More Proof That More U.S. Catholic Bishops Are Leading the Charge in the Abortion Battle

After the dreary wilderness years of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, when many Catholic bishops in the United States practiced a kind of know-nothingism in their silence and lack of real, out-front leadership on life issues, such as abortion, things are quickly changing. Individually and corporately, the American bishops are starting to lead the Church in the right direction: the battlefront.

Everyone knows that abortion is the white-hot center of this generation's pitched battle against evil. Abortion is this generation's equivalent of slavery, which was the primary social evil 19th-century America. Good triumphed over evil when the horror of legalized slavery was abolished and eradicated. And today, the evil of legalized abortion is an even more wide-spread, more urgent menace to a truly free society.

Catholic bishops are no longer silent in the face of this national tragedy. They are throwing off the shackles of silence and timidity. In increasing numbers, stalwart bishops are leading from the front, showing the way forward and, by their own example of fearless engagement of today's pro-abortion extremists, they are sounding a clear trumpet note for Catholics to rally. "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8).

The pro-abortion extremists know this, and their consternation is palpable and rising. A good example of this is the most recent attack on the U.S. Catholic bishops, this time by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, of Kennedy Clan fame (she is RFK's eldest child).

Not only can the Catholic bishops who are leading from the front and taking a courageous stand on this issue take satisfaction in Ms. Kennedy Townsend's shrill hectoring here, they can take hope in the fact that, as their efforts prove more and more effective in turning the tide of this long-standing struggle for human rights for unborn children (human rights which Ms. Kennedy Townsend and the other pro-abortion extremists she is inveigled by and beholden to), this rising clamor of agitated "Catholic" voices, like Kennedy-Townsend's, is clear evidence that they — the pro-abortion extremists — are deeply worried that they will not carry the day, now that the Catholic bishops have stepped into the fray.

Watch this battle scene from the superb movie "Glory." Starting at the 4:00 minute mark, you will see depicted in that Civil War battle what we are beginning to see now from an increasing number of good bishops, men who are valiantly leading the charge in our generation's equivalent of the War Against Slavery — the War Against Abortion.

Onward, Christian soldiers. You are fighting the good fight.

On health care, the bishops have lost their way

By KATHLEEN KENNEDY TOWNSEND | 12/8/09 4:56 AM EST

The Roman Catholic bishops need more time. That is the recent word from Sen. Ben Nelson — news reports noted that before he introduces his amendment to restrict women’s access to coverage under health care reform, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs more time to review it.

Why is it that the bishops are more concerned with restricting millions of American women from making health care decisions that are best for them and their families than they are with ensuring that millions of Americans — women, men, children, immigrants, the poor, the middle class — get much-needed health insurance?

As a Catholic, I dare say it’s because the Conference of Catholic Bishops has lost its way. For example, in Missouri, the Catholic Conference issued an e-mail alert urging “those who are opposed to health care reform but are also pro-life” to “stay focused on the abortion issue and get the Stupak-like amendment adopted in the Senate.”

Really? As Catholics, are we so laser focused on the issue of abortion that we are willing to join tea partiers and the like to bring down the health care reform bill? And at the enormous expense of millions of Americans who suffer every day because they can’t afford to get checkups, because they must choose bankruptcy in order to save the life of their loved one?

Not this Catholic. As someone who was raised by a family absolutely committed to public service and to making sure that our nation provides health care to the least among us, I am devastated that the bishops are using their influence to try not to increase access to health care for the millions of people who don’t have insurance. Where is their passion for the families who need health care?

I hope that members of the U.S. Senate will defeat Nelson’s amendment when it’s introduced and keep the health care reform efforts moving forward. There is already a carefully crafted, reasonable and abortion-neutral compromise in the Senate health care reform bill. It is neither pro-abortion rights nor anti-abortion. It is simply pro-health care. . . . (etc., etc., etc.)

The 6 Weirdest, Scariest Processed Foods

Okay, I have to admit that, at one time or another, over the years, I've managed to consume all but one of the things on this list, the exception being avocado-free guacamole. (That reminds of the once-popular I Can't Believe It's Not Butter "breakfast spread product.") Luckily, it's been ages since any of these items passed my lips. In this, I'm probably like most contemporary Americans, because most of us have eating this stuff for years, at least until we read the labels and figure out what kind of weird stuff is in them and then stop eating them.

I shudder to image what foods we routinely eat today will end up on some "scariest foods" list 10 years down the road.

Once upon a time, some brave scientists had a noble dream of ridding our food of the plague of nutrients.

