Feast of Beheading of St. John the Baptist

The drunken oath of a king with a shallow sense of honor, a seductive dance and the hateful heart of a queen combined to bring about the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The greatest of prophets suffered the fate of so many Old Testament prophets before him: rejection and martyrdom. The “voice crying in the desert” did not hesitate to accuse the guilty, did not hesitate to speak the truth. But why? What possesses a man that he would give up his very life?

This great religious reformer was sent by God to prepare the people for the Messiah. His vocation was one of selfless giving. The only power that he claimed was the Spirit of Yahweh. “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). Scripture tells us that many people followed John looking to him for hope, perhaps in anticipation of some great messianic power. John never allowed himself the false honor of receiving these people for his own glory. He knew his calling was one of preparation. When the time came, he led his disciples to Jesus: “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’ The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus” (John 1:35-37). It is John the Baptist who has pointed the way to Christ. John’s life and death were a giving over of self for God and other people. His simple style of life was one of complete detachment from earthly possessions. His heart was centered on God and the call that he heard from the Spirit of God speaking to his heart. Confident of God’s grace, he had the courage to speak words of condemnation or repentance, of salvation.

Feast St. Louis King of France

Solving Abortion is More than Education

William Donohue wrote an excellent article at Inside Catholic called "Abortion, Human Trafficking and the Left's Double Standard." He demonstrates that if the Left took the same approach to abortion as it does to human trafficking it would have to be illegal. It is a good and balanced article worth reading.

As someone who has spent several years in public safety education the successful approach to changing negative behaviors is through a combination of efforts, i.e., education, legislation, incentives etc. But no amount of education or incentives will convince some people to do the right thing whether it be giving up smoking, wearing seatbelts or requiring car seats for youngsters. For some, making it illegal will be the only message they hear. Pro-abortionists criticize pro-lifers as only caring about making abortion illegal and seeking to punish the poor woman who is often left to make this decision on her own or worse yet forced by a boyfriend or husband.

But making it illegal does not mean you lock everyone up. For example we have laws requiring children be placed in car seats. Now there are many poor families unable to buy a car seat or they come from a different cultural background which does not see the need for them. Regardless, for the safety of their children we have laws requiring their use. If someone doesn't have one and gets pulled over, they aren't arrested but this can be used is an opportunity to properly educate as well. People who unable to afford a car seat are directed toward community resources that can provide one and they can be given information on why they are needed. But to simply seek to educate in this instance without having legislation would be foolish.

Furthermore as stated earlier making something illegal will keep some people from doing it simply for that reason. There was a young artist in the U.K. pregnant with twins who because the system failed her had an abortion. Then a year later in her grief she killed herself after realizing what she had done. This woman would probably be alive today if abortion were illegal. The doctors who the pro-abortion lobby are always telling us should be the only ones involved in this decision making process neglected or ignored the obvious warning signs, that she was reluctant to have an abortion. She was actually excited when she found out she was pregnant but it was her boyfriend who was upset and wanted the abortion. (The role of men in abortion is another tragedy which needs to be dealt with in a different topic.)

Education is necessary but the legislation buys you time to reach those who aren't listening, won't listen or haven't heard. I sit on the board of an inner-city crisis pregnancy center and from personal experience, and that of others, know that some women even after being presented with ultrasounds, and alternatives will still have an abortion simply because it is easier and they have the voices of Planned Parenthood or others encouraging them to do so. And human nature being what it is we will often choose the easier path as long as it is open.

Sign the Petition, Support Univ. of San Diego

H/T American Papist for helping get this started.

Recently the University of San Diego rescinded an invitation to Rosemary Radford Reuther to be the Monsignor John R. Portman Chair in Roman Catholic Theology. She is a noted Catholic feminist theologian who among other things believes in the ordination of women, same-sex marriage, and is a board member of Catholics for Choice, an organization of pro-abortion Catholics. Supporters of Ms. Reuther have petitioned the University to re-extend the offer and are upset at what they see as right-wing fanatacs influencing this decision. Of course the only justified pressure is when it comes from the progressives and true to form they have collected 2000 signatures demanding USD rehire her.

But when a Catholic university does the right thing and adheres to its Catholic name they deserved to be acknowledged and so a counter-petition of support was established at the website of Ora et Labora. Faithful voices must be heard from so please visit the site and sign the position.

