Causa Nostrae Laetitiae

Only 63% of Catholics approve contraception mandate

2012-02-15T11:55:00.001-05:00

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows:
Survey research was pioneered by Columbia University sociologists during World War II. By the time I was studying for my doctorate in sociology at New York University in the 1970s, the scientific nature of survey research had made great strides. But much depends on the methodology, as well as the questions asked.
The New York Times is reporting today that a majority of Catholics (it does not cite the percentage, either in the article or on the New York Times/CBS Poll website) “are at odds with the [Catholic] church’s official stance.”
A survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life reports that 55 percent of all Catholics, and 63 percent of those who attend church weekly, are opposed to the Obama mandate.
A Rasmussen survey found that 77 percent of Catholics oppose the Obama mandate.
What’s going on? The Times asked respondents, “Do you support or oppose a recent federal requirement that private health insurance plans cover the full cost of birth control for their female patients?” Notice there was no mention of the religious liberty implications, nor of the issue of exemptions. It’s just about free services for women.
Pew asked whether there should be an exemption for religiously affiliated institutions that object. Similarly, Rasmussen asked whether “individuals should have the right to choose between different types of health insurance plans.”
In short, how the question is framed affects the answer. I will leave it to the reader to decide whether the Times asked about the real issue.

Be careful whose statistics you believe on this. There is dissent on the Church teaching on contraception, but I have seen numbers as high as 98% of Catholics approving of the Obama mandate. That is utter nonsense!

Obama and Ann Coulter think they have the election figured out

2012-02-14T17:28:00.000-05:00

Ann Coulter on The Sean Hannity Show with guest host Mark Simone. She bragged about Romney, her candidate winning the CPAC Straw Poll, and how she swayed the crowd. She pointed out the weaknesses of Rick Santorum in a recent interview with Mike Wallace. He always gets nervous about providing a sound bite that can be used against him with social issues(can you blame him?) and awkwardly tried to squirm away from a quote from his book, "It Takes a Family" saying that the feminist movement demeans the role of stay at home moms. Ann was right, that is a wonderful book and there is nothing to be ashamed of in that sound quote, so Rick blew it when he said Karen wrote that chapter, even though her name is not listed as co-author of the book. Who knows how she helped him word that as we worked on it so as not to offend women.

But to use that minor mishap as a reason for Rick being unelectable is on its face, ridiculous. Its awkward but not as bad as Romney saying "I like to fire people" or "I don't care about the very poor". Those are election losing quotes. Remember when George HW Bush had never before seen a scanner at the supermarket, or McCain couldn't tell a reporter how many houses he owns? Those were election killers.Rick's dodge may not be smooth, but it hardly reveals unsavory things about his character or kills his chances at being elected.

Ann Coulter went on to assert that the Obama Administration is releasing a moral outrage a week(Susan B Komen, Proposition 8, HHS mandate) in order to keep the social conservatives riled up and keep Santorum winning elections because they are so sure that they can beat him. I suppose Ann hasn't seen the poll where Santorum beats Obama in a one on one match-up. And she didn't hear the pundits on MSNBC bemoaning the fact that Obama (who is living like a billionaire with his golf outings, multiple luxury vacations and wife's expensive wardrobe) is alienating 66% of swing voters. Maybe they'll prefer the son of an Italian immigrant, grandson of a coal miner, from a steel town in Western PA. David Brooks seems to think so in his piece, "Workers of the World, Unite!"

This year, Romney is trying to establish some emotional bond with the working class by waging a hyperpatriotic campaign: I may be the son of a millionaire with a religion that makes you uncomfortable, but I love this country just like you. The strategy appears to be only a partial success.
Enter Rick Santorum.
Santorum is the grandson of a coal miner and the son of an Italian immigrant. For years, he represented the steel towns of western Pennsylvania. He has spent the last year scorned by the news media — working relentlessly, riding around in a pickup truck to more than 370 towns. He tells that story of hard work and elite disrespect with great fervor at his meetings.
His worldview is not individualistic. His book, “It Takes a Family,” was infused with the conservative wing of Catholic social teaching. It was a broadside against Barry Goldwater-style conservatism in favor of one that emphasized family and social solidarity. While in Congress, he was a leader in nearly every serious piece of antipoverty legislation. On the stump, he cries, “The left has a religion, too. It’s just not based on the Bible. It’s based on the religion of self.”

