Working Together Part 2

Pro-Life Catholics are often accused of lacking concern for the "other social issues" and caring more for the unborn than for the living. While this is patently absurd it is important for the sake of clarity to set down some basic principles of what Catholic teaching is on the economic issues. In a similar vein as my previous post on "working together" it is important to highlight how we define terms in contrast to non-Catholics. Here are some general principles governing economic reform highlighted by Pope Pius X and taken from the encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII:

1) Human society, as God established it, is composed of unequal elements, just as the members of the human body are unequal; to make them all equal is impossible, and would be the destruction of society itself (Quod Apostolici muneris).

2) Consequently, it is conformable to the order established by God that in human society there should be princes and subjects, masters and men, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, nobles and plebians, who, united by the bond of love, should help one another to attain their final end in Heaven, and the their material and moral well-being on earth [A key point here is the bond of love necessary to help each other attain Heaven ultimately and their material and moral well-being on Earth. Too frequently today are people only concerned with their material well-being. This is particularly true of our secular government] (Quod Apostolici muneris).

3) To calm the strife between rich and poor it is necessary to distinguish between justice and charity. Only when justice has been violated is there a right to make a claim. [Two very misunderstand terms, especially that of "justice" as defined by the Peace and Justice groups} (Rerum Novarum).

4) The obligations of the poor and of the workman are these: to perform wholly and faithfully the work which has been freely and equitably agreed upon; not to injure masters in their property or person; to abstain from acts of violence, even in defence of their own rights; and never to turn their demands into disturbances (Rerum Novarum).

5) The obligations of justice for capitalist and masters are as follows: to pay a just wage to workman; not to injure their lawful savings by violence, fraud, nor by open or hidden usury; not to expose them to corrupting allurements, nor to the danger of scandal; not to entice them from a love of their family, and from careful thrift; not to impose on them work unsuited to their strength, age, and sex (Rerum Novarum).

6) It is an obligation of charity for the rich and for those who have means, to help the poor and needy, according to the precept of the Gospel. This precept is of such binding force that, at the day of judgment, as our Lord Himself tells us, a special account of its fulfilment will be required (Rerum Novarum).

7) The poor, on their part, ought not to blush for their poverty, nor disdain the charity of the rich, above all when they think of Jesus, our Redeemer, Who, though He could have been born in wealth, made Himself poor to ennoble poverty and enrich it with incomparable merits of Heaven (Rerum Novarum).

8) Capitalists and workmen may themselves largely help towards the solution of the labor question, by institutions formed to give timely aid to those who are in need, as also to draw together and unite the two classes. Such are societies of mutual help, numerous private insurance societies, what are called 'patronages' for the young, and, above all, workingmen's unions. [Regarding this last point, St. Pius X stressed the need for Catholic associations, in order that a Catholic's economic life and action may be in harmony with his religious beliefs: (Rerum Novarum)

Working Together Part 2

Pro-Life Catholics are often accused of lacking concern for the "other social issues" and caring more for the unborn than for the living. While this is patently absurd it is important for the sake of clarity to set down some basic principles of what Catholic teaching is on the economic issues. In a similar vein as my previous post on "working together" it is important to highlight how we define terms in contrast to non-Catholics. Here are some general principles governing economic reform highlighted by Pope Pius X and taken from the encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII:

1) Human society, as God established it, is composed of unequal elements, just as the members of the human body are unequal; to make them all equal is impossible, and would be the destruction of society itself (Quod Apostolici muneris).

2) Consequently, it is conformable to the order established by God that in human society there should be princes and subjects, masters and men, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, nobles and plebians, who, united by the bond of love, should help one another to attain their final end in Heaven, and the their material and moral well-being on earth [A key point here is the bond of love necessary to help each other attain Heaven ultimately and their material and moral well-being on Earth. Too frequently today are people only concerned with their material well-being. This is particularly true of our secular government] (Quod Apostolici muneris).

3) To calm the strife between rich and poor it is necessary to distinguish between justice and charity. Only when justice has been violated is there a right to make a claim. [Two very misunderstand terms, especially that of "justice" as defined by the Peace and Justice groups} (Rerum Novarum).

4) The obligations of the poor and of the workman are these: to perform wholly and faithfully the work which has been freely and equitably agreed upon; not to injure masters in their property or person; to abstain from acts of violence, even in defence of their own rights; and never to turn their demands into disturbances (Rerum Novarum).

5) The obligations of justice for capitalist and masters are as follows: to pay a just wage to workman; not to injure their lawful savings by violence, fraud, nor by open or hidden usury; not to expose them to corrupting allurements, nor to the danger of scandal; not to entice them from a love of their family, and from careful thrift; not to impose on them work unsuited to their strength, age, and sex (Rerum Novarum).

6) It is an obligation of charity for the rich and for those who have means, to help the poor and needy, according to the precept of the Gospel. This precept is of such binding force that, at the day of judgment, as our Lord Himself tells us, a special account of its fulfilment will be required (Rerum Novarum).

7) The poor, on their part, ought not to blush for their poverty, nor disdain the charity of the rich, above all when they think of Jesus, our Redeemer, Who, though He could have been born in wealth, made Himself poor to ennoble poverty and enrich it with incomparable merits of Heaven (Rerum Novarum).

8) Capitalists and workmen may themselves largely help towards the solution of the labor question, by institutions formed to give timely aid to those who are in need, as also to draw together and unite the two classes. Such are societies of mutual help, numerous private insurance societies, what are called 'patronages' for the young, and, above all, workingmen's unions. [Regarding this last point, St. Pius X stressed the need for Catholic associations, in order that a Catholic's economic life and action may be in harmony with his religious beliefs: (Rerum Novarum)

The Deception of "Working Together"

By now Pres. Obama's speech at Notre Dame has been thoroughly analyzed with many Catholics being duped by his rhetoric that we should find ways to work together. Now there is nothing wrong in principle in this idea so long as you agree on the major premises of your efforts. In his recent article for The Catholic Thing, Hadley Arkes demonstrates the fundamental incapatability between the two positions such that they are like oil and water. No matter how you try they cannot be mixed.

