VATICAN CITY, January 30, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews.com earlier this week, Archbishop Raymond Burke sent a message of support from Rome to those in the U.S. who defend human life and the traditional family, telling them not to give up the fight, even though things may seem dire with the election of Barack Obama. The Archbishop particularly urged pro-life people to continue the political and legal battle against the 1973 US Supreme Court decision, Roe vs. Wade, that legalised abortion.
“We are in a very dark period for the pro-life movement, which means that now we have really to re-double all of our efforts,” he said.
The new president, Archbishop Burke said, must hear from the American people “who I believe are, in the end, pro-life, above all else.” But the time has come, with the election of the man who is being called by pro-life advocates the “most pro-abortion president” in US history, to announce clearly and firmly the message of the sanctity of life and family more than at any other time.
“There can never be any let-up on the effort to overturn Roe versus Wade,” he said, “because there is, at its deepest core, our most unjust judicial decision. It has to be overturned.”
He agreed that people of good will could work with the Obama administration to provide improved services to women in crisis pregnancies and pointed out that the Catholic Church has “above all, been in the forefront of that.” But, he said, “that can never exempt us from the duty” to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
Despite the difficulties ahead, he urged the pro-life people to be the “tough who get going when the going gets tough.”
“It’s going to depend upon the pro-life movement to make that voice heard, and to get people to express to the president their dismay with what he’s doing, so that he understands that the people of the United States are not for the murder of infants in the womb.”
LifeSiteNews.com spoke to Archbishop Burke, who is regarded as a hero by many in the pro-life and family movement, at his offices in Rome, where he was recently appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as head of the Catholic Church’s highest tribunal, the Apostolic Signatura. The office of Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura is normally regarded as a “red hat” position that brings with it appointment as a Cardinal. It is widely expected among Vatican watchers that Pope Benedict will name Archbishop Burke a Cardinal at the next consistory.
He told LifeSiteNews.com that he is becoming “very concerned” at the number of people who have written to him to say that the election of Obama is a sign that the pro-life movement has definitively failed to overturn Roe vs. Wade. He particularly denounced the idea, put forward by some in the pro-life movement in the US, that the time has come to abandon the fight against Roe and turn exclusively to “education” and to cooperate with the new administration in “reducing abortions” by improving welfare and health services for women.
Archbishop Burke responded, saying, “To me this is a form of self-deception because the law itself is one of the principle teachers in any culture, and you have a law, a decision of the Supreme Court of your country, which says, in effect, that an infant in the womb can be destroyed right up to the time of birth and even in the act of birth.”
Until Roe vs. Wade is overturned, he said, “that law remains a teacher in the culture” and “represents a direction given to the life of the society, of the nation.
“So I’m very concerned that some of the dedicated pro-life people don’t fall prey to this false reasoning, and then not continue their work for the repeal of this Supreme Court decision.”
Archbishop Burke is known in the US as one of the most outspoken members of the US hierarchy on the Church’s teachings on the sanctity of life. He was the first among a very small number of US Bishops who enforced can. 915 of the Code of Canon Law, saying that pro-abortion Catholic politicians are not to be given Holy Communion. His position was confirmed by a letter of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in June of 2004.Upon the announcement of his transfer to Rome, Judie Brown, the president of the American Life League, said, “Archbishop Burke's contributions to the Church go beyond anybody's imagination. He is among the most courageous bishops that I have known in my entire life.”
The archbishop said, “I have been for years very much in the heart of the pro-life movement as I believe that I should be as a bishop.”
“It was painful for me to leave the United States because of my strong conviction about the importance of strong leadership, a prophetic leadership on the part of the bishops in the whole work of promoting the respect for human life.”
He particularly urged pro-life and family people to be on guard against becoming discouraged. “Discouragement is itself a prime temptation that Satan uses to get people to stop working for the good,” he said. “But the minute you give into discouragement he can get you to do whatever he wants. But if we are people of life, if we are people who honour the dignity of every human life, then we also are necessarily people of hope.
“I understand, from a human point of view, why people are discouraged and why they want to give up or try some radically different approach, but as people of hope we don’t have any choice in this matter. We have to continue the battle.”
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
North American Leaders Bid Farewell to Pro-Life Hero Archbishop Burke
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08062709.html
URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09013011.html
Saturday, January 31, 2009
EWTN's coverage on NBC refusing pro-life ad
Irondale, AL (EWTN) – See the pro-life commercial NBC refused to air during the Super Bowl on EWTN Global Catholic Network this Sunday Feb. 1, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET and continuing through midnight ET.
The commercial, sponsored by Fidelis and catholicvote.com, centers around the theme: “Life: Imagine the Potential.” It will begin airing during “Faith Bowl II,” an annual Family Theatre made-for-television special, which analyzes the role that the Catholic/Christian Faith plays in professional and collegiate sports. This year, Major League Baseball’s Mark Loretta of the Los Angeles Dodgers will guest along with former professional soccer player Antonio Soave.
The commercials will continue throughout EWTN’s Sunday evening lineup, including the shows with popular series Hosts Father Benedict Groeschel and Father John Corapi, and will conclude at midnight ET.
EWTN also aired this powerful commercial several times during its extensive coverage of the March for Life; an event which has been boycotted by virtually every mainstream media outlet in the country, despite the fact that every year it is Washington, D.C.’s largest march.
