Vita Pulchra Est

Pro-lifers should take heart

2010-08-02T20:03:00.003-05:00

The ‘New Abortion Providers’
July 20, 2010 3:03 PM
By Michael J. New

The Sunday New York Times Magazine featured an interesting article entitled “The New Abortion Providers,” which details efforts by supporters of legal abortion to cultivate a new generation of physicians who perform abortions. Unsurprisingly, the article painted a very sympathetic picture, but it still makes interesting reading for pro-lifers, because it demonstrates that the pro-life movement has been quietly effective in ways that often receive little media attention. It also shows that the effort to encourage young physicians to perform abortions may well achieve little success.

One unheralded success of the pro-life movement is that it has convinced many Americans that abortion is wrong. Now, obviously, not everyone wants to see abortion banned. Some individuals see abortion as a necessary evil; others think that keeping abortion legal reduces the amount of misery and suffering in the country. But the fact that many Americans think abortion is immoral has paid some important dividends.

For instance, as this article nicely demonstrates, ever since Roe v. Wade, abortion has been effectively divorced from mainstream medicine. Many hospitals will not allow abortions to be performed on their premises; a very high percentage of doctors have no interest in performing abortions at all; most abortions are performed in clinics away from doctor’s offices and hospitals. This has done some good things for the pro-lifemovement : It has further stigmatized abortion; it has made it easier for sidewalk counselors to identify and approach abortion-minded women; it has also made abortions more difficult to obtain in many parts of the country.

Supporters of legal abortion realize that abortion has become increasingly stigmatized and marginalized within the medical community — indeed, the number of abortion providers has fallen by over a third since 1982 — and that younger physicians are less likely to perform abortions than their older counterparts. Furthermore, there are relatively few abortion providers in rural areas. The two programs this article highlights, the Kenneth J. Ryan Residency Training Program and the Family Planning Fellowship, are intended to reverse this trend.

But although both of these programs are well funded and have received generous donations from a foundation started by Warren Buffett, their efforts may not be effective at expanding access to abortion. The article cites a study of 30 OB-GYNs with abortion training: Of eighteen who wanted to perform abortions, only three were doing so. This is sometimes because of high malpractice-insurance rates, sometimes because hospitals or group practices will not allow it. Even those physicians performing abortions seem to have little interest in taking their practice to rural areas: One physician in the article left Rockford, Ill., for the friendlier confines of a university campus.

Of course, most mainstream media outlets are quick to portray the pro-life movement as violent, deceitful, and ineffective, and this Times article is certainly no exception. It begins with the tragic murder of abortionist David Gunn, who was assassinated in Pensacola, Fla., in 1993. It also describes pro-lifers harassing the reporter and an abortion provider as they departed for lunch.

The author also presents abortion statistics from 1977 to make it appear that abortion rates have remained constant over time. In reality, the number of abortions has declined nearly every year since 1990, and overall, the number of abortions has fallen by around 25 percent between 1990 and 2005. Additionally, the article claims that crisis-pregnancy centers provide misleading information to women; it gets this information from the politicized investigation authorized by Rep. Henry Waxman (D., Calif.). Stories about abortion providers providing misleading information to women appear nowhere in the article.

Regardless, pro-lifers should take heart. Our efforts may not result in puff pieces in The New York Times Magazine, but this article indicates that our efforts have made a real difference, in the medical community and elsewhere. Every January, the media seems surprised at how many young people attend the March for Life; those of us in the pro-life movement are not surprised at all. The fact that supporters of legal abortion have to make such substantial investments on medical-school campuses is perhaps the best evidence of the gains pro-lifers have made among America’s youth.

– Michael J. New is an assistant professor at the University of Alabama and a fellow at the Witherspoon Institute.

Peter Kreeft's "Reasons against Abortion"

2010-08-02T19:17:00.006-05:00

very simple. very concise. very right.

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

Pray...

2009-08-15T07:06:00.001-05:00

Prayer to End Abortion

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.

I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.

I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.

I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen!

ENDING ABORTION - Not Just Fighting It

2009-08-11T17:45:00.005-05:00

ENDING ABORTION - NOT JUST FIGHTING IT
By Fr. Frank A. Pavone, M.E.V.

In this collection of stirring and informative pro-life essays, Fr. Pavone convincingly portrays the negative ramifications that the abuse of freedom and the right to choose have unleashed on our society since abortion was legalized. Father Pavone insists that people of goodwill can end the scourge of abortion and restore the right to life for those who cannot speak for themselves. This 216 page book is a must read for all pro-lifers. Makes a great gift for any occasion!

"I speak about 'ending' abortion becase it is a goal we can achieve...A culture can be created in which abortion is not only illegal, but unthinkable. We can bring society to the point where, both in theory and practice, it regards abortion as it regards slavery today." - Fr. Frank A. Pavone, M.E.V.

PURCHASE HERE!

What stinks?

2009-08-11T17:34:00.002-05:00

Gov't Insurance Would Allow Abortion Coverage

Advocates on both sides are preparing for a renewed battle over abortion, which could jeopardize political support for Obama's health care initiative aimed at covering nearly 50 million.

WASHINGTON -- Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue.

Federal funds for abortions are now restricted to cases involving rape, incest or danger to the health of the mother. Abortion opponents say those restrictions should carry over to any health insurance sold through a new marketplace envisioned under the legislation, an exchange where people would choose private coverage or the public plan.

Abortion rights supporters say that would have the effect of denying coverage for abortion to millions of women who now have it through workplace insurance and are expected to join the exchange.

Advocates on both sides are preparing for a renewed battle over abortion, which could jeopardize political support for President Barack Obama's health care initiative aimed at covering nearly 50 million uninsured and restraining medical costs.

"We want to see people who have no health insurance get it, but this is a sticking point," said Richard Doerflinger, associate director of pro-life activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "We don't want health care reform to be the vehicle for mandating abortion."

Donna Crane, policy director for NARAL Pro-Choice America, said abortion opponents "want an abortion ban in private insurance, and that's not neutrality at all -- that's a radical departure from current law. They want something far more extreme than where I think the American public is."

A compromise approved by a House committee last week attempted to balance questions of federal funding, personal choice and the conscience rights of clinicians. It would allow the public plan to cover abortion but without using federal funds, only dollars from beneficiary premiums.

Likewise, private plans in the new insurance exchange could opt to cover abortion, but no federal subsidies would be used to pay for the procedure.

"It's a sham," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director for National Right to Life. "It's a bookkeeping scheme. The plan pays for abortion, and the government subsidizes the plan."

Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., author of the compromise, said she was trying to craft a solution that would accommodate both sides. Her amendment also would allow plans that covered no abortions whatsoever -- not even in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother -- to be offered through the insurance exchange.

"With all due respect, not everyone adheres to what the Catholic bishops believe," said Capps, who supports abortion rights. "Our country allows for both sides, and our health plan should reflect that as well."

For years, abortion rights supporters and abortion opponents have waged the equivalent of trench warfare over restrictions on federal funding. Abortion opponents have largely prevailed, instituting restrictions that bar federal funding for abortion, except in cases of rape and incest or if the mother's life would be endangered.

A law called the Hyde amendment applies the restrictions to Medicaid, forcing states that cover abortion for low-income women to do so with their own money. Separate laws apply the restrictions to the federal employee health plan and military and other programs.

But the health overhaul would create a stream of federal funding not covered by the restrictions.

The new federal funds would take the form of subsidies for low- and middle-income people buying coverage through the health insurance exchange. Subsidies would be available for people to buy the public plan or private coverage. Making things more complicated, the federal subsidies would be mixed in with contributions from individuals and employers. Eventually, most Americans could end up getting their coverage through the exchange.

The Democratic health care legislation as originally introduced in the House and Senate did not mention abortion. That rang alarm bells for abortion opponents.

Since abortion is a legal medical procedure, experts on both sides say not mentioning it would allow health care plans in the new insurance exchange to provide unrestricted coverage.

It would mirror the private insurance market, where abortion coverage is widely available. A Guttmacher Institute study found that 87 percent of typical employer plans covered abortion in 2002, while a Kaiser Family Foundation survey in 2003 found that 46 percent of workers in employer plans had coverage for abortions. The studies asked different questions, which might help explain the disparity in the results.

In the Senate, the plan passed by the health committee is still largely silent on the abortion issue. Staff aides confirmed that the public plan -- and private insurance offered in the exchange -- would be allowed to cover abortion, without funding restrictions.

Under both the House and Senate approaches, the decision to offer abortion coverage in the public plan would be made by the health and human services secretary.

Abortion opponents are seeking a prohibition against using any federal subsidies to pay for abortions or for any part of any costs of a health plan that offers abortion. Such a proposal was rejected by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the same panel that approved Capps' amendment.

But abortion opponents say they can't accept a public plan that would cover abortion. And they say private plans in the insurance exchange should offer abortion coverage separately, as an option.

"You can have a result where nobody has to pay for other people's abortions," said Doerflinger.

Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women's Policy Research, said applying the current restrictions for federal employees and low-income women to a program intended for the middle class will provoke a backlash.

"There is a difference between picking off one group of women here and one group there and something that would affect a very large group," Hartmann said. "Everyone would like to avoid that fight."

From Fox News - Wednesday, August, 05, 2009

MAKE A STATEMENT

2009-05-19T07:27:00.003-05:00

Click here to read Summary and Background information on "Draft National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research". The NIH welcomes public comment on the draft Guidelines. Comments may be entered at: http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm.