"In the case of Obama, as with Clinton and Gore before him, the unspoken premises are again the most astounding – and even more astounding yet in being unnoticed. The techniques of contraception may work well or badly, as people seek, artfully or clumsily, to avoid “unintended pregnancies.” But it is simply taken for granted, as a point well beyond questioning now, that there is a “right,” even a “constitutional right” to destroy an innocent human life for reasons wholly of self-interest, indeed for reasons that need not rise above convenience.

The remedy for an “unintended pregnancy” used to be regarded as an adoption, not a lethal surgery. Adoption is offered by Obama, as though offered in generosity, for those people who do not care to invoke their constitutional right to destroy an innocent life in the womb. It is a gesture that leaves that essential “right” quite intact, without the slightest concession to the notion that the nascent life has even a shadow of a claim to our concern or respect. This is what Obama and the “Obama Catholics” apparently regard as an earnest mode of “work[ing] together”: concede their major premises, unqualified, unmodified, and give them credit for a largeness of spirit.

Of course, it is worth noting also that an “unintended pregnancy” becomes far more portentous when young people are unmarried, with no serious intention of committing themselves to a life together. Obama’s premises conveniently leave in place the assumption that there are no moral inhibitions worth taking seriously any longer on that notion of sex as virtually free, detached from commitments or requirements, taken even as a freewheeling pastime for young people in college, learning a little about everything.

The Deception of "Working Together"

By now Pres. Obama's speech at Notre Dame has been thoroughly analyzed with many Catholics being duped by his rhetoric that we should find ways to work together. Now there is nothing wrong in principle in this idea so long as you agree on the major premises of your efforts. In his recent article for The Catholic Thing, Hadley Arkes demonstrates the fundamental incapatability between the two positions such that they are like oil and water. No matter how you try they cannot be mixed.

"In the case of Obama, as with Clinton and Gore before him, the unspoken premises are again the most astounding – and even more astounding yet in being unnoticed. The techniques of contraception may work well or badly, as people seek, artfully or clumsily, to avoid “unintended pregnancies.” But it is simply taken for granted, as a point well beyond questioning now, that there is a “right,” even a “constitutional right” to destroy an innocent human life for reasons wholly of self-interest, indeed for reasons that need not rise above convenience.

The remedy for an “unintended pregnancy” used to be regarded as an adoption, not a lethal surgery. Adoption is offered by Obama, as though offered in generosity, for those people who do not care to invoke their constitutional right to destroy an innocent life in the womb. It is a gesture that leaves that essential “right” quite intact, without the slightest concession to the notion that the nascent life has even a shadow of a claim to our concern or respect. This is what Obama and the “Obama Catholics” apparently regard as an earnest mode of “work[ing] together”: concede their major premises, unqualified, unmodified, and give them credit for a largeness of spirit.

Of course, it is worth noting also that an “unintended pregnancy” becomes far more portentous when young people are unmarried, with no serious intention of committing themselves to a life together. Obama’s premises conveniently leave in place the assumption that there are no moral inhibitions worth taking seriously any longer on that notion of sex as virtually free, detached from commitments or requirements, taken even as a freewheeling pastime for young people in college, learning a little about everything.

Cardinal Bernardin on the (Mis)Use of His Consistent Ethic

There is a tendency by certain groups to quote Cardinal Bernardin and refer to his "Consistent Ethic of Life" philosophy. This is done to minimize or excuse the murder of the unborn by attempting to focus attention on "other social issues." President Obama did just this at his acceptance speech at Notre Dame on Sunday. But what did Cardinal Bernardin have to say about this corruption of his philosophy? H/T to Richard Garnett in his response to an article at Commonweal.

With respect to the President’s invocation of Cardinal Bernadin, it strikes me as important to remember that, for the latter, the “consistent ethic” idea was never intended to minimize the importance of the abortion question or to excuse opposition to legal protections for unborn children. He said, for example, in 1988, “I don’t see how you can subscribe to the consistent ethic and then vote for someone who feels that abortion is a ‘basic right’ of the individual.”

And, in the same interview, he noted that “some people on the left, if I may use that label, have used the consistent ethic to give the impression that the abortion issue is not all that important anymore, that you should be against abortion in a general way but that there are more important issues, so don’t hold anybody’s feet to the fire just on abortion. That’s a misuse of the consistent ethic, and I deplore it.”

Cardinal Bernardin on the (Mis)Use of His Consistent Ethic

There is a tendency by certain groups to quote Cardinal Bernardin and refer to his "Consistent Ethic of Life" philosophy. This is done to minimize or excuse the murder of the unborn by attempting to focus attention on "other social issues." President Obama did just this at his acceptance speech at Notre Dame on Sunday. But what did Cardinal Bernardin have to say about this corruption of his philosophy? H/T to Richard Garnett in his response to an article at Commonweal.

With respect to the President’s invocation of Cardinal Bernadin, it strikes me as important to remember that, for the latter, the “consistent ethic” idea was never intended to minimize the importance of the abortion question or to excuse opposition to legal protections for unborn children. He said, for example, in 1988, “I don’t see how you can subscribe to the consistent ethic and then vote for someone who feels that abortion is a ‘basic right’ of the individual.”

And, in the same interview, he noted that “some people on the left, if I may use that label, have used the consistent ethic to give the impression that the abortion issue is not all that important anymore, that you should be against abortion in a general way but that there are more important issues, so don’t hold anybody’s feet to the fire just on abortion. That’s a misuse of the consistent ethic, and I deplore it.”