The commercial can also be viewed on EWTN’s pro-life webpage, www.ewtn.com/prolife, after 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, and, of course, on www.catholicvote.com.
What follows are the words that flash across the screen over a picture of an ultrasound during the must-see pro-life commercial: “This child’s future is a broken home, he will be abandoned by his father, his single mother will struggle to raise him, despite the hardships he will endure, this child will become the 1st African-American president. Life, imagine the potential.”
EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 28th year, is available in over 148 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com and publishing arm, EWTN, is the largest religious media network in the world.
The commercial, sponsored by Fidelis and catholicvote.com, centers around the theme: “Life: Imagine the Potential.” It will begin airing during “Faith Bowl II,” an annual Family Theatre made-for-television special, which analyzes the role that the Catholic/Christian Faith plays in professional and collegiate sports. This year, Major League Baseball’s Mark Loretta of the Los Angeles Dodgers will guest along with former professional soccer player Antonio Soave.
The commercials will continue throughout EWTN’s Sunday evening lineup, including the shows with popular series Hosts Father Benedict Groeschel and Father John Corapi, and will conclude at midnight ET.
EWTN also aired this powerful commercial several times during its extensive coverage of the March for Life; an event which has been boycotted by virtually every mainstream media outlet in the country, despite the fact that every year it is Washington, D.C.’s largest march.
The commercial can also be viewed on EWTN’s pro-life webpage, www.ewtn.com/prolife, after 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, and, of course, on www.catholicvote.com.
What follows are the words that flash across the screen over a picture of an ultrasound during the must-see pro-life commercial: “This child’s future is a broken home, he will be abandoned by his father, his single mother will struggle to raise him, despite the hardships he will endure, this child will become the 1st African-American president. Life, imagine the potential.”
EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 28th year, is available in over 148 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com and publishing arm, EWTN, is the largest religious media network in the world.
Friday, January 30, 2009
NBC rejects pro-life ad
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- NBC is coming under fire from pro-life advocates for rejecting a television commercial a pro-life group hoped to run during the Super Bowl. The ad shows a beautiful picture of an unborn child during an ultrasound and asks what would happen if President Barack Obama had been a victim of abortion.
The commercial, a popular one in recent weeks within the pro-life movement, is sponsored by the pro-life Catholic group Fidelis and its CatholicVote web site.
After several days of negotiations, an NBC representative in Chicago told the group late yesterday that NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving "political advocacy or issues."
Brian Burch, president of the pro-life group, told LifeNews.com he is upset that NBC officials rejected what he calls a uplifting and positive pro-life ad.
“There is nothing objectionable in this positive, life-affirming advertisement. We show a beautiful ultrasound, something NBC’s parent company GE has done for years," Burch said.
"We congratulate Barack Obama on becoming the first African-American President. And we simply ask people to imagine the potential of every human life," he told LifeNews.com.
Burch said NBC told Fidelis that they do not allow political or issue advocacy advertisements.
"But that’s not what they told PETA," he said about the network's recent decision to reject an ad from the animal rights group. “There’s no doubt that PETA is an advocacy group. NBC rejected PETA’s ad for another reason altogether.”
(Continued here with info on how to respond)
The commercial, a popular one in recent weeks within the pro-life movement, is sponsored by the pro-life Catholic group Fidelis and its CatholicVote web site.
After several days of negotiations, an NBC representative in Chicago told the group late yesterday that NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving "political advocacy or issues."
Brian Burch, president of the pro-life group, told LifeNews.com he is upset that NBC officials rejected what he calls a uplifting and positive pro-life ad.
“There is nothing objectionable in this positive, life-affirming advertisement. We show a beautiful ultrasound, something NBC’s parent company GE has done for years," Burch said.
"We congratulate Barack Obama on becoming the first African-American President. And we simply ask people to imagine the potential of every human life," he told LifeNews.com.
Burch said NBC told Fidelis that they do not allow political or issue advocacy advertisements.
"But that’s not what they told PETA," he said about the network's recent decision to reject an ad from the animal rights group. “There’s no doubt that PETA is an advocacy group. NBC rejected PETA’s ad for another reason altogether.”
(Continued here with info on how to respond)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Pope Benedict to Catholic Journalists...
Vatican City, Jan 27, 2009 / 12:11 pm (CNA).- Benedict XVI has sent a message to participants in the national congress of the Italian Catholic Press Union (UCSI). The congress, held last week, commemorated the institution's fiftieth anniversary. In the message, the Pontiff writes about the importance of being faithful journalists, but also of living as a witness to Christ.
Reflecting on the last 50 years of the UCSI, the Holy Father notes that many things have changed. These changes have been "more visible in areas ranging from science to technology, from the economy to geopolitics,” he noted.
When examined at a deeper level, Pope Benedict finds “less perceptible” but “deeper and more worrying” developments in the modern culture. These changes include a notable decline in respect for the dignity of the individual, and in “a sense of such values as justice, freedom and solidarity, which are so essential for the survival of a society."
Today, the work of Catholic journalists is “even more arduous.” In addition to responsibility and service, journalists “must add an ever great professionalism, and a capacity for dialogue with the 'lay' world in the search for shared values."
