Planned Parenthood and U.S. Catholic Bishops

Washington D.C., Aug 20, 2009 / 06:19 am (CNA).- Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, has criticized the U.S. Catholic bishops’ work to exclude abortion coverage from health care legislation. In response, an official with the conference insisted that taking human life is not health care and warned that pro-abortion politics are endangering the entire proposal.

Writing in an August 18 opinion piece at the Huffington Post, Cecile Richards characterized the bishops’ desire to exclude abortion coverage from health care reform as one that denies “comprehensive reproductive care” which she claimed to be supported by the majority of Americans.

She also argued that the Catholic position was an ongoing effort to eliminate... (Continued at Catholic News Agency here)

Pope Benedict's brother Msgr. Georg Ratzinger speaks about the Pope

Pope’s brother reveals unknown details of Benedict XVI's life

Rome, Sep 30, 2008 / 10:58 am (CNA).- In an interview by Andrea Tornielli for the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, Pope Benedict XVI’s brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, revealed several unknown details from the childhood of the Pontiff, such as when he said one time that Benedict would be a good name for a pope, and that he never attended Hitler Youth meetings he was obliged to sign up for.

During the interview in Ratisbona, Germany, Msgr. Ratzinger said his brother was “a lively child, but not an earthquake. I remember him as always being joyful. From the time he was a child he showed a great sensitivity to animals, flowers and in general to all nature. Perhaps that’s why he was always given pets as Christmas gifts. His care for nature and for living beings was characteristic of him.”

Speaking later about their family, Msgr. Ratzinger said his family was “very united” and his father was a “police commissioner who came from an old family of farmers from lower Bavaria. My mother was a daughter of artisans, and before getting married she had worked as a cook. When it was possible, as kids we went to daily Mass.”

After noting that their father considered Nazism to be “a catastrophe and not only the great enemy of the Church but also of all faiths and of human life in general,” Msgr. Ratzinger said he and his brother were forced to join the Hitler Youth because “the State ordered all school-age kids, according to their age, to be signed up for certain youth groups. When it was obligatory, we were registered as a block. There was no freedom to choose, and not showing up would have brought very negative consequences.”

He said his brother Joseph “did not attend the meetings” and that that “brought economic harm to my family because by not doing so we could not receive the discounts for school tuition.”

He said that both were altar boys and that their vocations became clear early on, “first to... (Continued here)

This just in - Professor threatens to desecrate Eucharist!

Dear friends, please pray about this situation below:

Morris, MN, Jul 23, 2008 / 04:53 am (CNA).- The University of Minnesota has told CNA that disciplinary action has not been taken against Professor Paul Zachary Myers, a biology professor at the school’s Morris campus who threatened to acquire and desecrate a consecrated Host on his popular science blog Pharyngula. However, impeachment proceedings have begun against the University of Central Florida student senator who took a Host from a Catholic Mass in the incident which inspired Myers to make his threat.

Daniel Wolter, the News Service Director in the Office of University Relations at the University of Minnesota, reiterated in an e-mail to CNA that Professor Myers’ views “do not reflect the views of the University of Minnesota.”

“We appreciate the Catholic League's making us aware of the improper link to Myers' blog that was on the University website,” Wolter wrote. “That link has been removed as it was a violation of University web policy.”

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights had criticized Myers’ threat in... (Continued here)

Are the US Catholic Pews tilting to the left?

US Catholics tilt left, Pew survey finds

Washington, Jun. 30, 2008 (CWNews.com) - A newly released study from the Pew Forum shows that many self-described American Catholics ignore Church teachings on both theological and social issues.

In March the Pew Forum released the first findings of an ambitious"religious landscape" survey, showing an important demographic shift within American Catholicism, with with younger Catholics less likely to remain active in the Church, while Hispanic immigrants replace many of the "cradle Catholics" who no longer practice the faith. The Pew survey found widespread dissent from Church teaching and a massive exodus from the Catholic Church, concluding that "roughly released earlier this month, the Pew Forum explains that "roughly one-third of those who were raised Catholic have left the church, and approximately one-in-ten American adults are former Catholics..." (Continued here.)

What do you think?