Feast of the Ascension

Today is Ascension Thursday, a national holiday celebrated throughout much of Europe but here we find it difficult to make it to Mass twice in a week so we have moved the Feast to Sunday. While there was much genuine outrage over the Notre Dame debacle we should find greater concern in a Catholic culture that finds difficulty getting to Mass an extra day but wouldn't have any hesitation in accepting tickets to an extra ballgame in one week.

Feast of the Ascension

Today is Ascension Thursday, a national holiday celebrated throughout much of Europe but here we find it difficult to make it to Mass twice in a week so we have moved the Feast to Sunday. While there was much genuine outrage over the Notre Dame debacle we should find greater concern in a Catholic culture that finds difficulty getting to Mass an extra day but wouldn't have any hesitation in accepting tickets to an extra ballgame in one week.

Christ Must Rule Over Nations

One of the elements from President Obama's speech was the emphasis on diversity and working together to meet the problems we all face as individuals and as nations. Unfortunately what is absent from his plan is that it neglects the place Christ must hold. He stated that no religion holds all the answers. Well I beg to seriously differ.

Read the following excerpt from The Kingship of Christ by Cardinal Pie of Poitiers and the re-read the speech Obama gave at UND in light of this text.

"So long as Christ does not reign over nations, His influence over individuals remains superficial and precarious. If it is true that the work of the apostolate consists in the conversion of individuals and that nations as such do not go to heaven, but souls, one by one, we must not forget, nevertheless, that the individual member of society lives under the never-ceasing influence of his environment, in which, if we may not say that he is submerged, he is, at least, deeply plunged., If the environment is non-Catholic, it prevents him from embracing the faith or, if he has the faith, it tends to root out of his heart every vestige of belief. If we imagine Catholic social institutions, with Our Lord no longer living in the hearts of the individual members of society, then religion has there become merely a displeasing signboard which will soon be torn down. But, on the other hand, try to convert individuals without Catholicizing the social institutions and your work is without stability. The structure you erect in the morning will be torn down by others in the evening. is not the strategy of the enemies of God there to teach us a lesson? They want to destroy the faith in the hearts of the individuals, it is true, but they direct still more vigorous efforts to the elimination of religion from social institutions. Even one defeat of God in this domain means the weakening, if not the ruin, of the faith in the souls of many.

President Jenkins has supported his decision to honor President Obama because of his commitment to other issues that are consistent with other social teachings of the Church. The problem I have attempted to raise the past year is that while many rightly attempt to defend the right to life position as trumping these other social issues in terms of importance, they frequently fail to address the myth that Pres. Obama's understanding of these issues is equivalent with the Catholic understanding of them. One can search my past posts as I have shown that his positions vis a vis healthcare, education, economics etc are more often contrary to Church teaching than in agreement. Perhaps the problem is that too few Catholics fully comprehend the Catholic Social Teaching but take them to be the platform of the Democrat Party.

Recalling what Cardinal George had to say after his earlier meeting with President Obama,

"He'll tell you anything to make you think he agrees with you."

Christ Must Rule Over Nations

One of the elements from President Obama's speech was the emphasis on diversity and working together to meet the problems we all face as individuals and as nations. Unfortunately what is absent from his plan is that it neglects the place Christ must hold. He stated that no religion holds all the answers. Well I beg to seriously differ.

Read the following excerpt from The Kingship of Christ by Cardinal Pie of Poitiers and the re-read the speech Obama gave at UND in light of this text.

"So long as Christ does not reign over nations, His influence over individuals remains superficial and precarious. If it is true that the work of the apostolate consists in the conversion of individuals and that nations as such do not go to heaven, but souls, one by one, we must not forget, nevertheless, that the individual member of society lives under the never-ceasing influence of his environment, in which, if we may not say that he is submerged, he is, at least, deeply plunged., If the environment is non-Catholic, it prevents him from embracing the faith or, if he has the faith, it tends to root out of his heart every vestige of belief. If we imagine Catholic social institutions, with Our Lord no longer living in the hearts of the individual members of society, then religion has there become merely a displeasing signboard which will soon be torn down. But, on the other hand, try to convert individuals without Catholicizing the social institutions and your work is without stability. The structure you erect in the morning will be torn down by others in the evening. is not the strategy of the enemies of God there to teach us a lesson? They want to destroy the faith in the hearts of the individuals, it is true, but they direct still more vigorous efforts to the elimination of religion from social institutions. Even one defeat of God in this domain means the weakening, if not the ruin, of the faith in the souls of many.

President Jenkins has supported his decision to honor President Obama because of his commitment to other issues that are consistent with other social teachings of the Church. The problem I have attempted to raise the past year is that while many rightly attempt to defend the right to life position as trumping these other social issues in terms of importance, they frequently fail to address the myth that Pres. Obama's understanding of these issues is equivalent with the Catholic understanding of them. One can search my past posts as I have shown that his positions vis a vis healthcare, education, economics etc are more often contrary to Church teaching than in agreement. Perhaps the problem is that too few Catholics fully comprehend the Catholic Social Teaching but take them to be the platform of the Democrat Party.

Recalling what Cardinal George had to say after his earlier meeting with President Obama,

"He'll tell you anything to make you think he agrees with you."

Yes We Can! No You Won't!

The One has spoken at UND and tomorrow the sun will rise and life will go on. It is not a time to despair the apparent victory of the anti-life forces. As the Devil sensed victory while Jesus walked to Calvary it was only for a brief instant before he realized his mortal error and utter defeat. It is understood that the Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church, will likewise imitate Jesus' physical life by following His Passion and Death before the Second Coming.