Pope Benedict then speaks to the journalists on not only the importance of their faithful writing, but also the necessity of living their lives as witnesses to the Gospel. “You will be listened to more readily when the testimony of your own lives is coherent," the Holy Father assures them. “No small number of your 'lay' colleagues expect from you the silent witness - not only in appearance but in substance - of a life inspired by the values of faith."
Catholic journalists are committed to “an ever more demanding task,” the Holy Father continues, “one in which spaces for freedom are often under threat, and economic and political interests often take precedence over the spirit of service and the criterion of the common good.”
"I encourage you," he concludes, "not to make compromises in such important values but to have the courage of coherence, even at the cost of personal sacrifice. Serenity of conscience is a priceless quality."
Reflecting on the last 50 years of the UCSI, the Holy Father notes that many things have changed. These changes have been "more visible in areas ranging from science to technology, from the economy to geopolitics,” he noted.
When examined at a deeper level, Pope Benedict finds “less perceptible” but “deeper and more worrying” developments in the modern culture. These changes include a notable decline in respect for the dignity of the individual, and in “a sense of such values as justice, freedom and solidarity, which are so essential for the survival of a society."
Today, the work of Catholic journalists is “even more arduous.” In addition to responsibility and service, journalists “must add an ever great professionalism, and a capacity for dialogue with the 'lay' world in the search for shared values."
Pope Benedict then speaks to the journalists on not only the importance of their faithful writing, but also the necessity of living their lives as witnesses to the Gospel. “You will be listened to more readily when the testimony of your own lives is coherent," the Holy Father assures them. “No small number of your 'lay' colleagues expect from you the silent witness - not only in appearance but in substance - of a life inspired by the values of faith."
Catholic journalists are committed to “an ever more demanding task,” the Holy Father continues, “one in which spaces for freedom are often under threat, and economic and political interests often take precedence over the spirit of service and the criterion of the common good.”
"I encourage you," he concludes, "not to make compromises in such important values but to have the courage of coherence, even at the cost of personal sacrifice. Serenity of conscience is a priceless quality."
Barack Obama and Unborn Children
Barack Obama vs Unborn Children
by Dr. Dominic Dixon
The success of Obama does not lie in becoming America’s first black President or being one of the youngest. His success lies in successfully fulfilling God’s will in his life. For if Obama is a confessing Christian, then his ultimate goal is God’s will and purpose being fulfilled in his life.
The leader of the world’s most powerful nation has to make critical choices and those choices will need to have a moral framework. The reason why I declare the term ‘moral framework’ is simply because in order for a person to make a ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’ decision, it has to be his or her ‘moral decision’.
There are many sociological and psychological issues that would need to be addressed. Senator Barack Obama, President-elect is by far the most pro-abortionist President in the history of America.
During his political career, Barack Obama has consistently voted against innocent preborn children. He has repeatedly voted to deny basic medical care to babies who survive late-term abortions, and voted against efforts to end the gruesome partial-birth abortion procedure. As a candidate for president, Senator Obama had pledged to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) which would override any and all restrictions on abortion throughout nine months of pregnancy. It would also force taxpayers to fund abortion-on-demand.
Of equal concern is Senator Obama’s pledge to appoint only judges who support Roe v. Wade, which could effectively impose the death penalty on future generations of America’s innocent unborn children.
(Story continued here)
by Dr. Dominic Dixon
The success of Obama does not lie in becoming America’s first black President or being one of the youngest. His success lies in successfully fulfilling God’s will in his life. For if Obama is a confessing Christian, then his ultimate goal is God’s will and purpose being fulfilled in his life.
The leader of the world’s most powerful nation has to make critical choices and those choices will need to have a moral framework. The reason why I declare the term ‘moral framework’ is simply because in order for a person to make a ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’ decision, it has to be his or her ‘moral decision’.
There are many sociological and psychological issues that would need to be addressed. Senator Barack Obama, President-elect is by far the most pro-abortionist President in the history of America.
During his political career, Barack Obama has consistently voted against innocent preborn children. He has repeatedly voted to deny basic medical care to babies who survive late-term abortions, and voted against efforts to end the gruesome partial-birth abortion procedure. As a candidate for president, Senator Obama had pledged to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) which would override any and all restrictions on abortion throughout nine months of pregnancy. It would also force taxpayers to fund abortion-on-demand.
Of equal concern is Senator Obama’s pledge to appoint only judges who support Roe v. Wade, which could effectively impose the death penalty on future generations of America’s innocent unborn children.
(Story continued here)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
"Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" and Archbishop Burke
ROME, January 27, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A document of the US Catholic Bishops is partly to blame for the abandonment of pro-life teachings by voting Catholics and the election of the “most pro-abortion president” in US history, one of the Vatican’s highest officials said in an interview with LifeSiteNews.com.
Archbishop Raymond Burke, the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, named a document on the election produced by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops that he said “led to confusion” among the faithful and led ultimately to massive support among Catholics for Barack Obama.
The US bishops’ document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” stated that, under certain circumstances, a Catholic could in good conscience vote for a candidate who supports abortion because of "other grave reasons," as long as they do not intend to support that pro-abortion position.
Archbishop Burke, the former Archbishop of St. Louise Mo. and recently appointed head of the highest ecclesiastical court in the Catholic Church, told LifeSiteNews.com that although “there were a greater number of bishops who spoke up very clearly and firmly ... there was also a number who did not.”