He is not a representative of the corporate or financial wing of the party. Santorum certainly wants to reduce government spending (faster even than Representative Paul Ryan). He certainly wants tax reform. But he goes out of his way in his speeches to pick fights with the “supply-siders.” He scorns the Wall Street bailouts. His economic arguments are couched as values arguments: If you want to enhance long-term competitiveness, you need to strengthen families. If companies want productive workers, they need to be embedded in wholesome communities.

David Brooks, a moderate Republican thinks that Santorum's populism may resonate with Reagan Democrats, who are more socially conservative than most pundits give them credit for. They are in dire straits financially, since many of them are in the manufacturing sector, and normally consider the GOP too full of fat cats to be responsive to their needs. These voters reject candidates like Dole, George HW Bush, McCain and Romney. Perhaps that is why they also are giving Obama abysmal poll numbers. They want a regular guy candidate in a sweater vest. So if Obama chases the electorate into Santorum's camp, they may never leave.

How do I know this?

I, a lifelong pro-lifer, come from a long line of Catholic Democrats. My Grandma from Ireland signed unto the Democratic Party somewhere on Ellis Island. My Italian grandparents were Democratic committeemen, but in the 1976 GOP Convention, my Grandma who was a huge Kennedy fan, began to notice another Irishman in the crowd, by the name of Ronnie Reagan. She noticed a Republican because of his principled stand on abortion, one which the Democrats were leaving behind. And in 1980, she nearly cast her first vote for a Republican, by voting for Ronald Reagan for President. But an accident landed her in the hospital with a broken hip. "See", she told me ruefully, "God didn't want me to vote for a Republican!"

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I voted that year, for the very first time at 18, for Reagan.

Grandma always told me, "the Republicans are for the rich, Democrats are for the little guy". That used to be the case, and if we put up Romney as our candidate, it will continue to be. She is not alone.

Brooks says,

If you took a working-class candidate from the right, like Santorum, and a working-class candidate from the left, like Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and you found a few islands of common ground, you could win this election by a landslide. The country doesn’t want an election that is Harvard Law versus Harvard Law.

Obama is distant, elitist, and has let the economy slip further downhill, and Romney is big money. Only Santorum appeals to the regular guy look in his nerdy sweater vest. He has a Made in America plan to revive ailing manufacturers and entice those offshore to return to the USA by eliminating their corporate taxes.The Wall Street Journal did not like his favoring the manufacturing sector of the economy.

But, the swing voters, the ones who decide elections just might.

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

2012-02-10T20:25:00.002-05:00

Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. Thank you, Blessed Mother for loving us and for teaching us how to pray.

COLLECT for Today’s Mass

GRANT US, O MERCIFUL GOD, protection in our weakness,
that we who keep the Memorial of the Immaculate Mother of God, may, with the help of her intercession,
rise up from our iniquities.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

O IMMACULATE Virgin Mary, you are the refuge of sinners, the health of the sick, and the comfort of the afflicted. By your appearances at the Grotto of Lourdes, you made it a privileged sanctuary where your favors are given to people streaming to it from all over the world. Over the years, countless sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities—whether of soul, mind, or body. Therefore, I come with limitless confidence to implore your motherly intercession.

Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests.
Through gratitude for your favors,
I will endeavor to imitate your virtues,
that I may one day share your glory.

Amen.

Birth control is NOT the issue in HHS mandate

2012-02-09T12:11:00.000-05:00

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the way the media are casting the controversy over the Obama healthcare plan:

In a name association game, when most people hear the words “birth control,” they think of the pill. Most Americans, including Catholics, treat the pill as something altogether different from abortion. So when pollsters ask about the Obama healthcare plan, framing the issue as one about birth control, it is not going to set off the alarms: mention abortion and everything changes. Now consider the evidence.

In a Lexis-Nexis search today, I linked the words “Catholic” “Obama” and “birth control,” and found that in the last week, there were 345 stories (there is always some repetition, particularly with wire services). Within this same grouping, when the words “morning-after pill” were included, the number dropped to 62; when “abortifacients” was linked to the initial three terms, there were 31 stories; and when the term “abortion-inducing drugs” was included, the number dropped to 20.

In other words, the media are framing the issue in terms of the least offensive issue. Add to this the fact that so many Americans just take a glimpse at the headline, which uniformly cites birth control, and the result is a massive distortion.

Why does the Obama plan include abortion-inducing drugs? Because that’s where he wants to go—he would like nothing better than to force all religious institutions to provide abortion coverage—and this is his way of prying the door open.