As the forces of death rejoice at today's honor it too will be a brief celebration. As the students shouted down the pro-life protestors by parroting "Yes We Can" and giving standing ovations to President Obama we must be like poor Noah who sat building an ark while listening to the shouts and jeers of his onlookers.

We know with a serence confidence by Jesus' Death and Resurrection, No You Won't!

Yes We Can! No You Won't!

The One has spoken at UND and tomorrow the sun will rise and life will go on. It is not a time to despair the apparent victory of the anti-life forces. As the Devil sensed victory while Jesus walked to Calvary it was only for a brief instant before he realized his mortal error and utter defeat. It is understood that the Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church, will likewise imitate Jesus' physical life by following His Passion and Death before the Second Coming.

As the forces of death rejoice at today's honor it too will be a brief celebration. As the students shouted down the pro-life protestors by parroting "Yes We Can" and giving standing ovations to President Obama we must be like poor Noah who sat building an ark while listening to the shouts and jeers of his onlookers.

We know with a serence confidence by Jesus' Death and Resurrection, No You Won't!

Fr. Z's Response to the Notre Dame Talking Points

Fr. Z has provided a response to a number of the "talking points" commonly heard by the supporters of Notre Dame's decision to invite and honor Pres. Obama on Sunday. As in any time you might be called on to defend the Faith, it is a good idea to become familiar with the opposing arguments and the well reasoned responses. Check out Fr. Z at WDTPRS. Here is one talking point in particular that is a bit more challenging and a clarifying response.

7. Pro-abortion French President Nicholas Sarkozy was made an honorary canon of the Pope’s own Cathedral, the Lateran Basilica. If that can happen in Rome, then no one can object if Notre Dame gives an honor to the President.

On the surface, this point seems compelling. But the analogy isn’t good enough to support the position that Pres. Obama should therefore be honored at Notre Dame. The President of France has, ex officio, the right to be a canon of the Lateran, no matter what his stance on abortion may be. He takes that place as a matter of course. The Holy Father could, of course, rescind that, but there would be diplomatic repercussions between states: this has been the right for the French head of state since the time of King Henry IV (+1610). Henry in 1604 gave to the Lateran chapter the ownership of the Benedictine Abbey of Clariac. The Pope therefore made the French head of state ex officio an honorary canon of the Lateran. Thus, this "honor" comes automatically. It does not come after a decision of the Pope or the Lateran chapter. Though I remember reading that Notre Dame has a standing invitation to Presidents to speak at their commencement, Pres. Obama does not have an ex officio right to do so. Notre Dame made a decision to give an honor to Pres. Obama. Moreover, even though Pres. Sarkozy is known to be pro-abortion, I doubt very much that he would have twice voted in a provincial assembly against a law that would require life-saving measures to be applied to a baby who had survived attempts to abort it. There is the issue of Pres. Obama’s extreme position. There is also the policy of the USCCB for Catholic institutions. The USCCB said that Catholic institutions should not give these platforms to such politicians. Notre Dame ignored the USCCB.

Fr. Z's Response to the Notre Dame Talking Points

Fr. Z has provided a response to a number of the "talking points" commonly heard by the supporters of Notre Dame's decision to invite and honor Pres. Obama on Sunday. As in any time you might be called on to defend the Faith, it is a good idea to become familiar with the opposing arguments and the well reasoned responses. Check out Fr. Z at WDTPRS. Here is one talking point in particular that is a bit more challenging and a clarifying response.

7. Pro-abortion French President Nicholas Sarkozy was made an honorary canon of the Pope’s own Cathedral, the Lateran Basilica. If that can happen in Rome, then no one can object if Notre Dame gives an honor to the President.

On the surface, this point seems compelling. But the analogy isn’t good enough to support the position that Pres. Obama should therefore be honored at Notre Dame. The President of France has, ex officio, the right to be a canon of the Lateran, no matter what his stance on abortion may be. He takes that place as a matter of course. The Holy Father could, of course, rescind that, but there would be diplomatic repercussions between states: this has been the right for the French head of state since the time of King Henry IV (+1610). Henry in 1604 gave to the Lateran chapter the ownership of the Benedictine Abbey of Clariac. The Pope therefore made the French head of state ex officio an honorary canon of the Lateran. Thus, this "honor" comes automatically. It does not come after a decision of the Pope or the Lateran chapter. Though I remember reading that Notre Dame has a standing invitation to Presidents to speak at their commencement, Pres. Obama does not have an ex officio right to do so. Notre Dame made a decision to give an honor to Pres. Obama. Moreover, even though Pres. Sarkozy is known to be pro-abortion, I doubt very much that he would have twice voted in a provincial assembly against a law that would require life-saving measures to be applied to a baby who had survived attempts to abort it. There is the issue of Pres. Obama’s extreme position. There is also the policy of the USCCB for Catholic institutions. The USCCB said that Catholic institutions should not give these platforms to such politicians. Notre Dame ignored the USCCB.

Why Fr. Jenkins Doesn't Have a Problem with Pres. Obama

Fr. Jenkins of Notre Dame has gone at great lengths to explain why he feels it is okay to invite President Obama to receive an honorary law degree. That despite his clear advocacy of abortion and birth control these are balanced by his views on other important social issues which he claims are aligned with Catholic teaching. The fact that Fr. Jenkin's erroneous view is proven false by Church teaching and numerous statements by Bishops and two recent Popes has had no impact on his decision. Perhaps we can understand his obstinate defiance of particularly his own Bishop by the following information. It has come to light that Fr. Jenkins is on the Board of Directors for a group called Millennium Promise whose vision is to end extreme poverty worldwide by 2025. Their flagship initiative, the Millennium Villages, now operating in 80 villages across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, takes a comprehensive approach to addressing extreme poverty. So far there is nothing objectionable with their vision or goals. However upon closer examination we find that along with their noble goals of working with the poor they also promote anti-life policies. On page 92 of their handbook is the following on their vision for maternal care,

Abortion services: In countries where abortion is legal, safe abortion services in controlled settings by skilled practitioners should be established. In villages with a nearby district center with sound surgical capacity, these services can be referred. However, in instances where no district center or alternate post for safe abortion practices is accessible, abortion services can be offered at the village level, provided that sufficient surgical capacity exists.