But most damaging, he said, was the document “Faithful Citizenship” that “led to confusion” among the voting Catholic population.
“While it stated that the issue of life was the first and most important issue, it went on in some specific areas to say ‘but there are other issues’ that are of comparable importance without making necessary distinctions.”
Archbishop Burke, citing an article by a priest and ethics expert of St. Louis archdiocese, Msgr. Kevin McMahon, who analysed how the bishops’ document actually contributed to the election of Obama, called its proposal “a kind of false thinking, that says, ‘there’s the evil of taking an innocent and defenceless human life but there are other evils and they’re worthy of equal consideration.’
“But they’re not. The economic situation, or opposition to the war in Iraq, or whatever it may be, those things don’t rise to the same level as something that is always and everywhere evil, namely the killing of innocent and defenceless human life.”
Archbishop Burke also cited the work of the official news service of the US Catholic Bishops’ Conference, that many pro-life observers complained soft-pedalled the newly elected president’s opposition to traditional morality.
“The bishops need to look also at our Catholic News Service, CNS, they need to review their coverage of the whole thing and give some new direction, in my judgement,” he said.
URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09012805.html
Archbishop Raymond Burke, the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, named a document on the election produced by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops that he said “led to confusion” among the faithful and led ultimately to massive support among Catholics for Barack Obama.
The US bishops’ document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” stated that, under certain circumstances, a Catholic could in good conscience vote for a candidate who supports abortion because of "other grave reasons," as long as they do not intend to support that pro-abortion position.
Archbishop Burke, the former Archbishop of St. Louise Mo. and recently appointed head of the highest ecclesiastical court in the Catholic Church, told LifeSiteNews.com that although “there were a greater number of bishops who spoke up very clearly and firmly ... there was also a number who did not.”
But most damaging, he said, was the document “Faithful Citizenship” that “led to confusion” among the voting Catholic population.
“While it stated that the issue of life was the first and most important issue, it went on in some specific areas to say ‘but there are other issues’ that are of comparable importance without making necessary distinctions.”
Archbishop Burke, citing an article by a priest and ethics expert of St. Louis archdiocese, Msgr. Kevin McMahon, who analysed how the bishops’ document actually contributed to the election of Obama, called its proposal “a kind of false thinking, that says, ‘there’s the evil of taking an innocent and defenceless human life but there are other evils and they’re worthy of equal consideration.’
“But they’re not. The economic situation, or opposition to the war in Iraq, or whatever it may be, those things don’t rise to the same level as something that is always and everywhere evil, namely the killing of innocent and defenceless human life.”
Archbishop Burke also cited the work of the official news service of the US Catholic Bishops’ Conference, that many pro-life observers complained soft-pedalled the newly elected president’s opposition to traditional morality.
“The bishops need to look also at our Catholic News Service, CNS, they need to review their coverage of the whole thing and give some new direction, in my judgement,” he said.
URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09012805.html
Monday, January 26, 2009
President Obama's executive order regarding abortions
Mary Kochan writes a thought provoking and powerful article at Catholic Exchange:
"As everyone who is paying any attention to such issues knows by now, on Friday, January 24th, President Obama signed an executive order reversing the ban that prohibited funding to international family planning groups that provide abortions. The ban got its name when it was introduced by the administration of Ronald Reagan in 1984 in Mexico City. It had been overturned by President Clinton in 1993 and restored by President Bush at the beginning of his administration in 2001.
Abortion proponents had been looking forward to this for a long time. They call the Mexico City Policy the “Global Gag Rule” since it prevents them from offering women the alternative of abortion as a “family planning” option and it keeps organizations that receive federal funding from attempting to influence the laws and policies of foreign governments to allow greater access to abortion.
Pro-lifers saw the policy as preventing the unwarranted intrusion of American abortion proponents in other countries, often in a manner that disrespects their cultures’ attitudes toward life, family matters, and childbirth. Since pro-lifers were marching in Washington on Thursday, January 23th, President Obama waited until Friday to sign the order. Ostensibly this was to show that he did not want to be “confrontational” with pro-lifers who were somehow supposed to be mollified over their tax dollars being spent to fund the international baby-killing cartel due to the respect and consideration shown to them by not signing the order on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. This is to be expected. Symbolic “non-confrontation” with pro-lifers is now married to substantive, aggressive, pro-abortion actions. If this plays fast and loose with any real conception of what “non-confrontational” actually means, that is to be expected also, because distorting the clear meaning of words has been part and parcel of the culture of death since, well… since the Garden of Eden..." (Continued here at Catholic Exchange)
"As everyone who is paying any attention to such issues knows by now, on Friday, January 24th, President Obama signed an executive order reversing the ban that prohibited funding to international family planning groups that provide abortions. The ban got its name when it was introduced by the administration of Ronald Reagan in 1984 in Mexico City. It had been overturned by President Clinton in 1993 and restored by President Bush at the beginning of his administration in 2001.
Abortion proponents had been looking forward to this for a long time. They call the Mexico City Policy the “Global Gag Rule” since it prevents them from offering women the alternative of abortion as a “family planning” option and it keeps organizations that receive federal funding from attempting to influence the laws and policies of foreign governments to allow greater access to abortion.