This issue is, first and foremost, about the First Amendment right to religious liberty. Secondly, it is about abortion. The lust for abortion that this administration has is unparalleled, and its unrelenting drive to shove its radical secular agenda down the throats of the faithful is equally unprecedented.

Contact our director of communications about Donohue’s remarks:
Jeff Field
Phone: 212-371-3191
E-mail: cl@catholicleague.org

Congresman Joe Courtney responds to my HHS madate qurey

2012-02-08T18:14:00.000-05:00

Dear Ms. Velasquez,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the issue of health insurance plan coverage of contraceptive services.

As you know, in August 2011 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a set of interim rules that would require most health insurance plans to cover preventative health services for women, including access to contraceptive services without a co-pay, co-insurance or a deductible. Included in this new rule was an exception for non-profit religious employers such as houses of worship and other institutions whose primary purpose is to spread their faith. For most employers covered under the rule, the new coverage requirements would go into effect on August 1, 2012. However, on January 20, 2012, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the deadline for implementation for church-affiliated institutions such as schools, hospitals, and other organizations would be delayed until August 1, 2013.

The decision by HHS to exempt church health plans, but not church-affiliated institutions such as colleges and hospitals, has generated strong debate on both sides of the issue. The Department maintains that its rule follows the recommendation of the Institute of Medicine – a non-governmental body of physicians and health experts – to include birth control coverage, which the vast majority of American families have utilized for decades. However, this rule has run into resistance from leaders of many faiths who object to a regulation to require the purchase of birth control coverage that runs counter to religious belief. While HHS believes that such objections were addressed through the exemption for houses of worship and a one year delay in implementation for church-affiliated institutions, critics of the rule believe that these steps do not go far enough in addressing their concerns.

It is important to note that this rule would not go into effect for church-affiliated institutions until August 2013, providing significant time for this issue to continue to be reviewed and for alternatives to be proposed to address the concerns of religious institutions. In light of the concerns raised by this rule, I am pleased that the White House has indicated that it would consider alternative methods to provide access to contraceptive services without forcing religious institutions to pay for such coverage. I strongly support this approach, and am hopeful that such a resolution, using existing models from states around the country, can be found. Another possible alternative would be to "grandfather" existing health plans that do not currently include contraceptive coverage and allow such plans to continue to be offered.

Please be assured that I understand and appreciate your views and concerns about this issue, and will keep them in mind as this rule continues to be reviewed by Congress and the White House. It is worth noting that the willingness of the White House to reconsider alternatives is a direct result of the input of individuals like you.

Again, thank you for sharing your views on this issue with me. Should you have any additional comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me in the future. For more information on my work in Congress, please visit my website at courtney.house.govand sign up for my e-newsletter at courtney.house.gov/forms/ emailsignup . You can also connect with me at facebook.com/joecourtney or receive updates from twitter.com/ repjoecourtney .

Sincerely,

JOE COURTNEY
Member of Congress

Why Rick Santorum can win the election

2012-02-08T14:58:00.000-05:00

According to David Brooks in his article in the New York Times, "Workers of the World Unite"
Rick is exactly what Reagan Democrats and working class Republicans are looking for and not finding in the rich 'front-runners' of either party.
Brooks explains:

It’s a diverse group, obviously, but its members generally share certain beliefs and experiences. The economy has been moving away from them. The ethnic makeup of the country is shifting away from them. They sense that the nation has gone astray: marriage is in crisis; the work ethic is eroding; living standards are in danger; the elites have failed; the news media sends out messages that make it harder to raise decent kids. They face greater challenges, and they’re on their own.
The Republicans harvest their votes but have done a poor job responding to their needs. The leading lights of the party tend to be former College Republicans who have a more individualistic and even Randian worldview than most members of the working class. Most Republican presidential candidates, from George H.W. Bush to John McCain to Mitt Romney, emerge from an entirely different set of experiences.

Rick is man of the people who understands the real suffering this economy is inflicting on those of us who wonder if we can afford to buy gas if it goes up to $5/gallon. Do you think Romney ever pumped his own gas? He can't even wear a pair of Levis convincingly.
Rick's Made in America plan to revive the manufacturing sector is based on his experience in rust belt. His down to earth style and honesty are winning hearts and votes, in the Heartland. Pittsburgh whose empty factories experienced a renewal through the medical technology industry.

