. At the close of our conversation, the Cardinal remarked, "We must not forget all those who have died for the Catholic faith, and we must be willing to live that faith."

Aquino International Airport,
Tuesday, 9:45 a.m.

I passed through customs on my way to the terminal where I would catch a flight to Tokyo, and I spotted a young monk standing a few yards away, his back to a gaudy duty-free store that beckoned travelers to make last-minute purchases of jewelry, clothing, and liquor. Bearded, tonsured, and clad in sandals and a rough habit, he was an unassuming witness to the message of the gospel in the face of the sensuality of the world. I thought of Matthew 19:21: "Jesus said to him, `If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.'" I introduced myself, and he said he was Fr. Paul Franois de Sulauze, a French priest of the Congregation of St. John the Apostle. He was returning to Taiwan, where he and his community minister to the spiritual and temporal needs of the inner-city poor. We chatted until I had to board my flight.

As I settled into my seat I reflected on the importance of the evangelism work Catholic Answers will be doing in Manila next year. Fr. Sulauze is a priest today because he was given a solid formation in the faith. But what if he had been badly catechized and then converted by the Jehovah's Witnesses? What if he became, not a Catholic priest, but a Fundamentalist proselytizer out to convert Catholics?

I thought about the hundreds of thousands of young men and women from around the world who will be in Manila for World Youth Day. I thought about them and about what Iglesia ni Cristo and other anti-Catholic groups have in store for them. And I thought about the vocations to the priesthood and religious life that could be lost to the Church if Catholic Answers and other groups don't go to Manila to share the faith and take a stand against the menace of the sects.

"Honestly, it's like hearing your grandmother swear"

That's how one blogger described his feelings when he discovered that the English edition of Pope Benedict's encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, contains the American slang term: "downsizing."

I can kind of see his point about "downsizing" being an infelicitous translation of the Italian riduzione and the German reduzierung. But then, never having heard either of my grandmothers swear, I have nothing to compare it to.

What do you make of it?

Rabbis Alarmed By "Converts" to Judaism Who Are Stealth Christian Missionaries

(IsraeINN.com) The Chief Rabbinate has been given a list of more than 60 recent converts to Judaism who continue to believe in Jesus — and are active missionaries.

Rabbi Shalom Dov Lifshitz, chairman and founder of the anti-missionary and anti-assimilation Yad L’Achim organization, met in recent days with Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and provided him with the list. Rabbi Amar was reportedly “shocked” at seeing that the Chief Rabbinate had authorized the conversions.

An immediate solution was found for the future, however. Rabbi Lifshitz presented Rabbi Amar with a list of 17 questions that should be asked of any prospective convert. Under the assumption that the missionaries will either not lie straight out, or that the specific questions will help detect the lies, it is hoped that missionaries will be spotted and weeded out from the conversion rolls.

Yad L’Achim had prepared the list of names, ID numbers and addresses of more than 60 people who were active in missionary groups before, during and after their long conversion process to Judaism. The "converts" were then accepted as members of religious communities, and their children were accepted into religious schools. . . . (continue reading)

What About Our Boys?

A day before New York Rep. Peter King called Michael Jackson a “pervert” unworthy of nonstop media coverage, the aunt of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan on the same day Jackson died asked why her nephew's death went virtually unnoticed while the King of Pop got memorial shrines across the country.

"Mr. Jackson received days of wall-to-wall coverage in the media," Martha Gillis wrote to the Washington Post. "Where was the coverage of my nephew or the other soldiers who died that week?"

Relatives of Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Decry Lack of Coverage Amid Jackson Spectacle - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com