Pro-lifers saw the policy as preventing the unwarranted intrusion of American abortion proponents in other countries, often in a manner that disrespects their cultures’ attitudes toward life, family matters, and childbirth. Since pro-lifers were marching in Washington on Thursday, January 23th, President Obama waited until Friday to sign the order. Ostensibly this was to show that he did not want to be “confrontational” with pro-lifers who were somehow supposed to be mollified over their tax dollars being spent to fund the international baby-killing cartel due to the respect and consideration shown to them by not signing the order on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. This is to be expected. Symbolic “non-confrontation” with pro-lifers is now married to substantive, aggressive, pro-abortion actions. If this plays fast and loose with any real conception of what “non-confrontational” actually means, that is to be expected also, because distorting the clear meaning of words has been part and parcel of the culture of death since, well… since the Garden of Eden..." (Continued here at Catholic Exchange)
The Pope's YouTube
Vatican City, Jan 23, 2009 / 11:40 am (CNA).- Pope Benedict XVI has launched himself into the digital age today with the Vatican announcing that a YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/vatican dedicated to his activities and events at the Vatican is now online.
The Vatican’s announcement of its new partnership with Google’s YouTube coincides with the release of the Pope’s annual message for the World Day of Communications, which this year focuses on how to utilize new technologies to promote a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship.
Fr. Federico Lombardi, the director of the Holy See’s press office, described the Vatican’s YouTube Channel at a press conference today.
Currently, the Channel contains clips of Pope Benedict XVI delivering his Christmas Message and Blessing, the January 1 celebration of the World Peace Day and some segments of the Pope speaking about the advantages of new social technology. The footage for the clips is being provided by the Vatican Television Center (CTV) in conjunction with journalists and the web team of Vatican Radio (RV).
According to Fr. Lombardi, the new channel will be updated daily with one or two news pieces each day, none longer than two minutes.
Fr. Lombardi sees the launch of the Vatican Channel on YouTube as “a real and tangible example of the Church's commitment in the field of new technologies, to reach out to a global audience without regard for nationality or culture,” according to a Vatican press release.
Henrique de Castro, Managing Director of European Sales and Media Solutions for YouTube, who has helped with the launch of the new channel, expressed his pleasure at being able to partner with the Catholic Church. "We are honored that the Vatican has chosen to use the site to communicate with people across the world, and delighted that our community will have access to the words of the Pope on some of the most important issues facing the world today."
He also hailed today’s launch as a “landmark announcement” since it the first ever global religious institution to partner with YouTube.
The Vatican’s announcement of its new partnership with Google’s YouTube coincides with the release of the Pope’s annual message for the World Day of Communications, which this year focuses on how to utilize new technologies to promote a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship.
Fr. Federico Lombardi, the director of the Holy See’s press office, described the Vatican’s YouTube Channel at a press conference today.
Currently, the Channel contains clips of Pope Benedict XVI delivering his Christmas Message and Blessing, the January 1 celebration of the World Peace Day and some segments of the Pope speaking about the advantages of new social technology. The footage for the clips is being provided by the Vatican Television Center (CTV) in conjunction with journalists and the web team of Vatican Radio (RV).
According to Fr. Lombardi, the new channel will be updated daily with one or two news pieces each day, none longer than two minutes.
Fr. Lombardi sees the launch of the Vatican Channel on YouTube as “a real and tangible example of the Church's commitment in the field of new technologies, to reach out to a global audience without regard for nationality or culture,” according to a Vatican press release.
Henrique de Castro, Managing Director of European Sales and Media Solutions for YouTube, who has helped with the launch of the new channel, expressed his pleasure at being able to partner with the Catholic Church. "We are honored that the Vatican has chosen to use the site to communicate with people across the world, and delighted that our community will have access to the words of the Pope on some of the most important issues facing the world today."
He also hailed today’s launch as a “landmark announcement” since it the first ever global religious institution to partner with YouTube.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
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Friday, January 23, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Food for thought - Sex and the Married Woman
Article at Catholic Exchange by Cheryl Dickow:
My first job after college graduation was as a “Training Specialist” at a large corporation. I taught computer software classes. It was the mid-80’s and I had all sorts of plans for life. I had just delivered my first son and my sister was his caregiver during my long days at work. I loved my job, I loved my new baby, and I loved my husband. Although the plan was to essentially have it all, I can’t say it was as much my own personal goals as simply the general goals of women my age. Many of us weren’t consciously choosing this life; rather, we were swept along in the tides of liberation. I suppose many of my generation probably felt obligated to at least make a nominal grab at the brass ring. After all, our predecessors had done an awful lot of bra-burning and picketing to make our life better. Right?
So, when a page from a 50’s woman’s magazine made its way around the office, and then was posted in the break room for all of us to see, we chuckled — as required — and poked fun at the list of “Wifely Duties” as laid out in the one page copy.
Continued here at Catholic Exchange.
My first job after college graduation was as a “Training Specialist” at a large corporation. I taught computer software classes. It was the mid-80’s and I had all sorts of plans for life. I had just delivered my first son and my sister was his caregiver during my long days at work. I loved my job, I loved my new baby, and I loved my husband. Although the plan was to essentially have it all, I can’t say it was as much my own personal goals as simply the general goals of women my age. Many of us weren’t consciously choosing this life; rather, we were swept along in the tides of liberation. I suppose many of my generation probably felt obligated to at least make a nominal grab at the brass ring. After all, our predecessors had done an awful lot of bra-burning and picketing to make our life better. Right?