Here's how Brooks sees him;

Santorum is the grandson of a coal miner and the son of an Italian immigrant. For years, he represented the steel towns of western Pennsylvania. He has spent the last year scorned by the news media — working relentlessly, riding around in a pickup truck to more than 370 towns. He tells that story of hard work and elite disrespect with great fervor at his meetings.
His worldview is not individualistic. His book, “It Takes a Family,” was infused with the conservative wing of Catholic social teaching. It was a broadside against Barry Goldwater-style conservatism in favor of one that emphasized family and social solidarity. While in Congress, he was a leader in nearly every serious piece of antipoverty legislation. On the stump, he cries, “The left has a religion, too. It’s just not based on the Bible. It’s based on the religion of self.”

Rick is a Catholic first and a Republican second. Of course pundits and GOP leadership are not comfortable with that. I think I actually saw Sean Hannity trying not to wince as he announced Santorum's victories. But that non-conformity with the elites in each party may the the reason he resonates so well in the Heartland.

"We are all Catholics now"

2012-02-08T11:29:00.000-05:00

Remember hearing about John F Kennedy's famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate; "Ich bin en Berliner"?( I am a Berliner) He indicated that he was one in solidarity with Berliners whose city was divided by the Iron Curtain for nearly half of the Twentieth Century. It is an example which many are following today by Tweeting. "We are all Catholics now".
I was in Europe in the late 1980's and crossed the Iron Curtain in Hungary, Yugoslavia and Poland. It struck me how the police on the train would always check for stowaways on the way OUT of the Communist countries. No one wanted to get in.
Poland was in the midst of the uprising of Solidarity when I visited in December of 1988, and, on the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, Catholic Churches were full to overflowing, attendees kneeling on frozen cobblestones of two hours, the Mass was followed by rosary and hymns. The Churches were festooned with gold and white bunting the Vatican colors, crowned by Blessed John Paul II's Papal Coat of Arms. There was a feeling of freedom I hadn't seen in Hungary and Bosnia. Freedom to express your faith. That freedom led to the overturning of the Communist empire of forty years without a shot being fired. Solidarity had won out over oppression. Becasue these people had realized that the most precious freedom, freedom of religion, is the bedrock upon which all other freedoms are built.
That is an important lesson for Americans in the light of the HHS mandate that Catholic institutions cover contraception in their employee health plans. If non-Catholics can say, "We are all Catholics now" as JFK said, "I am a Berliner" and the Poles expressed Solidarity, then the evil plans of the Obama Administiration will be overcome. They want to divide and conquer people of faith, one group at a time, till they own our very souls.
They are dong more than looking out for women's health. (As if carcinogenic birth control pills were part of health care!) They are pushing against the moral authority of the Catholic Church in American society. Every oppressive regime has to oppress the Church to gain complete control over the populace. That is why the Obama Administration is citing polls which prove that Catholics are divided on the issue of birth control. It is a sad fact, that there is dissention among the faithful on contraception, however, we can take this opportunity to unite against an enemy who wants to destroy the moral fiber of this nation, by diminishing the power of the Catholic Church. If all people of faith stand united against the the thin edge of the wedge, the HHS mandate, then the Adminstration will not succeed in mandating abortion coverage, which is the real agenda.
Don't be fooled by any compromises offered to the Church. Remember the compromise which Catholic Congressman Bart Stupak accepted. It was a ruse, Obama knew it and so did we. We will not be fooled into accepting a compromise this time.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on how President Obama’s spokesmen are defending his healthcare plan mandating that Catholic institutions provide for services they deem immoral:
David Axelrod of the Obama campaign said yesterday that “We certainly don’t want to abridge anyone’s religious freedom, so we’re going to look for a way to move forward that both provides women with the preventative care that they need and respects the prerogatives of religious institutions.” Similarly, White House press secretary Jay Carney said yesterday that “the president is very interested in finding the appropriate balance between religious beliefs and convictions.”
Both men are insincere. We know that there was division in the Obama administration when the Obama edict was being contemplated, and that the president sided with extremists like Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (anyone who raises money for a man dedicated to performing partial-birth abortions is obviously an extremist; she did so for Dr. George Tiller). So they had plenty of time to figure out a way not to punish Catholics, and they still decided to drop the hammer.
White House supporters of Obama’s edict are pointing to a poll that shows a slight majority of Catholics supporting Obama’s plan. But the poll is flawed. As always, the question affects the outcome. The poll never mentioned that the federal government would place sanctions on Catholic institutions if they did not comply, and that ultimately it could lead to pulling federal funds to Catholic hospitals, effectively shutting them down. Nor did the poll mention that the Obama plan mandates that Catholic entities provide abortion-inducing drugs. In short, the question was dishonest. Just wait until all Catholics find out what’s really at stake.
What Obama is doing is just an opening for mandating abortion coverage in every healthcare plan.