_________________________________________________

On March 9, 2009, President Barack H. Obama issued Executive Order 13505: Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells (108KB PDF; get Adobe Reader). The Executive Order states that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, through the Director of NIH, may support and conduct responsible, scientifically worthy human stem cell research, including human embryonic stem cell research, to the extent permitted by law.

The purpose of these draft Guidelines is to implement Executive Order 13505, issued on March 9, 2009, as it pertains to extramural NIH-funded research, to establish policy and procedures under which NIH will fund research in this area, and to help ensure that NIH-funded research in this area is ethically responsible, scientifically worthy, and conducted in accordance with applicable law. Internal NIH procedures, consistent with Executive Order 13505 and these Guidelines, will govern the conduct of intramural NIH research involving human stem cells.

_________________________________________________

This is an important opportunity to express your comments on the dual expansion and retraction of legislation regarding the use of embryonic stem cells. Please prayerfully consider taking the time to comment on the President's Executive Order.

Prayer for Changing the Culture

2009-05-19T07:22:00.001-05:00

from Priests for Life

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come into your presence in His name.

We have heard the voice of your Son,
And therefore we can make our voices heard.

We have been justified in the blood of your Son,
And therefore we can oppose every form of injustice.

We have repented of our sins,
And therefore we can lead the sinner to repentance.

We have done battle with the power of evil,
And therefore we can have compassion on those still within its grip.

We have been freed from the kingdom of darkness,
And therefore we can bear witness to your Kingdom of Light.

Lord, as we come before you today, we repent, we resolve, and we rejoice.

We repent of every instance in which fear has made us silent when we should have spoken.
We repent of the ongoing bloodshed in our land,
And for ever daring to think that we can deprive the unborn of protection but keep it for ourselves.

We resolve that we will work more generously to advance your Kingdom.
We resolve that we will advance the cause of righteous candidates for public office,
And that we will be more afraid of offending you by our silence
Than of offending the IRS by our speech.

We resolve that we will declare boldly to our people that no public official who fails to respect the life of a little baby
can be trusted to respect our lives.

Father, today we rejoice, because we are not simply working for victory - we are working from victory.
The victory of life, truth, and grace has been won by your Son's death and Resurrection.
Today we hear his voice again.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I hold the keys of death and of hell.
Behold, I make all things new."

Father, we rejoice that we have been made new,
And as we work to renew our culture
We look forward to the great day of his coming,
When every eye will see him, even of those who pierced him,
And every knee shall bend, and every tongue confess, to the glory of God the Father,
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!

In his Blessed Name we pray. Amen!

- by Fr. Frank Pavone, M.E.V.

Mother Theresa...on abortion

2009-05-19T07:18:00.002-05:00

"But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child - a direct killing of the innocent child - murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even his life to love us. So the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love - that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching the people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. "

Congressman Jeff Fortenberry exchange with Secretary of State Clinton on U.S. foreign assistance abortion policy

2009-05-19T07:13:00.001-05:00

So many thoughts which could make another convincing argument to stop abortion...but...

2009-05-18T17:45:00.006-05:00

The following is a transcript, as provided by the White House, of President Obama's commencement address to the University of Notre Dame:

OBAMA: Well, first of all, congratulations, Class of 2009. (Applause.) Congratulations to all the parents, the cousins -- (applause) -- the aunts, the uncles -- all the people who helped to bring you to the point that you are here today. Thank you so much to Father Jenkins for that extraordinary introduction, even though you said what I want to say much more elegantly. (Laughter.) You are doing an extraordinary job as president of this extraordinary institution. (Applause.) Your continued and courageous -- and contagious -- commitment to honest, thoughtful dialogue is an inspiration to us all. (Applause.)

Good afternoon. To Father Hesburgh, to Notre Dame trustees, to faculty, to family: I am honored to be here today. (Applause.) And I am grateful to all of you for allowing me to be a part of your graduation.

And I also want to thank you for the honorary degree that I received. I know it has not been without controversy. I don't know if you're aware of this, but these honorary degrees are apparently pretty hard to come by. (Laughter.) So far I'm only 1 for 2 as President. (Laughter and applause.) Father Hesburgh is 150 for 150. (Laughter and applause.) I guess that's better. (Laughter.) So, Father Ted, after the ceremony, maybe you can give me some pointers to boost my average.

I also want to congratulate the Class of 2009 for all your accomplishments. And since this is Notre Dame --

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Abortion is murder! Stop killing children!

AUDIENCE: Booo!

OBAMA: That's all right. And since --

AUDIENCE: We are ND! We are ND!

AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can!

OBAMA: We're fine, everybody. We're following Brennan's adage that we don't do things easily. (Laughter.) We're not going to shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes. (Applause.)

Now, since this is Notre Dame I think we should talk not only about your accomplishments in the classroom, but also in the competitive arena. (Laughter.) No, don't worry, I'm not going to talk about that. (Laughter.) We all know about this university's proud and storied football team, but I also hear that Notre Dame holds the largest outdoor 5-on-5 basketball tournament in the world -- Bookstore Basketball. (Applause.)

Now this excites me. (Laughter.) I want to congratulate the winners of this year's tournament, a team by the name of "Hallelujah Holla Back." (Laughter and applause.) Congratulations. Well done. Though I have to say, I am personally disappointed that the "Barack O'Ballers" did not pull it out this year. (Laughter.) So next year, if you need a 6'2" forward with a decent jumper, you know where I live. (Laughter and applause.)

Every one of you should be proud of what you have achieved at this institution. One hundred and sixty-three classes of Notre Dame graduates have sat where you sit today. Some were here during years that simply rolled into the next without much notice or fanfare -- periods of relative peace and prosperity that required little by way of sacrifice or struggle.

You, however, are not getting off that easy. You have a different deal. Your class has come of age at a moment of great consequence for our nation and for the world -- a rare inflection point in history where the size and scope of the challenges before us require that we remake our world to renew its promise; that we align our deepest values and commitments to the demands of a new age. It's a privilege and a responsibility afforded to few generations -- and a task that you're now called to fulfill.

This generation, your generation is the one that must find a path back to prosperity and decide how we respond to a global economy that left millions behind even before the most recent crisis hit -- an economy where greed and short-term thinking were too often rewarded at the expense of fairness, and diligence, and an honest day's work. (Applause.)

Your generation must decide how to save God's creation from a changing climate that threatens to destroy it. Your generation must seek peace at a time when there are those who will stop at nothing to do us harm, and when weapons in the hands of a few can destroy the many. And we must find a way to reconcile our ever-shrinking world with its ever-growing diversity -- diversity of thought, diversity of culture, and diversity of belief.

In short, we must find a way to live together as one human family. (Applause.)
And it's this last challenge that I'd like to talk about today, despite the fact that Father John stole all my best lines. (Laughter.) For the major threats we face in the 21st century -- whether it's global recession or violent extremism; the spread of nuclear weapons or pandemic disease -- these things do not discriminate. They do not recognize borders. They do not see color. They do not target specific ethnic groups.

Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone. Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and greater understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history.

Unfortunately, finding that common ground -- recognizing that our fates are tied up, as Dr. King said, in a "single garment of destiny" -- is not easy. And part of the problem, of course, lies in the imperfections of man -- our selfishness, our pride, our stubbornness, our acquisitiveness, our insecurities, our egos; all the cruelties large and small that those of us in the Christian tradition understand to be rooted in original sin. We too often seek advantage over others. We cling to outworn prejudice and fear those who are unfamiliar. Too many of us view life only through the lens of immediate self-interest and crass materialism; in which the world is necessarily a zero-sum game. The strong too often dominate the weak, and too many of those with wealth and with power find all manner of justification for their own privilege in the face of poverty and injustice. And so, for all our technology and scientific advances, we see here in this country and around the globe violence and want and strife that would seem sadly familiar to those in ancient times.
We know these things; and hopefully one of the benefits of the wonderful education that you've received here at Notre Dame is that you've had time to consider these wrongs in the world; perhaps recognized impulses in yourself that you want to leave behind. You've grown determined, each in your own way, to right them. And yet, one of the vexing things for those of us interested in promoting greater understanding and cooperation among people is the discovery that even bringing together persons of good will, bringing together men and women of principle and purpose -- even accomplishing that can be difficult.

The soldier and the lawyer may both love this country with equal passion, and yet reach very different conclusions on the specific steps needed to protect us from harm. The gay activist and the evangelical pastor may both deplore the ravages of HIV/AIDS, but find themselves unable to bridge the cultural divide that might unite their efforts. Those who speak out against stem cell research may be rooted in an admirable conviction about the sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes who are convinced that their son's or daughter's hardships can be relieved. (Applause.)

The question, then -- the question then is how do we work through these conflicts? Is it possible for us to join hands in common effort? As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate? How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without, as Father John said, demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?

And of course, nowhere do these questions come up more powerfully than on the issue of abortion.

As I considered the controversy surrounding my visit here, I was reminded of an encounter I had during my Senate campaign, one that I describe in a book I wrote called "The Audacity of Hope." A few days after I won the Democratic nomination, I received an e-mail from a doctor who told me that while he voted for me in the Illinois primary, he had a serious concern that might prevent him from voting for me in the general election. He described himself as a Christian who was strongly pro-life -- but that was not what was preventing him potentially from voting for me.