So, when a page from a 50’s woman’s magazine made its way around the office, and then was posted in the break room for all of us to see, we chuckled — as required — and poked fun at the list of “Wifely Duties” as laid out in the one page copy.
Continued here at Catholic Exchange.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Pope Benedict extends welcome to Barack Obama
Vatican City, Jan 20, 2009 / 10:31 am (CNA).- This morning Pope Benedict sent a telegram welcoming Barack Obama as the new President of the United States and assuring him of his prayers.
The text of the telegram is below:
On the occasion of your inauguration as the forty-fourth President of the United States of America I offer cordial good wishes, together with the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you unfailing wisdom and strength in the exercise of your high responsibilities.
Under your leadership may the American people continue to find in their impressive religious and political heritage the spiritual values and ethical principles needed to cooperate in the building of a truly just and free society, marked by respect for the dignity, equality and rights of each of its members, especially the poor, the outcast and those who have no voice.
At a time when so many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world yearn for liberation from the scourge of poverty, hunger and violence, I pray that you will be confirmed in your resolve to promote understanding, cooperation and peace among the nations, so that all may share in the banquet of life which God wills to set for the whole human family (cf. Isaiah 25:6-7). Upon you and your family, and upon all the American people, I willingly invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace.
Benedictus PP. XVI
The text of the telegram is below:
On the occasion of your inauguration as the forty-fourth President of the United States of America I offer cordial good wishes, together with the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you unfailing wisdom and strength in the exercise of your high responsibilities.
Under your leadership may the American people continue to find in their impressive religious and political heritage the spiritual values and ethical principles needed to cooperate in the building of a truly just and free society, marked by respect for the dignity, equality and rights of each of its members, especially the poor, the outcast and those who have no voice.
At a time when so many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world yearn for liberation from the scourge of poverty, hunger and violence, I pray that you will be confirmed in your resolve to promote understanding, cooperation and peace among the nations, so that all may share in the banquet of life which God wills to set for the whole human family (cf. Isaiah 25:6-7). Upon you and your family, and upon all the American people, I willingly invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace.
Benedictus PP. XVI
Monday, January 19, 2009
My "Mom's Corner" segment this morning
If you missed my segment this morning with Teresa Tomeo on our "Mom's Corner" segment, you can click here to listen at any time.
Teresa and I chatted about the new book I am writing as well as taking the time to pause and recharge your "batteries" by going on retreat and with prayer.
Pull up a chair and grab a cup of your favorite beverage. I hope you enjoy the 15 minute segment.
God bless!
Donna-Marie
Teresa and I chatted about the new book I am writing as well as taking the time to pause and recharge your "batteries" by going on retreat and with prayer.
Pull up a chair and grab a cup of your favorite beverage. I hope you enjoy the 15 minute segment.
God bless!
Donna-Marie
Divine Mercy
The Divine Mercy message has the power to take over a person's life. What effect can the message have on the way a person lives? The following list is a start.
You know you're a Divine Mercy apostle if:
1. You estimate distances in terms of Divine Mercy Chaplets ("Such-and-such a place is about two chaplets away ...").
2. You take a slightly longer way to drive home so that you can complete the chaplet you are reciting.
3. At Sunday Mass you mix up parts of the Apostles' Creed with the Nicene Creed.
4. You arrive slightly late for your 3 p.m. appointments because you pray the chaplet during the "Hour of Great Mercy".
5. When you hear that someone is dying, or has died, you immediately recite the conversion prayer that Jesus gave to St. Faustina: "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You" (Diary, 187).
6. When you see a crucifix you also see the blood and water gushing forth from the Heart of Jesus.
7. You call St. Faustina "my Faustina," as Pope John Paul II did.
8. You carry Divine Mercy brochures and prayercards in your car/handbag just in case you meet someone who may need one.
9. You don't mind waiting anymore because you can use the time to pray the conversion prayer for those around you.
10. You have read St. Faustina's Diary so many times that you need to keep a tally on the inside cover.
11. When you pray the Rosary, you say the Apostles' Creed after the first Hail Mary.
12. You have the image of The Divine Mercy in various places around your home.
13. You hand out cards so other parishioners can commence the Divine Mercy Novena on Good Friday.
14. You have highlighted or underlined your favorite parts of St. Faustina's Diary.
15. You have memorized a favorite prayer from the Diary.
16. On your travel wish-list is a pilgrimage to the Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Poland.
17. You have tremendous trust in Jesus.
18. You don't mind not being able to sleep at night, because it gives you time to pray the chaplet.
19. You keep Rosary beads under your pillow.
20. You are learning more and more about how important the Passion of our Lord is to our salvation.
21. When you go to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, you take the Diary.
22. You pray the chaplet when you wake up in the morning, just in case you forget to pray it at 3 o'clock.
(By Annonymous)
You know you're a Divine Mercy apostle if:
1. You estimate distances in terms of Divine Mercy Chaplets ("Such-and-such a place is about two chaplets away ...").
2. You take a slightly longer way to drive home so that you can complete the chaplet you are reciting.
3. At Sunday Mass you mix up parts of the Apostles' Creed with the Nicene Creed.
4. You arrive slightly late for your 3 p.m. appointments because you pray the chaplet during the "Hour of Great Mercy".
5. When you hear that someone is dying, or has died, you immediately recite the conversion prayer that Jesus gave to St. Faustina: "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You" (Diary, 187).