• Contraception and family planning: Family planning and contraception services are critical to allow women to choose family size and birth spacing, to combat sexually transmitted infections, including HIV infection, and contribute to the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality. Services include: 1) Counseling; 2) Male and female condoms; 3)Pharmacologic contraceptives including oral, transdermal, intramuscular, and implanted methods; and 4)IUDs

I recently spoke with a young woman involved with abstinence and chastity education. She spent several years in Haiti where she was repeatedly told by the residents there how they were insulted by the attitude of these NGO's who came into their country and propogated their anti-life dogma's. Such sentiment is commonly heard by residents of African and other 3rd World countries. These people welcome the traditional teaching of the Church on these matters as was clearly seen on the Pope's recent visit to Africa.

Why Fr. Jenkins Doesn't Have a Problem with Pres. Obama

Fr. Jenkins of Notre Dame has gone at great lengths to explain why he feels it is okay to invite President Obama to receive an honorary law degree. That despite his clear advocacy of abortion and birth control these are balanced by his views on other important social issues which he claims are aligned with Catholic teaching. The fact that Fr. Jenkin's erroneous view is proven false by Church teaching and numerous statements by Bishops and two recent Popes has had no impact on his decision. Perhaps we can understand his obstinate defiance of particularly his own Bishop by the following information. It has come to light that Fr. Jenkins is on the Board of Directors for a group called Millennium Promise whose vision is to end extreme poverty worldwide by 2025. Their flagship initiative, the Millennium Villages, now operating in 80 villages across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, takes a comprehensive approach to addressing extreme poverty. So far there is nothing objectionable with their vision or goals. However upon closer examination we find that along with their noble goals of working with the poor they also promote anti-life policies. On page 92 of their handbook is the following on their vision for maternal care,

Abortion services: In countries where abortion is legal, safe abortion services in controlled settings by skilled practitioners should be established. In villages with a nearby district center with sound surgical capacity, these services can be referred. However, in instances where no district center or alternate post for safe abortion practices is accessible, abortion services can be offered at the village level, provided that sufficient surgical capacity exists.

• Contraception and family planning: Family planning and contraception services are critical to allow women to choose family size and birth spacing, to combat sexually transmitted infections, including HIV infection, and contribute to the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality. Services include: 1) Counseling; 2) Male and female condoms; 3)Pharmacologic contraceptives including oral, transdermal, intramuscular, and implanted methods; and 4)IUDs

I recently spoke with a young woman involved with abstinence and chastity education. She spent several years in Haiti where she was repeatedly told by the residents there how they were insulted by the attitude of these NGO's who came into their country and propogated their anti-life dogma's. Such sentiment is commonly heard by residents of African and other 3rd World countries. These people welcome the traditional teaching of the Church on these matters as was clearly seen on the Pope's recent visit to Africa.

Feast of St. Isidore the Farmer

Today is the Feast of St. Isidore the Farmer, the patron of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. As I posted earlier on the homily of Pope Benedict in Nazareth and the importance of imitation of the Holy Family, here is a couple that followed that example and became saints themselves.
Isidore and Maria led virtuous lives: commitment to family, love for the land, service to the poor and a deep spirituality. This simple couple worked their entire lives for a wealthy landowner in medieval Spain. St. Isidore was known for his piety, special love of the downtrodden and a respectful care for animals.

Piety calls for faithfulness to relationships among family, kin, community and society. Piety moves a person to venerate God with generosity and affection, humbly to others and to all of Creation.

Dear God, thank you for rural lives. Bless those who are formed by the rhythms of nature and church. Help us to rejoice in You and each other. Isidore and Maria, pray for us. Amen.

Feast of St. Isidore the Farmer

Today is the Feast of St. Isidore the Farmer, the patron of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. As I posted earlier on the homily of Pope Benedict in Nazareth and the importance of imitation of the Holy Family, here is a couple that followed that example and became saints themselves.
Isidore and Maria led virtuous lives: commitment to family, love for the land, service to the poor and a deep spirituality. This simple couple worked their entire lives for a wealthy landowner in medieval Spain. St. Isidore was known for his piety, special love of the downtrodden and a respectful care for animals.

Piety calls for faithfulness to relationships among family, kin, community and society. Piety moves a person to venerate God with generosity and affection, humbly to others and to all of Creation.

Dear God, thank you for rural lives. Bless those who are formed by the rhythms of nature and church. Help us to rejoice in You and each other. Isidore and Maria, pray for us. Amen.

Pope Benedict Speaks on the Family in Nazareth

In his homily yesterday during the Mass in Nazareth, Pope Benedict spoke on the necessity of all families to "return to Nazareth, to contemplate the life of the Holy Family." He also spoke in defense of the traditional family as marriage between man and woman.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,“May the peace of the Risen Christ reign in your hearts, for as members of the one body you have been called to that peace!” (Col 3:15). With these words of the Apostle Paul, I greet all of you with affection in the Lord. I rejoice to have come to Nazareth, the place blessed by the mystery of the Annunciation, the place which witnessed the hidden years of Christ’s growth in wisdom, age and grace (cf. Lk 2:52). I thank Archbishop Elias Chacour for his kind words of welcome, and I embrace with the sign of peace my brother Bishops, the priests and religious, and all the faithful of Galilee, who, in the diversity of their rites and traditions, give expression to the universality of Christ’s Church.