What bothered the doctor was an entry that my campaign staff had posted on my website -- an entry that said I would fight "right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman's right to choose." The doctor said he had assumed I was a reasonable person, he supported my policy initiatives to help the poor and to lift up our educational system, but that if I truly believed that every pro-life individual was simply an ideologue who wanted to inflict suffering on women, then I was not very reasonable. He wrote, "I do not ask at this point that you oppose abortion, only that you speak about this issue in fair-minded words." Fair-minded words.

After I read the doctor's letter, I wrote back to him and I thanked him. And I didn't change my underlying position, but I did tell my staff to change the words on my website. And I said a prayer that night that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me. Because when we do that -- when we open up our hearts and our minds to those who may not think precisely like we do or believe precisely what we believe -- that's when we discover at least the possibility of common ground.

That's when we begin to say, "Maybe we won't agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually, it has both moral and spiritual dimensions.

So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions, let's reduce unintended pregnancies. (Applause.) Let's make adoption more available. (Applause.) Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their children to term. (Applause.) Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women." Those are things we can do. (Applause.)

Now, understand -- understand, Class of 2009, I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it -- indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory -- the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.

Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words. It's a way of life that has always been the Notre Dame tradition. (Applause.) Father Hesburgh has long spoken of this institution as both a lighthouse and a crossroads. A lighthouse that stands apart, shining with the wisdom of the Catholic tradition, while the crossroads is where "¼differences of culture and religion and conviction can co-exist with friendship, civility, hospitality, and especially love." And I want to join him and Father John in saying how inspired I am by the maturity and responsibility with which this class has approached the debate surrounding today's ceremony. You are an example of what Notre Dame is about. (Applause.)

This tradition of cooperation and understanding is one that I learned in my own life many years ago -- also with the help of the Catholic Church.

You see, I was not raised in a particularly religious household, but my mother instilled in me a sense of service and empathy that eventually led me to become a community organizer after I graduated college. And a group of Catholic churches in Chicago helped fund an organization known as the Developing Communities Project, and we worked to lift up South Side neighborhoods that had been devastated when the local steel plant closed.

And it was quite an eclectic crew -- Catholic and Protestant churches, Jewish and African American organizers, working-class black, white, and Hispanic residents -- all of us with different experiences, all of us with different beliefs. But all of us learned to work side by side because all of us saw in these neighborhoods other human beings who needed our help -- to find jobs and improve schools. We were bound together in the service of others.

And something else happened during the time I spent in these neighborhoods -- perhaps because the church folks I worked with were so welcoming and understanding; perhaps because they invited me to their services and sang with me from their hymnals; perhaps because I was really broke and they fed me. (Laughter.) Perhaps because I witnessed all of the good works their faith inspired them to perform, I found myself drawn not just to the work with the church; I was drawn to be in the church. It was through this service that I was brought to Christ.

And at the time, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin was the Archbishop of Chicago. (Applause.) For those of you too young to have known him or known of him, he was a kind and good and wise man. A saintly man. I can still remember him speaking at one of the first organizing meetings I attended on the South Side. He stood as both a lighthouse and a crossroads -- unafraid to speak his mind on moral issues ranging from poverty and AIDS and abortion to the death penalty and nuclear war. And yet, he was congenial and gentle in his persuasion, always trying to bring people together, always trying to find common ground. Just before he died, a reporter asked Cardinal Bernardin about this approach to his ministry. And he said, "You can't really get on with preaching the Gospel until you've touched hearts and minds."

My heart and mind were touched by him. They were touched by the words and deeds of the men and women I worked alongside in parishes across Chicago. And I'd like to think that we touched the hearts and minds of the neighborhood families whose lives we helped change. For this, I believe, is our highest calling.

Now, you, Class of 2009, are about to enter the next phase of your life at a time of great uncertainty. You'll be called to help restore a free market that's also fair to all who are willing to work. You'll be called to seek new sources of energy that can save our planet; to give future generations the same chance that you had to receive an extraordinary education. And whether as a person drawn to public service, or simply someone who insists on being an active citizen, you will be exposed to more opinions and ideas broadcast through more means of communication than ever existed before. You'll hear talking heads scream on cable, and you'll read blogs that claim definitive knowledge, and you will watch politicians pretend they know what they're talking about. (Laughter.) Occasionally, you may have the great fortune of actually seeing important issues debated by people who do know what they're talking about -- by well-intentioned people with brilliant minds and mastery of the facts. In fact, I suspect that some of you will be among those brightest stars.

And in this world of competing claims about what is right and what is true, have confidence in the values with which you've been raised and educated. Be unafraid to speak your mind when those values are at stake. Hold firm to your faith and allow it to guide you on your journey. In other words, stand as a lighthouse.

But remember, too, that you can be a crossroads. Remember, too, that the ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt. It's the belief in things not seen. It's beyond our capacity as human beings to know with certainty what God has planned for us or what He asks of us. And those of us who believe must trust that His wisdom is greater than our own.

And this doubt should not push us away our faith. But it should humble us. It should temper our passions, cause us to be wary of too much self-righteousness. It should compel us to remain open and curious and eager to continue the spiritual and moral debate that began for so many of you within the walls of Notre Dame. And within our vast democracy, this doubt should remind us even as we cling to our faith to persuade through reason, through an appeal whenever we can to universal rather than parochial principles, and most of all through an abiding example of good works and charity and kindness and service that moves hearts and minds.

For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It's no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule -- the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. The call to serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.
So many of you at Notre Dame -- by the last count, upwards of 80 percent -- have lived this law of love through the service you've performed at schools and hospitals; international relief agencies and local charities. Brennan is just one example of what your class has accomplished. That's incredibly impressive, a powerful testament to this institution. (Applause.)

Now you must carry the tradition forward. Make it a way of life. Because when you serve, it doesn't just improve your community, it makes you a part of your community. It breaks down walls. It fosters cooperation. And when that happens -- when people set aside their differences, even for a moment, to work in common effort toward a common goal; when they struggle together, and sacrifice together, and learn from one another -- then all things are possible.

After all, I stand here today, as President and as an African American, on the 55th anniversary of the day that the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Now, Brown was of course the first major step in dismantling the "separate but equal" doctrine, but it would take a number of years and a nationwide movement to fully realize the dream of civil rights for all of God's children. There were freedom rides and lunch counters and Billy clubs, and there was also a Civil Rights Commission appointed by President Eisenhower. It was the 12 resolutions recommended by this commission that would ultimately become law in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

There were six members of this commission. It included five whites and one African American; Democrats and Republicans; two Southern governors, the dean of a Southern law school, a Midwestern university president, and your own Father Ted Hesburgh, President of Notre Dame. (Applause.) So they worked for two years, and at times, President Eisenhower had to intervene personally since no hotel or restaurant in the South would serve the black and white members of the commission together. And finally, when they reached an impasse in Louisiana, Father Ted flew them all to Notre Dame's retreat in Land O'Lakes, Wisconsin -- (applause) -- where they eventually overcame their differences and hammered out a final deal.

And years later, President Eisenhower asked Father Ted how on Earth he was able to broker an agreement between men of such different backgrounds and beliefs. And Father Ted simply said that during their first dinner in Wisconsin, they discovered they were all fishermen. (Laughter.) And so he quickly readied a boat for a twilight trip out on the lake. They fished, and they talked, and they changed the course of history.

I will not pretend that the challenges we face will be easy, or that the answers will come quickly, or that all our differences and divisions will fade happily away -- because life is not that simple. It never has been.

But as you leave here today, remember the lessons of Cardinal Bernardin, of Father Hesburgh, of movements for change both large and small. Remember that each of us, endowed with the dignity possessed by all children of God, has the grace to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we all seek the same love of family, the same fulfillment of a life well lived. Remember that in the end, in some way we are all fishermen.

If nothing else, that knowledge should give us faith that through our collective labor, and God's providence, and our willingness to shoulder each other's burdens, America will continue on its precious journey towards that more perfect union. Congratulations, Class of 2009. May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

If you can't make the trip...write an email...

2009-05-16T12:37:00.002-05:00

Write to the President of Notre Dame... follow this link.

Not so golden...

2009-05-16T08:03:00.003-05:00

GEORGE WEIGEL

from National Review

Notre Dame’s decision to make President Obama its 2009 commencement speaker is a very bad thing. It’s bad for Notre Dame, bad for Catholic moral witness in America, and bad for the bishops who are trying to mount a defense against the Obama administration’s assault on the conscience rights of Catholic health-care professionals.

The invitation to deliver a commencement address, especially when coupled with the award of an honorary degree, is not a neutral act. It’s an act by which a Catholic institution of higher learning says, “This is a life worth emulating according to our understanding of the true, the good, and the beautiful.” It is frankly beyond my imagining how Notre Dame can say that of a president who has put the United States back into the business of funding abortion abroad; a president who made a mockery of the very idea of moral argument in his speech announcing federal funding for embryo-destructive stem cell research; a president whose administration and its congressional allies are snatching tuition vouchers out of the hands of desperately poor Washington, D.C., children who just as desperately want to attend Catholic schools.
As to Lenin’s question, “What, then, is to be done?,” one does not risk a charge of cynicism by suggesting that the most effective advocates for Notre Dame’s recovering its senses will be alumni and other donors capable of withdrawing or withholding contributions in the range of seven, eight, or nine figures. That is the sad state to which things have descended under the Golden Dome: moral argument seems to be unavailing with the leaders of an institution dedicated to developing the arts of moral reason.