Taking a Stand

Taking a Stand

Fr. James Farfaglia (from his daily blog)

Today, the Catholic Church remembers St. Ireneaus. Not much is known about his life, however what is known about him is that he was fully immersed in the theological controversies of the second century. He was known as a fearless defender of Church teaching and it is not accidental that he is remembered the day before the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.


Trials and tribulations will always be a part of the Church because it is not merely a human entity. The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ, and Satan will continue to attack it until the Second Coming. Perhaps history will judge our age as presenting
the most formidable challenges the Catholic Church has had to face, although it is true that there have been other dramatic moments in the history of the Church such as the time of St. Ireneaus.


The Catholic Church is the only institution in human history that has continually survived its own problems and failures. As G.K. Chesterton once said, this is true, "because it has a God who knew his way out of the grave". Jesus assures us of his continual presence and protection: "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16: 18).


Rather than becoming discouraged, angry, or even rebellious during a difficult time of trial, we must stand fast through prayer and fidelity. We must always pray for our Church, and always trust that God will deliver us from all evil. The words that Thomas Paine wrote in 1776 are equally true today as they were then: "These are times that try men's souls".


The reality of division within the Catholic Church in this country is very real. Just after the death of Pope John Paul the Great, CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP Poll found that... (Continued here at "The Daily Homily - also in my right column))

Hidden in the Tabernacle

Recently my daughter, Mary-Catherine volunteered to help at the parish with the Christmas pageant auditions. The people in charge decided to use the Church to hold the auditions. Various stations were set up in the Church for the many roles in the pageant.

I decided to stay and pray before the Blessed Sacrament while my daughter was helping out - it would be an hour or two - so good to use this time wisely, I thought. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was gracing us with His presence while all of the mothers were bringing in their children of all sizes to try out for the pageant. There was much hustling and bustling all around the Church and the adjacent hall getting ready for the rehearsal and try outs to begin. It really was lovely to see all of the people come in to the Church at a time when no one would normally be there other than a stray visitor of Jesus or two. But, some of the Moms allowed their children to run through the Church and climb over pews as if it were a playground.

Wouldn't it be nice if all of these parents realized that Jesus was present here in our midst, I thought. Jesus, who is God is here -- right here -- now! I wonder if that knowledge would change any one's life, perspective, or attitude if they really knew. I sadly have not seen any genuflections or bows. Perhaps everyone feels that this is not a Mass, therefore no need to show reverence. I wish they knew, dear Lord. I wish they would acknowledge You!

San Francisco Archbishop apologizes

San Francisco, Oct 12, 2007 / 09:15 am (CNA).- In a column to appear on Sunday, October 19 on "Catholic San Francisco," Archbishop George H. Niederauer apologizes for giving communion to two members of the militant anti-Catholic homosexual group "Sister of Perpetual Indulgence".

The Archbishop of San Francisco says in his column that "a recent event that greatly concerns me needs some additional explanation -- and with it an apology."

"On Sunday, October 7, 2007, I celebrated Mass at Most Holy Redeemer Parish here in San Francisco, during my first visit there. The congregation was devout and the liturgy was celebrated with reverence. I noticed no demonstration, no protest, no disruption of the Eucharist."

"At Communion time, toward the end of the line, two strangely dressed persons came to receive Communion. As I recall one of them wore a large flowered hat or garland. I did not recognize either of them as wearing mock religious garb." ( See entire article here)

"Christ established one true Church..."

My Associate Pastor and friend, Fr Tom Washburn OFM offers us these words about Christ establishing one true Church...

"Here we go again. You know, sometimes I think that the media just can't help themselves. The headline on page 3 of my local paper today, "Pope reasserts Church's domination." The New York Times, "Pope cites 'defects' of other faiths." The Boston Globe, "Pope reasserts salvation comes from one church." The general tenor of these articles, "Pope Benedict XVI reasserted the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released yesterday that says other Christian communities are either defective or not true churches and Catholicism provides the only true path to salvation." Like I said, here we go again.


The challenge is that a good headline and lead often trumps the truth or the details which are inevitably more complex and complicated than anything that you could fit in a headline. The Pope has not made any type of move to invalidate the goodness that exists in many of the different Christian denominations or even other religions in the world. As usual for our theologian-Pope, he is seeking again to clarify things..." Read his entire post here.