In a special way I wish to thank all those who have helped to make this celebration possible, particularly those involved in the planning and construction of this new theatre with its splendid panorama of the city.

Here in the home town of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we have gathered to mark the conclusion of the Year of the Family celebrated by the Church in the Holy Land. As a sign of hope for the future I will bless the first stone of an International Center for the Family to be built in Nazareth. Let us pray that the Center will promote strong family life in this region, offer support and assistance to families everywhere, and encourage them in their irreplaceable mission to society.

This stage of my pilgrimage, I am confident, will draw the whole Church’s attention to this town of Nazareth. All of us need, as Pope Paul VI said here, to return to Nazareth, to contemplate ever anew the silence and love of the Holy Family, the model of all Christian family life. Here, in the example of Mary, Joseph and Jesus, we come to appreciate even more fully the sacredness of the family, which in God’s plan is based on the lifelong fidelity of a man and a woman consecrated by the marriage covenant and accepting of God’s gift of new life. How much the men and women of our time need to reappropriate this fundamental truth, which stands at the foundation of society, and how important is the witness of married couples for the formation of sound consciences and the building of a civilization of love!

In today’s first reading, drawn from the book of Sirach (3:3-7, 14-17), the word of God presents the family as the first school of wisdom, a school which trains its members in the practice of those virtues which make for authentic happiness and lasting fulfilment. In God’s plan for the family, the love of husband and wife bears fruit in new life, and finds daily expression in the loving efforts of parents to ensure an integral human and spiritual formation for their children. In the family each person, whether the smallest child or the oldest relative, is valued for himself or herself, and not seen simply as a means to some other end. Here we begin to glimpse something of the essential role of the family as the first building-block of a well-ordered and welcoming society. We also come to appreciate, within the wider community, the duty of the State to support families in their mission of education, to protect the institution of the family and its inherent rights, and to ensure that all families can live and flourish in conditions of dignity.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Colossians, speaks instinctively of the family when he wishes to illustrate the virtues which build up the “one body” which is the Church. As “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved”, we are called to live in harmony and peace with one another, showing above all forbearance and forgiveness, with love as the highest bond of perfection (cf. Col 3:12-14). Just as in the marriage covenant, the love of man and woman is raised by grace to become a sharing in, and an expression of, the love of Christ and the Church (cf. Eph 5:32), so too the family, grounded in that love, is called to be a “domestic church”, a place of faith, of prayer and of loving concern for the true and enduring good of each of its members.

As we reflect on these realities here, in the town of the Annunciation, our thoughts naturally turn to Mary, “full of grace”, the mother of the Holy Family and our Mother. Nazareth reminds us of our need to acknowledge and respect the God-given dignity and proper role of women, as well as their particular charisms and talents. Whether as mothers in families, as a vital presence in the work force and the institutions of society, or in the particular vocation of following our Lord by the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, women have an indispensable role in creating that “human ecology” (cf. Centesimus Annus, 39) which our world, and this land, so urgently needs: a milieu in which children learn to love and to cherish others, to be honest and respectful to all, to practice the virtues of mercy and forgiveness.

Here too, we think of Saint Joseph, the just man whom God wished to place over his household. From Joseph’s strong and fatherly example Jesus learned the virtues of a manly piety, fidelity to one’s word, integrity and hard work. In the carpenter of Nazareth he saw how authority placed at the service of love is infinitely more fruitful than the power which seeks to dominate. How much our world needs the example, guidance and quiet strength of men like Joseph!

Finally, in contemplating the Holy Family of Nazareth, we turn to the child Jesus, who in the home of Mary and Joseph grew in wisdom and understanding, until the day he began his public ministry. Here I would simply like to leave a particular thought with the young people here.

The Second Vatican Council teaches that children have a special role to play in the growth of their parents in holiness (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 48). I urge you to reflect on this, and to let the example of Jesus guide you, not only in showing respect for your parents, but also helping them to discover more fully the love which gives our lives their deepest meaning. In the Holy Family of Nazareth, it was Jesus who taught Mary and Joseph something of the greatness of the love of God his heavenly Father, the ultimate source of all love, the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name (cf. Eph 3:14-15).

Dear friends, in the Opening Prayer of today’s Mass we asked the Father to “help us to live as the Holy Family, united in respect and love”. Let us reaffirm here our commitment to be a leaven of respect and love in the world around us. This Mount of the Precipice reminds us, as it has generations of pilgrims, that our Lord’s message was at times a source of contradiction and conflict with his hearers. Sadly, as the world knows, Nazareth has experienced tensions in recent years which have harmed relations between its Christian and Muslim communities. I urge people of good will in both communities to repair the damage that has been done, and in fidelity to our common belief in one God, the Father of the human family, to work to build bridges and find the way to a peaceful coexistence. Let everyone reject the destructive power of hatred and prejudice, which kills men’s souls before it kills their bodies!

Allow me to conclude with a word of gratitude and praise for all those who strive to bring God’s love to the children of this town, and to educate new generations in the ways of peace. I think in a special way of the local Churches, particularly in their schools and charitable institutions, to break down walls and to be a seedbed of encounter, dialogue, reconciliation and solidarity. I encourage the dedicated priests, religious, catechists and teachers, together with parents and all concerned for the good of our children, to persevere in bearing witness to the Gospel, to be confident in the triumph of goodness and truth, and to trust that God will give growth to every initiative which aims at the extension of his Kingdom of holiness, solidarity, justice and peace. At the same time I acknowledge with gratitude the solidarity which so many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world show towards the faithful of the Holy Land by supporting the praiseworthy programs and activities of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.

“Let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). May our Lady of the Annunciation, who courageously opened her heart to God’s mysterious plan, and became the Mother of all believers, guide and sustain us by her prayers. May she obtain for us and our families the grace to open our ears to that word of the Lord which has the power to build us up (cf. Acts 20:32), to inspire courageous decisions, and to guide our feet into the path of peace!