— George Weigel holds the William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

2009-05-15T17:12:00.003-05:00

12-May-2009 -- Catholic News Agency

Sweden Allows Sex-selective Abortions

Stockholm, Sweden, May 12, 2009 (CNA).- Sweden, which legalized abortion in 1938, has taken its abortion extremism one step further by legalizing “gender based” abortion which allows a mother to decide to abort her baby solely due to his or her sex.

The Local reported that a pregnant woman in South Sweden, who already has two girls, arrived at Mälaren Hospital and inquired whether or not she would be giving birth to another girl. She went on to tell her doctors that her previous two pregnancies ended in abortion because she did not want to have another girl - and if this child was another girl, she would have it aborted as well.

Doctors expressed concern over this and brought it to the attention of Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare. They asked how to handle requests where doctors felt “pressured to examine the [fetus’s] gender” without a medical rationale.

The Board came back and said that requests to for abortions based on a child’s gender cannot be refused.

Johnston’s Archive reported that over 25% of Sweden’s pregnancies end in abortion. An increase of 17% after the introduction of the morning after pill, which was promoted by pro-abortion advocates as a way to reduce the number of abortions performed.

Life UP! More Americans pro-life than pro-choice

2009-05-15T16:49:00.003-05:00

From FOX NEWS

POLL: MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE PRO-LIFE FOR THE FIRST TIME

Fifty-one percent of Americans consider themselves "pro-life" and just 42 percent say they are "pro-choice," the first time a majority of the country has stated a personal objection to abortion since Gallup polls began tracking the data 15 years ago.

FOXNews.com

Friday, May 15, 2009

Fifty-one percent of Americans consider themselves "pro-life," the first time a majority of the country has stated a personal objection to abortion since Gallup polls began tracking the data 15 years ago.

The numbers correspond with FOX News polls this month showing 49 percent of Americans as pro-life and 43 percent as pro-choice on abortion. Last year the numbers were essentially the reverse of the current findings: 41 percent were pro-life and 49 percent were pro-choice in September 2008.

The Gallup poll released Friday also marks a massive shift from one year ago, when 50 percent of Americans called themselves pro-choice, and just 44 percent said they were pro-life. Today 42 percent say they are pro-choice, by far the lowest level of support for abortion ever measured by the Gallup poll.

Despite that change in opinion, most Americans still believe that abortion should remain legal. Yet Gallup reports that the new numbers come in stark contrast with the last four years, when polls found a strong tilt of public opinion in favor of unrestricted abortions, which is now declining.

Fifty-three percent say abortions should remain legal under certain circumstances, and nearly equal numbers take hard-line views -- 23 percent say it should be illegal in all circumstances, and 22 percent say it should be legal no matter what.

The sample study of 1,015 adults was conducted from May 7-10 and has a margin of error of 3 points. Though the changes were notable for a single-year period, they were not an anomaly -- Gallup conducted two more polls on the issue and came out with nearly identical results.

The big jump came mostly from moderates and conservatives, whose personal opposition to abortion jumped 7 and 5 points respectively. Liberal support for abortion also increased this year.

Support for abortions has wavered among men and women in recent years, but Gallup noted that for the first time in nearly a decade significantly more men and women are pro-life than pro-choice."

__________________________________________

While this news certainly indicates that the discussion is not near over, and should be cause for celebration, this poll articulates what many of us feel happening in our communities and even in our Catholic parishes: that polarity between one half of "America" and the other half of "America" is increasing.

Gallup indicated that the "big jump came mostly from moderates and conservatives"... and "liberal support for abortion also increased." What is to be made of this leaving the middle ground? If moderate opposition to abortion jumped 7 percent alone, does this makes President Obama's tactic to try to control the middle-ground on the abortion issue more difficult? Sure it does! Does this leave the President without troops in the middle? No.

The work to persuade through prayer and action is not nearly over. The work to draw our friend's and family member's attention to these facts is still very much upon us. Please pray that our President will follow the nation's people to a pro-life position...to a pro-life LIFE.

Terrible News...

2009-04-22T17:26:00.002-05:00

From Fox News

WASHINGTON -- Seventeen-year-olds will soon be able to buy the "morning after" emergency contraceptive without a doctor's prescription, after the Food and Drug Administration bowed to a federal judge's order Wednesday.

Reversing a contentious policy of the Bush administration, the FDA said in a brief statement it will not appeal a judge's order that overturns restrictions limiting over-the-counter sales of "Plan B" to women 18 and older.

Conservatives called the decision a blow to parental supervision of teens. But women's groups said the FDA's action was long overdue, since the agency's own medical reviewers had initially recommended that the contraceptive be made available without any age restrictions.

U.S. District Judge Edward Korman ruled last month in a lawsuit filed in New York that Bush administration appointees let politics, not science, drive their decision to restrict over-the-counter access.

Korman ordered the FDA to let 17-year-olds get the birth control pills. He also directed the agency to evaluate whether all age restrictions should be lifted.

The FDA's latest action does not mean that Plan B will be immediately available to 17-year-olds.The manufacturer must first submit a request.

"It's a good indication that the agency will move expeditiously to ensure its policy on Plan B is based solely on science," said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed the lawsuit.

Conservatives said politics drove the decision.

"Parents should be furious at the FDA's complete disregard of parental rights and the safety of minors," said Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America.

Plan B is emergency contraception that contains a high dose of birth control drugs and will not interfere with an established pregnancy. It works by preventing ovulation or fertilization. In medical terms, pregnancy begins when a fertilized egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus.

If taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, it can reduce a woman's chances of pregnancy by as much as 89 percent.

Critics of the contraceptive say Plan B is the equivalent of an abortion pill because it can prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus. Recent research suggests that's possible but not likely.

The battle over access to Plan B has dragged on for the better part of a decade, through the terms of three FDA commissioners. Among many in the medical community, it came to symbolize the decline of science at the agency because top FDA managers refused to go along with the recommendations of scientific staff and outside advisers that the drug be made available with no age restrictions.

"The FDA got caught up in a saga, it got caught up in a drama," said Susan Wood, who served as the agency's top women's health official and resigned in 2005 over delays in issuing a decision. "This issue served as a clear example of the agency being taken off track, and it highlighted the problems FDA was facing in many other areas."

The treatment consists of two pills and sells for $35 to $60. Women must ask for Plan B at the pharmacy counter and show identification with their date of birth. The drug is made by a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, an Israeli company. It does not prevent sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV/AIDS.

Supporters of broader access argued that Plan B is safe and effective in preventing unwanted pregnancy and could help reduce the number of abortions.

Opponents, including prominent conservatives, counter that it would encourage promiscuity and might even become a tool for criminals running prostitution rings, as well as for sexual predators.

Early in the Bush administration, more than 60 organizations petitioned the FDA to allow sales without a prescription. But according to court documents, the issue quickly became politicized.

In 2003, a panel of outside advisers voted 23-4 to recommend over-the-counter sales without age restrictions. But top FDA officials told their subordinates that no approval could be issued at the time, and the decision would be made at a higher level. That's considered highly unusual, since the FDA usually has the last word on drug decisions.

In his ruling, Korman said that FDA staffers were told the White House had been involved in the decision on Plan B. The government said in court papers that politics played no role.

In 2005, the Center for Reproductive Rights and other organizations sued in federal court to force an FDA decision.

The following year, the FDA allowed Plan B to be sold without a prescription to adults. But the controversy raged on over access for teens.

A Culture of Life

2009-04-19T08:18:00.003-05:00

Pope John Paul II's description of America's moral history, eloquently expressed when the pope accepted the credentials of the last Democratic ambassador to the Holy See, Lindy Boggs, in 1997:

"No expression of today's [American] commitment to liberty and justice for all can be more basic than the protection offered to those in society who are most vulnerable. The United States of America was founded on the conviction that an inalienable right to life was a self-evident moral truth, fidelity to which was a primary criterion of social justice. The moral history of your country is the story of your people's efforts to widen the circle of inclusion in society, so that all Americans might enjoy the protection of law, participate in the responsibilities of citizenship, and have the opportunity to make a contribution to the common good. Whenever a certain category of people—the unborn or the sick and old—are excluded from that protection, a deadly anarchy subverts the original understanding of justice. The credibility of the United States will depend more and more on its promotion of a genuine culture of life, and on a renewed commitment to building a world in which the weakest and most vulnerable are welcomed and protected."

The above is excerpted from this article by George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow Of Washington’s Ethics And Public Policy Center.

"From natural conception to natural death"

2009-04-19T08:13:00.000-05:00

For Life

2009-04-14T18:06:00.005-05:00

Easter Prayer for Life

Lord Jesus, In rising from the dead,
You have conquered the entire kingdom of death.
Make me a voice for life,
Especially for children threatened by abortion.
Fill me with Easter joy,
For you live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.

Straight from the President's Mouth!

2009-04-14T17:25:00.005-05:00

"From the first moment a woman dared to speak that hope -- dared to believe that the American Dream was meant for her too -- ordinary women have taken on extraordinary odds to give their daughters the chance for something else; for a life more equal, more free, and filled with more opportunity than they ever had. In so many ways we have succeeded, but in so many areas we have much work left to do."

-- Barack Obama, Speech in Washington, DC November 10, 2005

Posted here on The White House website.

How can it be possible for a man to rise to such ranks and not realize the folly of one's words?