6. When you see a crucifix you also see the blood and water gushing forth from the Heart of Jesus.
7. You call St. Faustina "my Faustina," as Pope John Paul II did.
8. You carry Divine Mercy brochures and prayercards in your car/handbag just in case you meet someone who may need one.
9. You don't mind waiting anymore because you can use the time to pray the conversion prayer for those around you.
10. You have read St. Faustina's Diary so many times that you need to keep a tally on the inside cover.
11. When you pray the Rosary, you say the Apostles' Creed after the first Hail Mary.
12. You have the image of The Divine Mercy in various places around your home.
13. You hand out cards so other parishioners can commence the Divine Mercy Novena on Good Friday.
14. You have highlighted or underlined your favorite parts of St. Faustina's Diary.
15. You have memorized a favorite prayer from the Diary.
16. On your travel wish-list is a pilgrimage to the Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Poland.
17. You have tremendous trust in Jesus.
18. You don't mind not being able to sleep at night, because it gives you time to pray the chaplet.
19. You keep Rosary beads under your pillow.
20. You are learning more and more about how important the Passion of our Lord is to our salvation.
21. When you go to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, you take the Diary.
22. You pray the chaplet when you wake up in the morning, just in case you forget to pray it at 3 o'clock.
(By Annonymous)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Grace Cafe Review
Grace Café is an aptly titled book. How does one discover grace - that sublime reality so distant from most people's vocabulary today and, sadly, so often absent from their lives?
Within these pages, seasoned author Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle makes that elusive encounter with grace seem as casual and natural as a mid-morning rendezvous with an old friend to share a cup of coffee at the local corner café.
Grace Café is addressed specifically to moms, "serving up recipes for faithful mothering," as the sub-title indicates. Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said, "Beauty will save the world." If that is true, then this simple book could bring many moms one step closer to salvation. Even and especially in the midst of the daily trials of raising a family, such as being confronted with a steadily growing mountain of unfolded clothes, the beauty of motherhood alights from the page to capture hearts.
In response to the culture's utilitarian exalting of careerism for women, O'Boyle ponders the value of being a mother, the transcendent mission it entails: "Women have been put through the mill, so to speak. However, as Christian mothers, we can consider the fact that nothing can be more meaningful than to be part of the creation of a human being, to be able to nurture it within our bodies, and then raise our child within a loving home - preparing him or her for eternal life. In my opinion, nothing compares - nothing!"
The simple prose reveals a warm mother's heart, as O'Boyle conveys hints on how to carve out time for prayer and savor the grace of the present moment in a family where the young ones always seem to grow up just a bit too quickly. Interspersed with personal anecdotes are succinct quotes from the wisdom of the saints - especially Pope John Paul II and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, with whom the author was a personal friend for ten years.
All mothers know that their vocation entails its share of difficult moments, and O'Boyle tackles this aspect of motherhood head on in the chapter "Discovering Grace within Suffering." She reflects, "This whole concept of giving and hurting may seem absurd, especially in today's culture. Why should we feel uncomfortable - God forbid - or selfless, when we can avoid it? It's because the love in our motherly heart calls us to it; it beckons us to give of ourselves unreservedly. Real love demands blood, sweat, and tears." She sums things up with these encouraging words from St. Ignatius of Loyola: "If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that he has great designs for you, and that he certainly intends to make you a saint."
The book concludes with poems and prayers that any mother will surely identify with. Particularly touching is one entitled "Seen by God Alone."
Her hands are red, wrinkled, and chapped from the bitter wind
As she pins the clothespins, one after another,
To the line of clothes, already stiffening in the freezing temperature.
The bitter wind mercilessly lifts at the hem of her coat,
Attempting to blow through her clothes and whip at her back.
She briskly continues her loving tasks,
Unnoticed by the speeding motorists passing by.
Only Our Lord sees her putting out her family's laundry to dry,
Stretching out her arms,
Hanging out one wet article of clothing after another,
As only a mother's love can.
Our Lord will never fail to notice all mothers'
Seemingly hidden loving acts of service to their families
All around the world.
__________________________________________________
Father Walter Schu, LC, is the author of Splendor of Love, also available through Circle Press. He grew up on a small farm in Minnesota, the second of seven children. He studied for the priesthood in Rome and has an STL in moral theology summa cum laude, specializing in marriage and family. He was ordained a priest in 1994 and currently teaches at the Legion of Christ Seminary in Cheshire, Connecticut.
Friday, January 16, 2009
In case you missed this...
If you didn't get a chance to watch the recent EWTN's Bookmark segment in which Doug Keck interviewed me about four of my books: Prayerfully Expecting, The Heart of Motherhood, Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers and Catholic Saints Prayer Book, you can listen by clicking here. Just scrolll down to audio # 212.
"Mom's Corner" coming up...
Stay tuned. Teresa Tomeo and I will be chatting on Monday, January 19th at 9:15 AM Eastern time on Ave Maria Radio to kick off a pro-life week. I hope that you can join us.
Tune in at 9:15 AM Eastern Standard Time by clicking here at avemariaradio.net and then click "listen live." Talk to you soon. :)
God bless your day!
Donna-Marie
Tune in at 9:15 AM Eastern Standard Time by clicking here at avemariaradio.net and then click "listen live." Talk to you soon. :)
God bless your day!