Pope Benedict Speaks on the Family in Nazareth

In his homily yesterday during the Mass in Nazareth, Pope Benedict spoke on the necessity of all families to "return to Nazareth, to contemplate the life of the Holy Family." He also spoke in defense of the traditional family as marriage between man and woman.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,“May the peace of the Risen Christ reign in your hearts, for as members of the one body you have been called to that peace!” (Col 3:15). With these words of the Apostle Paul, I greet all of you with affection in the Lord. I rejoice to have come to Nazareth, the place blessed by the mystery of the Annunciation, the place which witnessed the hidden years of Christ’s growth in wisdom, age and grace (cf. Lk 2:52). I thank Archbishop Elias Chacour for his kind words of welcome, and I embrace with the sign of peace my brother Bishops, the priests and religious, and all the faithful of Galilee, who, in the diversity of their rites and traditions, give expression to the universality of Christ’s Church.

In a special way I wish to thank all those who have helped to make this celebration possible, particularly those involved in the planning and construction of this new theatre with its splendid panorama of the city.

Here in the home town of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we have gathered to mark the conclusion of the Year of the Family celebrated by the Church in the Holy Land. As a sign of hope for the future I will bless the first stone of an International Center for the Family to be built in Nazareth. Let us pray that the Center will promote strong family life in this region, offer support and assistance to families everywhere, and encourage them in their irreplaceable mission to society.

This stage of my pilgrimage, I am confident, will draw the whole Church’s attention to this town of Nazareth. All of us need, as Pope Paul VI said here, to return to Nazareth, to contemplate ever anew the silence and love of the Holy Family, the model of all Christian family life. Here, in the example of Mary, Joseph and Jesus, we come to appreciate even more fully the sacredness of the family, which in God’s plan is based on the lifelong fidelity of a man and a woman consecrated by the marriage covenant and accepting of God’s gift of new life. How much the men and women of our time need to reappropriate this fundamental truth, which stands at the foundation of society, and how important is the witness of married couples for the formation of sound consciences and the building of a civilization of love!

In today’s first reading, drawn from the book of Sirach (3:3-7, 14-17), the word of God presents the family as the first school of wisdom, a school which trains its members in the practice of those virtues which make for authentic happiness and lasting fulfilment. In God’s plan for the family, the love of husband and wife bears fruit in new life, and finds daily expression in the loving efforts of parents to ensure an integral human and spiritual formation for their children. In the family each person, whether the smallest child or the oldest relative, is valued for himself or herself, and not seen simply as a means to some other end. Here we begin to glimpse something of the essential role of the family as the first building-block of a well-ordered and welcoming society. We also come to appreciate, within the wider community, the duty of the State to support families in their mission of education, to protect the institution of the family and its inherent rights, and to ensure that all families can live and flourish in conditions of dignity.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Colossians, speaks instinctively of the family when he wishes to illustrate the virtues which build up the “one body” which is the Church. As “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved”, we are called to live in harmony and peace with one another, showing above all forbearance and forgiveness, with love as the highest bond of perfection (cf. Col 3:12-14). Just as in the marriage covenant, the love of man and woman is raised by grace to become a sharing in, and an expression of, the love of Christ and the Church (cf. Eph 5:32), so too the family, grounded in that love, is called to be a “domestic church”, a place of faith, of prayer and of loving concern for the true and enduring good of each of its members.

As we reflect on these realities here, in the town of the Annunciation, our thoughts naturally turn to Mary, “full of grace”, the mother of the Holy Family and our Mother. Nazareth reminds us of our need to acknowledge and respect the God-given dignity and proper role of women, as well as their particular charisms and talents. Whether as mothers in families, as a vital presence in the work force and the institutions of society, or in the particular vocation of following our Lord by the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, women have an indispensable role in creating that “human ecology” (cf. Centesimus Annus, 39) which our world, and this land, so urgently needs: a milieu in which children learn to love and to cherish others, to be honest and respectful to all, to practice the virtues of mercy and forgiveness.

Here too, we think of Saint Joseph, the just man whom God wished to place over his household. From Joseph’s strong and fatherly example Jesus learned the virtues of a manly piety, fidelity to one’s word, integrity and hard work. In the carpenter of Nazareth he saw how authority placed at the service of love is infinitely more fruitful than the power which seeks to dominate. How much our world needs the example, guidance and quiet strength of men like Joseph!

Finally, in contemplating the Holy Family of Nazareth, we turn to the child Jesus, who in the home of Mary and Joseph grew in wisdom and understanding, until the day he began his public ministry. Here I would simply like to leave a particular thought with the young people here.

The Second Vatican Council teaches that children have a special role to play in the growth of their parents in holiness (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 48). I urge you to reflect on this, and to let the example of Jesus guide you, not only in showing respect for your parents, but also helping them to discover more fully the love which gives our lives their deepest meaning. In the Holy Family of Nazareth, it was Jesus who taught Mary and Joseph something of the greatness of the love of God his heavenly Father, the ultimate source of all love, the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name (cf. Eph 3:14-15).

Dear friends, in the Opening Prayer of today’s Mass we asked the Father to “help us to live as the Holy Family, united in respect and love”. Let us reaffirm here our commitment to be a leaven of respect and love in the world around us. This Mount of the Precipice reminds us, as it has generations of pilgrims, that our Lord’s message was at times a source of contradiction and conflict with his hearers. Sadly, as the world knows, Nazareth has experienced tensions in recent years which have harmed relations between its Christian and Muslim communities. I urge people of good will in both communities to repair the damage that has been done, and in fidelity to our common belief in one God, the Father of the human family, to work to build bridges and find the way to a peaceful coexistence. Let everyone reject the destructive power of hatred and prejudice, which kills men’s souls before it kills their bodies!