Here, in this very speech, then just Mr. Obama, speaks of the rights of women. Can you assume he also means "girls"? If he also means "girls" then why not assume he also means "baby girls" or "girls that have the potential to become women" and that it's only possible to become a woman if you are made to be a woman, and that...

OK maybe that's assuming too much...

It is truly amazing that one might as easily be able to read the President's above comments as an argument for defending the rights of the unborn.

How ironic..."President Obama has a long record of standing up for women".

How about standing up for all women...born and unborn!

Oh.. and since when did the American Dream mean being able to take someone's life from them without question or pause?

(By the way, how about that "From the first moment" line above? How concurrently right and wrong he is!)

The slippery slope

2009-04-14T17:18:00.001-05:00

Selective abortions result in 32m excess males in China

PARIS: Selective abortion in favour of males has left China with 32 million more boys than girls, creating an imbalance that will remain for decades, warned a paper published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on Friday.

The study provided ammunition for those experts who predicted that China’s obsession with a male heir would sow bitter fruit, as men facing a life of bachelorhood would eventually have to fight for a bride. “Although some imaginative and extreme solutions have been suggested, nothing can be done now to prevent this imminent generation of excess men,” says the paper. In most countries, males slightly outnumber females, with an average of 103 to 107 male births for every 100 female births.

Widened: But in China and other Asian countries, the gender ratio has widened sharply as the traditional preference for boys was reinforced by the availability of cheap ultrasound diagnostics and abortion. This has enabled Chinese couples to use abortions to prevent a female birth, a practice that was officially condemned as well as being made illegal.

In the paper, Zhejiang University professors Wei Xing Zhu and Li Lu and Therese Hesketh of the University College London found that in 2005 alone, China had more than 1.1 million excess male births. Amongst the Chinese aged below 20, the greatest gender imbalances existed amongst one-to-four-year-olds, where there were 124 male to 100 female births, with 126 to 100 in rural areas, they found.

One-child policy: However, an additional factor leading to the gender imbalance has been the Chinese government’s “one-child” policy. In general, parents who had a second child were liable to pay a fine and contribute disproportionately towards the second child’s education. The gender ratio gap was especially big in provinces where the one-child policy was strictly enforced and in rural areas. Jiangxi and Henan provinces had ratios of over 140 male births compared to female births in the one-to-four-year-olds age group.

When it came to second births, the sex ratio was even higher, with 143 male births to 100 female births. It peaked at a massive 192 boys to 100 girls in the Jiangsu province. afp

A little truth...

2009-04-06T19:49:00.003-05:00

"I've noticed that everybody
that is for abortion
has already been born."

Ronald Reagan,
quoted in
New York Times,
22 September 1980

THIS IS IT!

2009-04-06T18:55:00.005-05:00

Hello Fellow Pro-lifers,

This is it. Time is running out for you to make a difference - to let President Obama hear from you before it's too late.

Speak out loud and clear! Protect your freedom, as an American citizen, to act according to your conscience by adding your name to our online PETITION TO PROTECT PRO-LIFE DOCTORS - NOW!

This week marks the final deadline for public comment on President Obama's plan to rescind the ''Conscience Clause'' - an act which protects pro-life healthcare providers from participating in abortion procedures.

Don't wait! Join the American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ and the BE HEARD Project in letting the President know that this move would be a wrong move for America.

It is reprehensible to remove protections in place for healthcare workers and force them to act against their pro-life convictions by participating in abortion-related procedures.

Add your name to our online PETITION TO PROTECT PRO-LIFE DOCTORS ... join us in the fight to protect the right of conscience for pro-life doctors and nurses and keep them from being forced to participate in abortions.

Thank you!

A Story to Remember

2009-03-28T07:59:00.005-05:00

Follow her work at www.jillstanek.com.

ATTENTION ALL MEN!

2009-03-27T22:36:00.005-05:00

It comes as little surprise when published medical studies reveal in their research the great link that a strong relationship between a woman and their partner - and consequently the level of support provided by the father - has on the abortion decision.

The Knights of Columbus initiative for men, Fathers for Good, is both a primer for new fathers and a second coat of instruction for all men and fathers on the roles, challenges, and rewards associated with fatherhood. Thoughtful and deliberate, this site does what more sites should: it lays out in a very readable format the basics of what it takes and what it means to be a good man and a good father.

If you think you know it all...look again.

If you think that someone else should take a look at the site...share the link (http://www.fathersforgood.org) with them.

Talk with your married or unmarried father or father-to-be friends about the impact their life has had, should have, and will have on the lives of their children...born and unborn.

Talk about your own children. Talk about their children. Learn from others how to be a better man, a better husband, and a better father.

Do it now... you never know the eventual impact a few, short conversations can have on the lives of people and children you may never meet.

A CERTAIN LEGACY

2009-03-27T17:23:00.006-05:00

From Medical News Today:

"Department of Justice nominee Dawn Johnsen -- President Obama's pick to head the White House Office of Legal Counsel -- is "superbly qualified and has fought for just the sort of change the office needs," a New York Times editorial says. According to the editorial, "Republican senators' harsh criticism of the nomination is groundless." The senators' "main complaint seems to be her opposition to torture and to extreme views on presidential power," it adds. Her critics also are "outraged that early in her career [she] worked for an abortion-rights advocacy group, but her views on abortion are hardly unusual," the editorial says."

Here's a bit of her background:

Graduated Yale College summa cum laude with a B.A. in economics and political science
Member of Phi Beta Kappa
Article and book review editor of the Yale Law Journal at Yale Law School
Acting Assistant Attorney General (1997-1998) and Deputy Assistant Attorney General (1993-1996), U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel, Washington, D.C.
Legal Director, National Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League (currently NARAL Pro-Choice America) (1988-1993)
Staff Counsel Fellow, American Civil Liberties Union Reproductive Freedom Project, New York (1987-1988)
Clerk, Hon. Richard D. Cudahy, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Chicago (1986-1987)

and a few of her selected works:

Shared Interests: Promoting Healthy Births Without Sacrificing Women's Liberty, 43 Hastings L.J. 569 (1992)
The Creation of Fetal Rights: Conflicts with Women's Constitutional Rights to Liberty, Privacy and Equal Protection, 95 Yale L.J. 599 (1986)

Perhaps the New York Times has it right: Her views on abortion are hardly unusual and it is not unusual at all to see the Obama administration lining it's walls with nominees and appointees that share such "usual" positions. The most "usual" comment in this editorial is the remark on the outrage that "early in her career" she worked for such groups. Yes, NYT, it is quite clear that she has moved on - as evidenced by her 2005 work Abortion: A Mixed and Uncertain Legacy, in THE REHNQUIST LEGACY (Craig Bradley, Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, (2005).

We should expect that this nomination and possible appointment generates more appointments of individuals with similarly "usual" pasts, presents, and futures. We should expect that unlike the above title, President Obama's legacy will be certain and sure. It will be a legacy which confirmed that - for four years - abortion rights and those who believed, and still believe, that abortion is good for mothers, good for fathers, and good for all, had it's place on every wall, in every corner, and all around the President's house.

Simple enough...

2009-03-15T08:33:00.005-05:00

Return to St. Joseph Catholic Church by Sunday, March 29, 2009

ALL proceeds benefit the work of the Beatrice Pregnancy Resource Center 800 Ella Street, Suite A, Beatrice, NE

Intercession for Life - March 15th, 2009

2009-03-15T07:59:00.004-05:00

Third Sunday of Lent

For those who are old and sick and in pain: that they might seek solace in the cross of Christ, and trust every day in our love and respect for the great gift which they are to us;

We pray to the Lord:

Response

2009-03-15T07:30:00.004-05:00

Bishop: Obama’s Pro-science Rhetoric Conceals "Homicidal Research"

Phoenix, Ariz., Mar 12, 2009 (Catholic News Agency).- President Barack Obama’s explanations of his decision to end restrictions on the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research have been criticized by Bishop of Phoenix Thomas J. Olmsted, who has argued that the president’s pro-science rhetoric conceals “homicidal research” that violates the right to life.

Bishop Olmsted’s March 10 column in the Catholic Sun followed the president’s March 9 executive order expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

According to the bishop, the decision means that American taxpayers will be funding “the killing of human beings at a very early stage in their lives” so that scientific research can use them for experiments that may or may not have positive results.

“We U.S. taxpayers will now be forced to pay, whether we wish to or not, for the killing of our youngest brothers and sisters on the dubious hypothesis that their murders might, in the future, benefit others. Why did President Obama make this decision?” Bishop Olmsted asked.

He criticized President Obama’s comments that science should trump ideology, suggesting that the president is implicitly dismissing as ideologues people such as Pope Benedict XVI and all faithful Catholics around the world; people of faith from all major religions who believe that human life needs to be protected; and all people of good will who “oppose the killing of one group of human beings in order to benefit another group.”

The idea that science should “trump ideology,” the bishop said, is a “code phrase” concealing the argument that science should trump the Fifth Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”

“It is contending that science should trump the right to life of a certain class of human beings, those who are at the embryonic stage of life,” he asserted. “Science, according to our president, does not need to be at the service of the human person or subject to morality.”

Bishop Olmsted questioned whether this position itself was influenced by an ideology.

“Is this what we Americans want our taxes to be used for?” he asked rhetorically.

He wrote that the president’s decision is not about overcoming a prohibition against stem cell research, because such research is “tragically” already legal. He reported that California taxpayers are now paying billions to fund “such heinous research.”