Donna-Marie
Words to live by...
"Get rid of all bitterness, all passion and anger, harsh words, slander, and malice of every kind. In place of these, be kind to one another, compassionate, and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ."
Ephesians 4:31- 32
Ephesians 4:31- 32
Monday, January 12, 2009
Catching my breath...working away!
I'm trying to catch up. I just returned from a snowy trip to Illinois where I gave a retreat to women there. I have to get back to writing my book on Catholicism for Penguin. I'll be chained to the computer and working away. Stop by at my "Embracing Motherhood" blog (link in my side column) to see the news about the week end and other good stuff, including a segment to a radio show in which I was interviewed about my books and life growing up.
I'll catch you soon!
God bless!
Donna-Marie
Monday, January 5, 2009
Some great tips for a better life in 2009
My friend, Maria sent these great tips for having a better 2009. I hope you like them. :)
25 TIPS FOR A BETTER LIFE - 2009
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It
Is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence (pray) for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you
have to.
3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
'My purpose is to __________ today.'
4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan
salmon, broccoli, and almonds.
6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues
of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead
invest your energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9 Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Don't compare yo ur life to others. You have no idea what their
journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years,
will this matter?'
17. Forgive everyone for everything.
18. What other people think of you is none of your business.
19. GOD heals everything.
20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends
will. Stay in touch.
22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
25. Read a lot. Write a lot. Live a lot.
(Annonymous)
25 TIPS FOR A BETTER LIFE - 2009
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It
Is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence (pray) for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you
have to.
3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
'My purpose is to __________ today.'
4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan
salmon, broccoli, and almonds.
6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues
of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead
invest your energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9 Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Don't compare yo ur life to others. You have no idea what their
journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years,
will this matter?'
17. Forgive everyone for everything.
18. What other people think of you is none of your business.
19. GOD heals everything.
20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends
will. Stay in touch.
22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
25. Read a lot. Write a lot. Live a lot.
(Annonymous)
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Fr. James's thoughts on the New Year
Most people in our country are well educated. It is common that people not only have a high school diploma, they also have a college degree. Many people continue their education and get a masters degree and some even get a doctorate.
Most people in our country have good jobs. They are successful and enterprising in their endeavors. It is safe to say that our country is a nation comprised of a people, for the most part, who are professional in what they do.
As we usher in a new year, wouldn’t be nice if we were professional in our relationship with Jesus? Wouldn’t be nice if we were to put the same effort that we put into our education and our jobs into our spiritual life?
What is it that keeps people from being professional in their relationship with the Lord? The answer can be found in one of the seven deadly sins and that sin is sloth.
Sloth is a disease of the will.
What happens to the individual ruled by sloth? People controlled by sloth don’t get anything accomplished. People controlled by sloth are targets for every temptation that the devil has to offer. They just lie there on the ground like cow manure covered with flies. Flies can’t stick to something that is moving fast. And people ruled by sloth have a real hard time getting into Heaven. They are too lazy to live out the demands of the Gospel.
If sloth is a problem for you, what can you do to get rid of it?
First of all, you have to have purpose in life. Once you figured out your purpose in life, you can fulfill the duties that are part of your state in life. Are you single? Are you married? Are you consecrated to God? Your state in life carried with it certain duties and obligation. Fulfill those duties with maturity, coherence, authentic and perfection.
Secondly, you need to have a strong will. Remember that sloth has been defined as a disease of the will. So, it is going to be important to clean up the will by making it strong. Make your bed with perfection every morning; polish your shoes; dress correctly; be punctual for church and your daily appointments; and keep your room neat tidy... (Continued here)
Most people in our country have good jobs. They are successful and enterprising in their endeavors. It is safe to say that our country is a nation comprised of a people, for the most part, who are professional in what they do.
As we usher in a new year, wouldn’t be nice if we were professional in our relationship with Jesus? Wouldn’t be nice if we were to put the same effort that we put into our education and our jobs into our spiritual life?
What is it that keeps people from being professional in their relationship with the Lord? The answer can be found in one of the seven deadly sins and that sin is sloth.
Sloth is a disease of the will.
What happens to the individual ruled by sloth? People controlled by sloth don’t get anything accomplished. People controlled by sloth are targets for every temptation that the devil has to offer. They just lie there on the ground like cow manure covered with flies. Flies can’t stick to something that is moving fast. And people ruled by sloth have a real hard time getting into Heaven. They are too lazy to live out the demands of the Gospel.
If sloth is a problem for you, what can you do to get rid of it?
First of all, you have to have purpose in life. Once you figured out your purpose in life, you can fulfill the duties that are part of your state in life. Are you single? Are you married? Are you consecrated to God? Your state in life carried with it certain duties and obligation. Fulfill those duties with maturity, coherence, authentic and perfection.
Secondly, you need to have a strong will. Remember that sloth has been defined as a disease of the will. So, it is going to be important to clean up the will by making it strong. Make your bed with perfection every morning; polish your shoes; dress correctly; be punctual for church and your daily appointments; and keep your room neat tidy... (Continued here)
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year and Happy Feast Day!
Happy New Year! happy feast of Mary, Mother of God!
I hope that you will all have a very Blessed and grace-filled year of 2009!
Warmly,
Donna-Marie
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