Late Term Abortions on the Rise in France

It is often stated that the main reason women have an abortion is economic. If we only raised the minimum wage, spent more on social programs and got people out of poverty there wouldn't be any abortions. As a member of the board on an inner-city crisis pregnancy center I know firsthand that poverty is only one of a number of reasons that lead women to consider aborting their child. More often it is a feeling of being overwhelmed, of lacking a positive support structure of family or friends, of not knowing there are other options available to them.

In further proof that poverty is not at the root of abortions comes this story from France. In a country that is far more socialist than the U.S. although no doubt there are many in this country who would like to see us become just like them.

In France, abortion is illegal after the 12th week of pregnancy, but a woman can
still procure one until the 32nd week if there is evidence of some kind of abnormality. Babies with Down’s syndrome, deformity or fetal abnormalities were victim to 76% of post-twelfth week abortions. According to l'Agence de la biomedicine, only 2.7% of the abortions were performed in an effort to preserve the health of the mother.

In another story we read that in the U.S. over 80% of pregnancies involving a child with Down Syndrome end in abortion. In the U.K in 2006 official figures estimate as many as 94% of women with babies with Down Syndrome had an abortion.

While these numbers are large for a particular cause they do not necessarily indicate a majority in the overall cases for abortion. Yet they are still cause for alarm that so many people would choose abortion in these cases.

Archbishop Burke: No Communion for Public Sinners

When Archbishop Burke left the U.S to become prefect of the Apostolic Signature many progressive Catholics hoped they had heard the last of his "conservative" voice. But in an interview given this week he re-affirmed that communion should be denied to Catholics, and especially politicians, who public support abortion rights. More of the story is at CNA.

“If a person who has been admonished persists in public mortal sin and
attempts to receive Communion, the minister of the Eucharist has the obligation
to deny it to him. Why? Above all, for the salvation of that person, preventing
him from committing a sacrilege,” he added.
“We must avoid giving people the
impression that one can be in a state of mortal sin and receive the Eucharist,”
the archbishop continued. “Secondly, there could be another form of
scandal, consisting of leading people to think that the public act that this
person is doing, which until now everyone believed was a serious sin, is really
not that serious - if the Church allows him or her to receive
Communion.”
“If we have a public figure who is openly and deliberately
upholding abortion rights and receiving the Eucharist, what will the average
person think? He or she could come to believe that it up to a certain point it
is okay to do away with an innocent life in the mother’s womb,” he warned.

Feast of St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Garcia Moreno

There is a excellent post on Andrew Cusacks blog about the life of former president of Ecuador, Garcia Moreno. It is sad to see this once Catholic country now forming a new Socialist constitution that is pro-abortion, anti-family. The Archbishop of Ecuador has received death threats because of his outspoken opposition to the constitution. It is time to pray for the intercession of Garcia Moreno to the Sacred Heart that Ecuador may recover its strong Catholic heritage. During his presidency Ecuador was the only country to publicly support Pope Pius IX against his enemies.

"as noteworthy as the Consecration was Ecuador’s distinction of being the only nation in the world to officially protest Garibaldi’s occupation of Rome and seizure of the Papal territories, in order to create a unified Italy. In September of 1870, Pope Pius IX became “the prisoner of the Vatican,” after the Papal city fell to the revolutionaries. Garcia Moreno addressed an official protest to the government of King Victor Emmanuel on behalf of Ecuador. He accused Italy of a “hateful and sacrilegious assault” in depriving the Holy Father of his temporal domains and incomes, thereby impeding the liberty of the Church to fulfill its Divine Mission."

For a much more detailed biography on the life of this great Catholic statesman visit http://members.aol.com/fmrega7/GarciaMoreno.htm

For more information to what is going on there you can read about it at Lifesite News

Braveheart Revisited

One of my favorite comedians is Bob Newhart. Here he is in a sketch along with some old friends in a parody of Braveheart.

Sen. Casey to Speak at Democratic Convention

It may be cynical but it appears that the decision to allow Sen. Bob Casey jr. from Pennsylvania to speak at the Democratic convention is a calculated effort to draw Catholic voters. Additionally the Democratic platform was modified to include pre and post natal support to women who choose to have their child rather than abortion. While that is clearly a positive step it is largely meaningless as long as Sen Obama and others of the Democratic party remain committed to keeping abortion safe and legal. Sen. Obama has not retracted his statement to immediately repeal the Freedom of Choice Act upon taking office. That means that the sadistic partial-birth abortion would become legal again.

It should also be mentioned that a key aspect of the Democratic idea of reducing abortion is to provide greater access to birth control, including for teenagers w/o parental notification. This is hardly consistent with Catholic teaching both regarding the issue of contraception and the rights of parents.