“What President Obama is doing is forcing all American taxpayers to pay for this homicidal research,” Bishop Olmsted charged. “He is forcing us who pay taxes to be complicit, in an involuntary yet real way, in this unethical enterprise. All of this is done so that ‘science can trump ideology’.”

The bishop then quoted Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, who called the president’s decision “a sad victory of politics over science and ethics” and a “morally wrong action” that encourages the destruction of innocent human life by “treating vulnerable human beings as mere products to be harvested.”

Bishop Olmsted said that Catholics must beg forgiveness for “this horrendous sin of our nation,” referencing a prayer of the Prophet Daniel:

“Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws… Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day.”

The bishop advised that Catholics join with “others of good will” and make their voices heard at the White House, on Capitol Hill, in state legislatures and in the media.

“We must not stand by idly while our neighbor’s life is at stake,” he urged. “The dignity of a human person does not depend upon his or her age, developmental stage, or ability to function. Every human being has inherent dignity because God has created us with an eternal soul. No one has the right to extinguish this gift of life but God alone.”

Bishop Olmsted said that such “destructive research” is “especially pointless” in light of available ethical methods such as reprogramming adult cells into embryonic-like stem cells and the use of adult and umbilical cord blood stem cells.

Further, he urged, Catholics must pray and fast for an end to President Obama’s decision and an end to all attacks on human life. “Jesus told us that some evils can only be driven out by prayer and fasting,” he explained.

He closed by saying that Catholics must not lose hope, arguing that “false rhetoric” arguing that the notion that “science must triumph over ideology” is one that “will not stand the test of time.”

“Such counterfeit reasoning and slick cover-up of the truth will not have the last word,” he said.

Reminding his readers that Christians place their hope in Jesus, he said “this hope will never disappoint.”

From Congressman Jeff Fortenberry

2009-03-15T07:22:00.004-05:00

Fortenberry: President’s Embryonic Stem Cell Support is Bailout of Bad Science

For Immediate Release, Monday, March 9, 2009

Contact: Josh Moenning (402) 438-1598

Washington, DC - Congressman Jeff Fortenberry commented on President Obama’s Executive Order, signed today, which lifts restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.

“I suspect this is a bailout for unsuccessful scientific ventures,” said Fortenberry. “Unfortunately, this decision revives the ethically divisive issue of the destruction of unborn human life for research purposes. Adult stem cell research is good science that is now helping to save American lives. This is where our limited federal taxpayer dollars should be invested.

“Adult stem cell research, which uses umbilical cord blood, skin, and bone marrow, has yielded at least 73 successful clinical treatments for chronic conditions. However, embryonic stem cell research has shown no clinical success. Embryonic stem cell research poses an unnecessary ethical dilemma for persons of goodwill, while adult stem cell research avoids the destruction of human embryos.”

President Obama’s Executive Order overturns a 2001 Bush Administration policy that limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research by the National Institutes of Health to the more than 60 embryonic stem cell lines existing at that time."

THREE SIMPLE ACTIVITIES

2009-03-15T07:12:00.004-05:00

THREE SIMPLE ACTIVITIES

By Rev. Frank A. Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

What simple pro-life activities can almost everyone do with very little effort, which bring the pro-life message to a large number of people who are not going to go out of their way to hear it, and which cost next to nothing?

Answer: the precious feet pin, pro-life bank checks, and pro-life bumper stickers.

1. The Precious Feet. Some 90% of abortions in the United States occur in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Most people still have no idea how well developed the preborn child is at the time when these abortions occur.

The Precious Feet pin shows the exact size and shape of a preborn child's feet at ten weeks after conception. It is an attractive and instructive pin, showing people, in a single glance, that the victim of abortion is one of us. The pin provides an excellent discussion-starter. Children also love to wear it, and in this way can bring the pro-life message to their own parents.

These pins are available from Heritage House, 919 S. Main St., Snowflake, AZ 85937. Tel. 1-800-858-3040. Web site: www.heritagehouse76.com

2. Pro-life Bank Checks. Each time you write a check, about 15 people see it by the time it is returned to your bank. An average person uses 300 checks a year. That boldly puts the pro-life message in front of 4500 people, with no additional effort on your part. Order them at Promise Checks or call them at 1-800-977-6647.

3. Stickers on your car and mail. Bumper stickers not only provide something to read for the car behind you at the traffic signal; they also capture the attention of pedestrians out for a stroll, or shoppers walking past your car at the mall. A new magnetic product allows you to remove your sticker for cleaning or move your sticker from car to car. While bumper stickers may make a car look less attractive, what can be more attractive than the prospect of saving a child's life?

Pro-life bumper stickers come in a wide variety of messages, colors, and sizes. Some of the messages include, "Guess Which One ISN'T Protected" (showing protected animals and a baby), "Children are a gift from God" (with baby hand holding adult hand) and "If It's Not a Baby, You're Not Pregnant!" Some bumper stickers also contain the phone numbers of local or national hotlines for abortion alternatives or post-abortion counseling.

Placing envelope stickers on your bills and mail, bearing similar messages, is another activity which can save lives. A wide range of bumper stickers and envelope stickers are available from Victory Won, PO Box 101, Davenport, NE 68335 Tel. 1-800-767-7258. Web site: www.victorywon.com

Hearts have been changed and lives have been saved by means of each of these simple activities. None of them costs very much, and once you start to use them, they each have an "automatic" quality to them -- they keep speaking to people while your mind is on other things! They speak to them in a quiet and non-threatening way, and the people they speak to include those who do not want to hear the message! Yet unless the tragedy is faced, it cannot be ended! Help to break the silence about abortion by using these three simple activities, and by encouraging others to use them as well.

For more information on other things you can do to stop abortion, ask for our flier "You Can Save Someone's Life Today!"

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

2009-03-15T06:57:00.003-05:00

Abortion

2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.⁷²

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.⁷³

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.⁷⁴

Read the rest here.

WORTH CONSIDERATION...

2009-03-15T06:35:00.003-05:00

The strong and sure voice of a 12 year old 7th grader has set the web a fire over the last month a a half because of a video posting on uTube.

By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

"Despite facing threats of disqualification, a 12-year-old girl took first place in a speech contest when she eloquently argued for the rights of unborn children – after an offended judge quit.

"What if I told you that right now, someone was choosing if you were going to live or die?" the seventh-grader begins in a video recording of her speech on YouTube. "What if I told you that this choice wasn't based on what you could or couldn't do, what you'd done in the past or what you would do in the future? And what if I told you, you could do nothing about it?"

The girl, a student at a Toronto school identified only as "Lia," continued:

"Fellow students and teachers, thousands of children are right now in that very situation. Someone is choosing without even knowing them whether they are going to live or die.

"That someone is their mother. And that choice is abortion."

But what made the 12-year-old choose to speak about abortion?

"It was really a family thing," her mother explained on the blog Moral Outcry. "I saw Lou [Engle] speak at a conference several years ago. I came back to my family with the Life Bands, and we all wore them, made our covenant, and prayed the prayer for abortion to end. … We were invited to participate in a 'Life Tape Siege.' Once my kids heard of this invitation, they all agreed: 'We have to do that!' Since then, Lia's passion for seeing abortion end has continued."

Despite Lia's enthusiasm for her topic, her teacher "strongly encouraged" her to select a different one for her class presentation
or she would be considered ineligible for an upcoming speech contest.

"[S]everal teachers discouraged her from picking the topic of abortion; she was told it was 'too big,' 'too mature' and 'too controversial,'" her mother wrote. "She was also told that if she went ahead with that topic, she would not be allowed to continue on in the speech competition."

Lia's mother continued, "Initially, I tried helping her find other topics to speak on, but, in the end, she was adamant. She just felt she wanted to continue with the topic of abortion. So she forfeited her chance to compete in order to speak on something she was passionate about."

Lia's teacher was so impressed by the speech that she allowed her student to advance as the winner. Lia presented her speech to judges in front of her entire school on Feb. 10.

The school principal and teachers called Lia's presentation the "obvious winner" – but the judges suddenly disqualified her the following day "because of the topic and her position on abortion," her mother said.

Lia's father later revealed that the judges had a "big disagreement." One was offended by the speech and voluntarily stepped down while the others reversed their earlier decision – declaring her the winner.

Now Lia plans to take her message of life to a regional speech competition, and more than 130,000 visitors have viewed her presentation online.

"Why do we think that just because a fetus can't talk or do what we do, it isn't a human being yet?" She asks in the video. "Some babies are born after only five months. Is this baby not human?

"We would never say that. Yet abortions are performed on 5-month-old fetuses all the time. Or do we only call them humans if they're wanted?"

She continues, "No, fetuses are definitely humans – knit together in their mother's womb by their wonderful Creator who knows them all by name.""

CONSIDER THIS...

2009-03-09T19:15:00.004-05:00

Ever wonder how America's abortion laws
compare to those of Europe or Asia?
Read...

Abortion Laws

Around the World

Send a Red One!

2009-03-09T18:55:00.004-05:00

http://www.redenvelopeproject.org/

This is a spectacular story...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Christ Otto has spent the past 21 years of his life in ministry founding churches and working as everything from a pastry chef and worship leader to a hotel clerk and vocal coach. Little did he know he would become best known around the country as the founder of the Red Envelope Project.

Inspired during a prayer, Otto came up with the idea of sending red envelopes to President Barack Obama to protest his pro-abortion policies.