Allow me to conclude with a word of gratitude and praise for all those who strive to bring God’s love to the children of this town, and to educate new generations in the ways of peace. I think in a special way of the local Churches, particularly in their schools and charitable institutions, to break down walls and to be a seedbed of encounter, dialogue, reconciliation and solidarity. I encourage the dedicated priests, religious, catechists and teachers, together with parents and all concerned for the good of our children, to persevere in bearing witness to the Gospel, to be confident in the triumph of goodness and truth, and to trust that God will give growth to every initiative which aims at the extension of his Kingdom of holiness, solidarity, justice and peace. At the same time I acknowledge with gratitude the solidarity which so many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world show towards the faithful of the Holy Land by supporting the praiseworthy programs and activities of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.

“Let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). May our Lady of the Annunciation, who courageously opened her heart to God’s mysterious plan, and became the Mother of all believers, guide and sustain us by her prayers. May she obtain for us and our families the grace to open our ears to that word of the Lord which has the power to build us up (cf. Acts 20:32), to inspire courageous decisions, and to guide our feet into the path of peace!

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima

In honor of the feast of Our Lady of Fatima I thought it might be helpful to recall some of the prayers and the messages of Our Lady during her apparitions.

Prayers taught by the Angels:

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You.

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.

Requests and Admonitions of the Angel:

Pray, pray!

You must offer your prayers and sacrifices to God, the Most High.

In every way you can offer sacrifice to God in reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for sinners.

Above all, bear and accept with patience the sufferings God will send you.
Eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ terribly outraged by the ingratitude of men. Offer reparation for their sakes and console God.

Prayers taught by Our Lady of Fátima:

Oh, Holy Trinity, we adore You. My God, my God, I love You in the Blessed Sacrament.

[After each one of the mysteries of the Rosary, pray] O my Jesus, forgive us our sins , save us from the fire of hell. Take all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need.

[When offering a sacrifice]O Jesus, this is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for offences committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Requests and Admonitions of Our Lady of Fátima:

Will you offer yourselves to God, and bear all the sufferings He sends you? In atonement for all the sins that offend Him? And for the conversion of sinners?

May: Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war. [World War I]

June: I want you to continue saying the Rosary every day.

July: Continue to say the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, to obtain the peace of the world and the end of the war, because only she can obtain it. August: ... continue to pray the rosary very day.

September: Continue the Rosary, my children. Say it every day that the war may end.

October: I want you to continue saying the Rosary every day.

He wishes for you to establish devotion in the world to my Immaculate Heart.

Make sacrifices for sinners, and say often, especially while making a sacrifice: O Jesus, this is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for offences committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

God wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If you do what I tell you, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace.

I shall come to the world to ask that Russia be consecrated to my Immaculate Heart, and I shall ask that on the First Saturday of every month Communions of reparation be made in atonement for the sins-of the world.

I want you to have two ardors [litters to carry statues] made, for the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. [The honor to be given to this feast.]

Pray, pray very much. Make sacrifices for sinners. Many souls go to hell, because no one is willing to help them with sacrifice.

People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend our Lord any
more, for He is already too much offended!

President's 2010 Budget Eliminates Funding of Abstinence Education

On the way to work this morning I saw a billboard offering a cure for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The picture showed a Margarita glass with a hand covering the top of the glass. Above the hand was the word "Cure." The idea is that the most effective way to end FAS is abstinence, don't drink during pregnancy. It seems pretty obvious. Drinking during pregnancy can result in FAS or a host of other birth defects so if you simply don't drink you won't have these problems. It's 100% effective.

But when it comes to an issue like a teen or other "unwanted" pregnancy, I wonder how many of those same people advocating "don't drink" would see the wisdom in "abstinence programs" to prevent pregnancy. The concept is the same. If you don't have sex, you won't get pregnant. 100% effective, seems simple enough right? But not to our enlightened president and other politicians. The President's 2010 budget calls for the elimination of "abstinence education programs" and replaces this with distribution of condoms which are proven not to be 100% effective.

Here is some background on the story and you can read the rest here.

Before he took over the White House, President Barack Obama made it clear he would cut abstinence funding. He has followed through as his new budget eliminates all federal funding for abstinence-only education and replaces it with sexual education.

The budget eliminates funding for CBAE (Community Based Abstinence Education) and Title V Abstinence Education Program.

In Obama's FY 2010 Proposed Budget, the president calls for at least $164 million in funding for contraceptive-only education. The money includes competitive grants, research, evaluation and authorization for $50 million in new mandatory condom grants to states, tribes and territories.

Lourdes

Here are a couple pictures of Lourdes taken atop the Chateau Fort.

Interview with Msgr. Deptula of Archbishop Sheen Foundation

On Friday, May 8th, Msgr. Stanley Deptula will be a guest on the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio to discuss the cause for canonization of Archbishop Sheen. The interview will begin at approximately 5:05. Msgr. Deptula is the Executive Director of the Archbishop Sheen Foundation. If Relevant Radio isn't aired in your area you can listen online. Click here to go to the Relevant Radio page, and once there just click on the Listen Here Online.

Vespers Service with the Grand Priory of England

Also in Lourdes I was able to participate in Vespers with members of the Grand Priory of England and others, including the Grand Master, Fra' Matthew Festing. It was from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin and in Latin.

Solemn Profession of Final Vows of Fra' Richard Divall in Lourdes

I just returned from another wonderful pilgrimage to Lourdes where I had the fortunate opportunity to experience the Solemn Profession of Final Vows of one of the Knights of Justice, Fra' Richard Divall. The event took place at the Sacred Heart Chapel in the Frai Sainte Marie.



There are more pictures that I have posted on Facebook and which you can view here, even if you are not a Facebook member.