Today, at the start of the 21st century, the miracle of food processing has brought that dream closer to reality than ever before. From vitamin-free "blueberry bits" to spray-can cheese to avocado-free guacamole, food scientists have worked tirelessly to bring us new and exciting foods that contain as little nutrition as possible. Even apparently "healthy" foods such as soups have been ingeniously overloaded with so much salt you feel as if you’re eating French fries.

In this article, we’ll provide a handy guide to six uniquely unnatural processed foods that will hopefully serve as a blueprint for humanity’s eventual triumph over the tyrannical fist of Mother Nature. . . . (continue reading)

Benedict XVI cautions against dangers of Marxist liberation theology

In a meeting with a group of Brazilian bishops on Saturday, the Holy Father warned of the dangers of Marxist liberation theology and noted its grave consequences for ecclesial communities.

During the ad limina visit, the Pope recalled that “last August marked 25 years since the Instruction “Libertatis nuntius” of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on certain aspects of liberation theology. The document "highlights the danger involved in the uncritical absorption, by certain theologians, of theses and methodologies that come from Marxism."

The Pope warned that the “more or less visible” scars of Marxist liberation theology, such as “rebellion, division, dissent, offenses, anarchy, are still being felt, causing great suffering and a grave loss of dynamic strength in your diocesan communities.”

For this reason, he exhorted all those who in some way feel attracted or affected by “certain deceitful principles of liberation theology” to re-visit the instruction and be open to the light that it can shed on the subject. (http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17965)

Spain's King Juan Carlos Faces Excommunication if He Assents to Abortion Bill

The Spanish press is highlighting the dilemma faced by Juan Carlos, king of Spain, a Catholic, who may be called upon to sign into law a bill that, if passed, would further liberalize abortion.

On November 25th, Spain's Catholic bishops warned that those politicians who vote in favor of the law will have excommunicated themselves, having put themselves in an "objective state of sin." The bishops wrote that "while the situation lasts," politicians who vote in favor of the law "may not be admitted to Holy Communion."

However, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 stipulates that new laws must be promulgated by the king, who is head of state, but who now faces possible excommunication if he gives royal assent to the bill.

Prominent Spanish Catholics are calling on the king to refuse to sign the law. In an article appearing on the website Religion en Libertad, titled, "The King should not sign the abortion law," the head of the lobby group HazteOir, Nacho Arsuaga, said the country could be heading for a constitutional crisis over the bill.

"The king of a democratic state under the law cannot sign a law approving the right of a few to kill other human beings. With this law, the government is de facto destroying the validity of the Spanish constitution, which stipulates in its Article 15 the right to life." Arsuaga called on the king either to refuse to sign or to abdicate.

Javier Maria Perez-Roldan, president of the Thomas More Law Center, said that the law would "contradict the principle of monarchy," which "loses all authority if it is exercised against the common good."

Arsuaga's article quotes politicians and the heads of a number of Catholic organizations who have called on the king to abdicate in imitation of King Baudouin of Belgium, who in 1990 temporarily renounced his throne rather than sign his country's law liberalizing abortion. They also cited the more recent case of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, who refused last year to sign the duchy's law legalizing euthanasia and who may be stripped of his constitutional powers as a result.

Milian Manuel Mestre, a businessman and politician and Member of the Congress of Deputies, called it "incomprehensible from the ethical point of view," that the government could pass a law that establishes abortion as a right.

"As a believer and a citizen of this country it does not seem appropriate for the King to sign into law the Act ... Neither the king nor the government nor the Spanish Courts may violate principles of fundamental ethics," Mestre said. (continue adding)

CBS Earns Yet Another Millstone Fitting for Its Neck

Quite by accident, I happened to see this the other day as I was changing channels, and I simply couldn't believe my eyes. It's repugnant and infuriating what these people at CBS are doing, in the name of "humor," to destroy whatever vestiges of innocence might remain among American children and youth today (cf. Matthew 18:6).

A video advertisement on CBS's Web site that "mashes" material from the iconic "Frosty the Snowman" Christmastime cartoon with two of the network's comedy series is offensive and should be pulled, media analysts told FoxNews.com.

The video ad, "Frosty the Inappropriate Snowman," takes authentic dialogue from CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men" and dubs it on top of the cartoon classic, changing well-known "Frosty" scenes to contain suggestions that the snowman and his friends visit a "strip club."

The mash-up also discusses Frosty's "porn collection" and contains repeated mentions of prior sexual conquests. The ad is intended to promote the network's upcoming broadcasts of "Frosty the Snowman" and "Frosty Returns."