As he tells LifeNews.com, what started out as an email request to 120 of his ministry friends and supporters turned into a nationwide phenomenon that could result in hundreds of thousands of pro-life envelopes heading to the White House.

"Three weeks ago I was doing my usual routine of prayer, Bible study, and quietly listening to God. Usually I begin the day with 'Lord, what’s on your agenda today?'" he explained.

"That day, my mind wandered a little, and I imagined hundreds of red envelopes in the mail room of the White House. On the back, a simple message stating that each envelope represented an innocent life lost. I took that idea, and sent it in an email to my 120 ministry supporters. They in turn, sent it to their friends," Otto added.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Read the rest here.

Here is what I would like you to do:

Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores. On the front, address it to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington , D.C. 20500

On the back, write the following message.

This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.

Put it in the mail on March 31st, and send it. Then send this website to every one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a a chance to live. Maybe it will change the heart of the president.

Warmly, Christ Otto

GO BACK TO http://www.redenvelopeproject.org/

to submit the number of envelopes that you sent.

383,132
Sent or Pledged So Far!

Evil Resumes

2009-03-09T18:46:00.004-05:00

Saturday, March 7, 2009, 9:37 PM

Killing Center Re-opens

"Saturday March 7th, 2009 marked the re-opening of Leroy Carhart's late-term child-killing center in Bellevue, NE., which was closed due to a fire at that facility a couple of months ago.

It was a dark and rainy morning, with a chill in the air ironically appropriate to the occasion. In terms of being ready to "serve" the twenty or so victims, they seemed to be "shooting from the hip". The staff spent much of the early morning dragging in medical equipment such as an ultrasound machine along with boxes and boxes of medical and office supplies.

I don't know how the inside looked, but the outside was as trashed out as ever, still carrying that touch of Carhart professionalism. For instance, practically blocking the main entrance to the parking lot was a large, rusted-out old truck. Both front tires were missing with the wheel on the driver's side resting inside a large pot hole, giving the mill that "salvage" look. Right next to it, connected to the mill by a long extension cord, sat a generator that purred away all morning making one question if they even had electricity.

I've often wondered how anyone could patronize such a junk yard posing as a "health clinic", but that never seems to matter much to mothers intent on destroying their children. Then there was another, much grander, opening today. Across the street from the abortion chamber is now a prayer chapel that pro-lifers have worked on for many months, fixing it up and preparing it for "spiritual battle" with the forces of darkness across from it. Now, not only will there be prayer warriors in front of the killing center, but also across the street, praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

And today, all their prayers paid off big time as there was at least one baby's life saved.

Today one sidewalk counselor talked with a young, Hispanic couple who were very receptive, agreeing with practically everything she said. They even agreed to accompany Mary to A Woman's Touch, the pro-life pregnancy center next door where they were given an ultrasound and positive, loving care in their time of need.

So, in the end, the sun did shine on that bleak, dismal morning in March as one tragedy was averted, a life was saved, and heaven rejoiced."

Larry Donlan, Rescue The Heartland

PRAYER

2009-03-08T08:56:00.002-05:00

Prayer to the Virgin Mary

O Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of us all, we turn to you today as the one who said "Yes" to Life. "You will conceive and bear a Son," the angel told you.

Despite the surprise and the uncertainty about how this could be, you said yes. "Be it done unto me according to your word." Mary, we pray today for all mothers who are afraid to be mothers. We pray for those who feel threatened and overwhelmed by their pregnancy.

Intercede for them, that God may give them the grace to say yes and the courage to go on. May they have the grace to reject the false solution of abortion. May they say with you, "Be it done unto me according to your word." May they experience the help of Christian people, and know the peace that comes from doing God's will.

Amen.

(From Priests for Life)

NEWS FROM NEBRASKA

2009-03-08T08:04:00.016-05:00

Electrician Quits Working on Abortion Center Repairs After Pro-Life Pressure

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 17, 2009

Bellevue, NE (LifeNews.com) -- A local electrician has quit working on repairs to a late-term abortion business outside of Omaha following pressure from pro-life advocates. The worker was repairing the abortion business run by late-term abortion practitioner LeRoy Carhart that was recently burned in an accidental fire.

The Nebraska-based center is one of the few in the nation to do late-term abortions and Carhart's name became famous when the Supreme Court ruled for him against a partial-birth abortion ban.

The unnamed electrician made the decision to quit assisting with repairs and cancel his contract after he was informed that abortions took place at the run-down medical office.

The electrician initially resisted efforts and said he had nothing to do with an abortion business, but after being told that the basement containing medical records he was working on was part of Carhart's abortion business, he quit immediately.

"He said he considered himself a good Catholic and didn't want to be an accessory to an abortion clinic," local pro-life advocate Larry Donlan explained.

Troy Newman, the president of Operation Rescue, which monitors abortion practitioners, applauded the good news and told LifeNews.com that the results of campaigns designed to protest the collaboration between construction workers and abortion centers work.

"Once people understand that their work is helping the abortion industry, they often want nothing more to do with it," he said. "It's a legal principle as well as a Biblical one. Those who aid and abet share in the guilt."

Although the electrician has stopped work, Newman's group continues to call on pro-life advocates to contact NBD International, an Ohio-based fire restoration company that is currently heading up the damage repair.

Newman tells LifeNews.com that the reconstruction is going slowly, but it could stop altogether if pro-life advocates contact NBD and ask it to stop work on the facility.

"It is unknown when Carhart's abortion mill will be reopened, but judging from the photos, it will not be any time soon, and maybe never if NBD International stops construction," Newman said.

"Operation Rescue calls on NDB International to immediately halt repairs on the Carhart clinic in the interest of saving lives," he added. "Please contact them and ask them to stop collaborating with the abortion industry."

ACTION: Contact NBD International at 1-800-929-3398 and ask the company to stop work rebuilding the Carhart abortion business in Nebraska. You can also send an email message by going to http://www.nbdint.com/MoreInfo.html

_________________________________________________________________

You may wonder, what do remote material cooperation in evil and formal cooperation in evil mean? How do these traditional, theological terms and concepts relate to the above story? How do they relate to our moral responsibilities in the voting booth? Are our responsibilities always easily understood and easily practiced?

Follow these links for more information:

Ioannes Paulus PP. II
Evangelium vitae

Vatican dismay: Memo on politicians touches nerve in U.S. campaign

Pope John Paul II, John Courtney Murray, and the Relationship Between Civil Law and Moral Law: A Constructive Proposal for Contemporary American Pluralism

Not letting up...as promised

2009-03-06T17:08:00.008-06:00

Obama Expected to Reverse Restrictions on Stem Cell Research Funding Monday

[March 9, 2009]

"Under President George W. Bush, federal money for research on human embryonic stems cells was limited to those stem cell lines that were created before Aug. 9, 2001. "

WASHINGTON -- "President Barack Obama is expected to sign an executive order on Monday reversing restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

The long-expected move is likely to stir up not only the promise of scientific breakthrough but also the controversy over where government crosses a moral line.

Obama will hold an event at the White House to announce the move, a senior administration official said Friday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the policy had not yet been publicly announced."

Read the rest of the AP/Fox News report here.

So what does this signal?

Well, for one, it signals that President Obama CAN and DOES keep some of his pre-White House promises (apparently he was unable to do so with the line-by-line pork-watch thing he promised). He's much more detailed...it's now at the stem-cell level.

Secondly, this signals to the informed that Obama's administration is able to ignore science to promote science. It is common knowledge that science itself can manifest the same quality research and product from the resource of the adult stem cell. Others rightly suggest that this process carries great advantages, one being that the host body will not likely reject anything made from these adult stem cells because they wouldn't be recognized as foreign by the immune system as embryonic stem cells would be.

Thirdly, this "move" demonstrates President Obama's endurance to continue to throw money at things that promise no real advantage nor a real future for the lives of America's most vulnerable - or for anyone for that matter. This is NOT the change we should HOPE or pray for.

So what can you do? Pray. Pray. Write your Congressman. Pray. Pray. Pray.

Here is a Novena that was created prior to last year's election. Day 9: a prayer for "Good Stewardship and Preservation of God's Creation."

In Christ,

Vita Pulchra Est

BELLA

2009-03-01T08:07:00.003-06:00

Here is the official trailer for the award-winning film, Bella which opened nation-wide on Oct. 26, 2007! For more information on this movie visit http://www.bellathemovie.com.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, DO SO.

You may know that the USCCB (United State Conference of Catholic Bishops: Film-and Broadcasting) offers their own reviews of both current and 20th century film.

Here is the short review that they offer for Bella:

Sweetly sentimental story about an unmarried New York waitress (an especially fine Tammy Blanchard) who loses her job after becoming pregnant, and her restaurant's empathetic chef (Mexican soap favorite Eduardo Verastegui) -- an ex-soccer star whose career ended after his car fatally struck a child -- who gives the young woman emotional support, takes her to visit his loving family, and gently tries to persuade her to keep the baby. Director and co-writer Alejandro Monteverde's impressive feature film debut is sometimes dramatically slack and implausible, but the sensitive performances, positive depiction of the chef's warm Latino family, and most of all, its affirmative pro-life message -- along with themes of self-forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption -- should resonate with Catholic viewers.

IN SHORT...this is not good news. Why?

2009-02-28T18:20:00.007-06:00

Obama taps Sebelius for HHS secretary

"WASHINGTON – Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is President Barack Obama's choice for secretary of health and human services, a White House source said Saturday.

The source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said Obama will formally announce the nomination on Monday."

And this is why this news IS NOT good news.

If you need another reason, here's one:

Sebelius vetoed a bill on April 21, 2008 - a bill that was passed by 2 to 1 margins in both houses of the Kansas Legislature, that would strengthen the state's ban on late-term abortions by authorizing private lawsuits against providers. In 2007, she vetoed a bill requiring explicit medical reasons for a late abortion, and she vetoed other abortion legislation in 2006, 2005 and 2003.

Quite a record.

Read The Case Against Sebelius: Unfit to Serve as HHS Secretary

Lenten Meditations for Pro-Life Stations of the Cross from "Priests for Life"

2009-02-28T07:43:00.011-06:00

(CLICK on PHOTO to ENLARGE)
The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death

Though innocent, Jesus is condemned by the power of the State. In like manner, our innocent brothers and sisters in the womb have been condemned. Their rights and dignity are not recognized. In this, they bear a special likeness to Jesus.

The Second Station: Jesus is Made to Bear His Cross

The salvation of the world carried a heavy price for our Lord, the agony of the cross. As He accepts His cross, let us also resolve to endure suffering that others may live. Let us pay the price for standing up for our preborn brothers and sisters.

The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time

Almighty God was weak because He chose to be like us. He had power and glory from all eternity, yet He chose to be immersed in the world of suffering. We pray that the benefits and advantages we have in life may not cause us to forget our pre-born brothers and sisters.

The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother

There is no deeper relationship than that of mother and child. They belong together. When one suffers, the other suffers. To love and defend one means to love and defend the other. To be pro-life means to serve both the child and the mother. It means to ask our society, "Why can't we love them both?"

The Fifth Station: The Cyrenian Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross

Many watched the Lord suffer. Simon the Cyrenian helped alleviate that suffering. Many lament abortion. Some actually get involved to help to stop it. We pray that all people may take their active place in the pro-life movement.

The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

The compassion Veronica shows reflects the compassion of so many medical doctors and nurses, who treat their patients with dignity. We pray for repentance and renewal in the medical profession. May the tools and skills meant for healing nevermore be used for killing.

The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time

In working to defend life, there are many setbacks and obstacles. Yet we know the meaning of the cross. In weakness, power reaches perfection. We do not look to our own strengths and talents alone, but to Christ. His own strength will sustain us.

The Eighth Station: Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem

Christ told these women to weep for themselves and for their children. He does not want false worship, but repentance. He does not want followers who cry out to Him but then ignore injustice and bloodshed. May all who believe in Christ likewise stand up for the defenseless children.

The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time

Despite the falls, nothing can stop our Lord, because He is on a mission of love. If the pro-life movement is not a movement of love, it is nothing at all, but if it is a movement of love, then nothing will stop it. Love is stronger than death, more powerful than hell.

The Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

Nobody can stop us form loving our preborn brothers and sisters. Those stronger than we may strip us of popularity, possessions, or power, but they cannot strip us of love. We love others with the same love that Christ showed for us.

The Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

The powers of this world crucified the God who made this world. All power and authority come from God. All who exercise power have to account for it before the throne of God. We pray that those in government may use their powers to protect the innocent babies in the womb.

The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross

Our Lord died. So many of His children have died with Him. His passion is re-lived with every abortion, one every twenty seconds in our country. We only know a fraction of the horror of this act in the sight of God. We only know a fraction of the horror of Christ's crucifixion. May all our brothers and sisters killed by abortion rest in Christ's peace and be saved by His cross.

The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross

Mary experienced the pain of holding her dead Son. So many mothers grieve after their abortions. We ask that Mary may comfort them, help them face the truth about abortion, and lead them to forgiveness and healing.

The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

A tomb is a memorial. It helps us remember the one who can no longer speak. May we and our society remember the babies who cannot speak. May we also remember Our Lord's Resurrection, and His promise of eternal life. He has conquered abortion because He has conquered death. May we bring His victory to every part of our world!

IN THE NEWS

2009-02-27T13:01:00.007-06:00

The Washington Post:

Obama Administration to Reverse Bush Rule on 'Conscience' Regulation

Policy Provides Sweeping Federal Protections to Health-Care Workers Who Refuse to Provide Care That Violates Their Beliefs

By Rob Stein, Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 27, 2009

"The Obama administration has begun the process of rescinding sweeping new federal protections that were granted in December to health-care workers who refuse to provide care that violates their personal, moral or religious beliefs.

The Office of Management and Budget announced this morning that it was reviewing a proposal to lift the controversial "conscience" regulation, the first step toward reversing the policy. Once the OMB has reviewed the proposal it will be published in Federal Register for a 30-day public comment period."...

...read the rest of this article HERE.

_____________________________________________

You may notice that President Obama's administration (see Health and Human Services) referrs to legislative activity of this kind as a move towards a "middle ground" on the issues related to abortion. What exactly does "middle ground" mean? Or, a better question...where does this "middle ground" exist?

Here, TIME Magazine, and The Boston Globe take a shot at defining such territory.

But for a Catholic perspective try THIS ONE:

Catholic Leader Joins Unity Debate On Abortion (from NPR)

February 6, 2009 · Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, weighs in on the ongoing debate about abortion. The discussion is another installment of the conversation started last week with the Rev. Jim Wallis, an evangelical who told Tell Me More he believes America can reach a common ground in the fight over abortion.

______________________________________________

PARTING THOUGHTS...

Does "common ground" equal "middle ground"? How do we balance our efforts to persuade the "other side" to join us with attempts to establish pseudo-compromise without actually compromising the integrity of the truth about God's smallest and most innocent ?

FIGHT!

2009-02-24T13:01:00.000-06:00

Fight FOCA!

How long has the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) been around?

FOCA was first introduced after the Webster v. Reproductive Health Services Supreme Court decision in 1989. It has been introduced at various points since then.

Why hasn’t FOCA been signed into law before?

Since FOCA was first introduced, 1993 and 1994 were the only two years when pro-abortion leaders were in charge of Congress and could have passed FOCA while there was a pro-abortion President in office. Bill Clinton had run on the platform that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.” FOCA’s radical nature was completely the opposite of Clinton’s public stance, and so the legislation didn’t advance. This time however, you have pro-abortion leaders in Congress and a President who promised Planned Parenthood that FOCA would be a top priority.

The Freedom of Choice Act was most recently reintroduced into the Senate by Senator Boxer on January 22, 2004. You may read the full Bill Summary here and follow current legislative action of the 111th congress at the Library of Congress THOMAS website.

CONSIDER THIS...

2009-02-24T12:41:00.000-06:00

This video is succinct and powerful.

To those of you that don't consider yourself pro-life and have stumbled across this blog, please prayerfully and thoughtfully consider this message.

It doesn't tell the whole story, or offer towering scientific, policy, or religious arguments, but it is well done none-the-less.

(YouTube: Clips from WorshipHouseMedia.com. Music by John Frizzell.)

GET INVOLVED!

2009-02-24T11:35:00.002-06:00

Every of us can make a difference!

Each of us has a talent or ability to contribute, even if only for an hour every week or month.

How can I help?

There are so many ways!

1) Become involved with St. Joseph-Beatrice Parish sponsored pro-life activities by emailing Kate or Kim. Just press on the EMAIL icon up top.

2) Take part in discussions about abortion and euthanasia at work or where acquaintances gather. Respectfully discuss these issues with colleagues.

3) If you belong to a professional organization, advance pro-life positions.

4) Volunteer to counsel women in a local pregnancy aid center; ask the diocesan officers how you might assist the diocese's post-abortion ministry. The Beatrice Pregnancy Resource Center is located just a few blocks from St. Joseph Catholic Church. After spending an hour of adoration, donate your time to the Center. Beatrice women and families need your support and encouragement. Prayerfully consider this opportunity.

5) Volunteer for a respite care program that helps families caring for seriously ill members at home; help the local hospice program.

6) IMPORTANT: Contact your federal or state representatives on important pro-life legislation, especially when asked to do so by your diocese or parish—send that letter, make that phone call, sign that postcard. These things really do make a difference. Do not underestimate the significant value of such actions.

7) MOST IMPORTANT: Pray. Pray privately and take part in programs of prayer.

8) Stay well-informed on the issues.

WELCOME!

2009-02-24T09:53:00.002-06:00

Welcome to VITA PULCHRA EST, the Official Pro-Life Blog of St. Joseph Catholic Church - Beatrice.

It is through this medium that we hope our parish community will post and discuss pertinent and important pro-life issues.

The presence of this blog demonstrates an effort to engage our parishioners in lively discussion on the topics of abortion, euthanasia, stem-cell research and the like as well as to propel our Catholic brothers and sisters into active participation in pro-life activities.

Part of this blog will highlight local and regional services and resources dedicated to supporting the pro-life agenda. One such site that will remain linked here is the Nebraska Catholic Conference website. The Nebraska Catholic Conference website serves as a clearinghouse for state and national legislative activity on several issues that impact our communities...not just abortion. Following this link: www.nebcathcon.org will lead you to a plethora of important links to other websites. Some of those links are duplicated on this blogsite as well.

Please feel free to leave your comments on these issues. Know that all comments will be monitored for content appropriateness at the absolute discretion of the blog administrators.

Vita Pulchra Est --- Life is Beautiful