Colleen Raezler, a research assistant for the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the Media Research Center, said the spot is "highly inappropriate," and improperly uses a Christmas special to promote an adult-oriented comedy. "The ad introduces children to the idea of strippers and pornography," Raezler told FoxNews.com. "The people in charge obviously thought this was funny, but the question they should ask themselves is if this is appropriate, not if it's funny." (continue reading)

Heading Home for the Holidays? Here's a "Family Get Together Survival Kit"

Here come those Christmas dinners with family and friends. And here come the seemingly inevitable jibes, digs, and even overt challenges aimed at your Catholic beliefs, sometimes from those you love most, perhaps including children returning from college who think they’ve “outgrown” the Faith. You can get prepared for these conversations with this "Crash Course" in how to explain, share, and defend your Faith.

Get a copy of my book Search and Rescue and a copy of Envoy Magazine FREE (plus the cost of S&H).

How in the world did I get into this situation?

Ever find yourself in the middle of something you never expected to happen?

I'll Be Speaking in Stamford, CT, December 11-13 — Come if You Can!

Good Times: My First Chance to Hold Killian

Last night, Nancy and I went to Children's Hospital to visit our precious little grandson, Killian Patrick, (grandchild number 7) and, for the first time, I was able to hold him. Here are some pictures of that happy experience.

P.S. Thanks be to God, Mr. Kilpatrick continues to do well, and he's been packing on the ounces, day by day, and is now about 3-and-a-half pounds (he weighed just 2 lbs., 2 ozs. when he was born, three months premature). We really appreciate all the prayers that many of you have been praying for Killian. Thank you.

Visualize This: the US/China Trade Relationship

Dire Predictions About the Destruction of the Dollar

Rock-a-bye baby, in the tree top.

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.

When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,

And down will come baby, cradle and all.

(Courtesy of Father Steve Leake)

The Devil Never Goes on Vacation

(St. Francisco Borgia performing a deathbed exorcism, by Francisco Goya)

There is a particular reason why we Catholics invoke the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary when we say, "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen."

In addition to Scripture's repeated reminders that the devil is actively seeking the spiritual destruction of as many men and women as he can possibly destroy, many of the great saints (too many to be numbered here) have attested to the fact that the evil one is allowed by God to harass people with all kinds of temptations and even, in some cases, to make a final, furious, frantic attack on someone who is dying. St. Anthony of the Desert, St. Benedict, St. Dominic, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Anthony Claret, St. John Vianney, Blessed Padre Pio, and many others warn about this, as does the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

This is why, in addition to prayer, the sacraments, cultivating virtue, and frequently invoking the intercession of Mary and the saints, we must always remember, trust in, and live according to this glorious truth about God's love for us:

"Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

With all that in mind, I bring you the following audio clip from my "Open Line" radio show yesterday in which I took a call from Kathy, who wanted to know about whether the devil and his demonic helpers were in the habit of harassing people on their deathbeds. She asked because of something she herself had seen as she attended her own mother in her dying days. Take a listen . . .

If this is not the single most annoying Christmas gift, I don't know what else would qualify

From Russia With Love: Patriarch Kyril Publishes Pope Benedict's Speeches

This is a hopeful sign! I'm not sure exactly what it portends, but it's cause for hope.

Evidence of "possible cooperation" between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church continues between Rome and Moscow. And the playing filed on which they meet remains the struggle for the affirmation of the Christian roots of Europe "threatened by secularism.

The latest episode that gives hope for a real climate of greater proximity between the two Churches, is the presentation (today in Rome) of "Europe Spiritual Homeland", a bilingual volume in Italian and Russian collecting the speeches that Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI dedicated to Europe over the past decade. The novel aspect is that for the first time the publisher of the book is the patriarch of Moscow. The introduction to the volume is by the Chairman of the Department for External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk. The editorial initiative was taken by the Department of External Relations of the Patriarchate in cooperation with the International Association "Sofia".

The publication takes place on the eve of the visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the Vatican where he will meet the Pope. The leader of the Kremlin will arrive December 3 in Italy on the occasion of bilateral Summits of Heads of State and Government of both countries. In diplomatic circles linked to the Vatican, for the past few months there have been rumours that Russia will open an embassy to the Holy See. A few months ago, Medvedev himself had mentioned, to the Italian press, this possibility. . . . (continue reading)

More Thoughts About Why Catholics Should Not Court/Date/Marry Non-Catholics

Here's the audio clip of my interview today on Relevant Radio's "Drew Mariani" show, in which I discuss my earlier comments (seen and heard on this blog) about "My Advice to Catholic Parents: Don't Let Your Kids Date Non-Catholics."

It's good that we were able to unpack this issue more on Drew's show, given that we had upwards of 40 minutes to discuss it and even take a few calls. There is plenty more that could have and should have been said in defense of my advice, but this is a helpful start, I think.

Take a listen, and let me know what you think.