We can stand as one people of faith, Jews, Muslims, Christians, who say to the Administration. "We are all Catholics now" and you will NOT divide us to weaken our resolve to stand up for our rights under the First Amendment. You will be overcome at the ballot box in November.
Mr Obama, you are being put on notice; this will not stand in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave.You will be a one term president.

Rick sweeps Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado!

2012-02-08T10:34:00.000-05:00

Santorum is the superior candidate in policy and in his ability to articulate a conservative agenda to heal the economy and society, but so often Americans listen to the media when they annoint someone (Romney) or fall for the catchy soundbites of a candidate with no stability (Newt), that I had trouble keeping the faith that the stellar qualities of Rick Santorum would have a chance in the spotlight. Especially since he was cheated out of his Iowa bounce and is too easily written off by the media. Charles Krauthammer led the Fox Allstars in a group mea culpa last night which was very gratifying!
Let me be clear; Santorum is THE best chance we have to beat Obama.
I watch MSNBC and CNN to see what the enemy is thinking and the left has been lamenting lately that Obama has lost 2/3 of the Reagan Democrats. THEY ARE THE SWING VOTERS ON WHOM THIS ELECTION DEPENDS. And they are up for grabs. Rick can win them. Here's how.
They are conservative, midwest high school graduates, blue collar workers who are afraid of the direction in which this nation is heading. They don't like snobs like McCain who doesn't remember how many houses he owns, Obama with his fancy Hawaiian vacations, or Romney who doesn't worry about the poor. They want a man from steel country whose grandfather was a coal miner, and who helped downtrodden Pittsburgh rise from the ashes. Rick's populist message resonates with them and they agree with his solid economic policy and family values. AND they know that with Rick, what you see is what you get. He is the real deal.

Here is his victory speech. I love how God, Karen and the kids get first mention! He sounds presidential, doesn't he?

"He Was There" by Jack Bond

2012-02-07T16:59:00.000-05:00

Karen Handle resigns from Susan B Komen Foundation

2012-02-07T14:58:00.000-05:00

Karen Handle calmly took Meghan Kelly's questions in the first interview since she resigned from Susan B Komen Foundation this morning. No, she didn't take full credit for Komen's decision to defund Planned Parenthood, although it was a position she took as a gubernatorial candidate in Georgia last year. It was in the works for a long time before she joined Komen last year. Handel resigned because she has become too much of a lightening rod, distracting from the wonderful mission of Komen. Handel refused the offered severance package and refused to divulge any inner workings of Komen vis a vis Planned Parenthood beyond stating her disapproval of their strong arm tactics after the announcement that they were defunded. Handel expressed her opinion that an organization has a right to decide whom to fund.
I was disappointed that Handel did not mention the fact that Planned Parenthood was funded for breast cancer screenings but they do not do mammograms, and in fact promote carcinogenic birth control and abortions. She praised Komen to the skies and was very down on Planned Parenthood but did not say anything beyond that their strong arm tactics were called for.

It will be very interesting to see what is next for Karen Handel, she denies having heard from pro-life groups but they are certainly pleased with her and may make her the next Abby Johnson. Stay tuned. I think she might even run again for political office, now that she is famous.

Watch the interview on Fox News here.

Occupy thugs repay Bishop Tobin's charity with violence against chidlren

2012-02-02T14:03:00.001-05:00

On January 25, Thomas Tobin, the Bishop of Providence, decided to reach out to “Occupy Providence” by allowing the homeless to seek shelter in Catholic churches; the city had turned down a request by the group to set up daytime shelters. The next day, “Occupy Providence” activists showed their gratitude by crashing a pro-life rally, shouting down a speaker, stopping a priest from offering a closing prayer, and throwing condoms at Catholic schoolgirls. In short, these left-wing activists have turned into urban bullies who need to be stopped.

To say that Catholic bashing is in vogue is an understatement. From President Obama who is seeking to intimidate Catholic institutions by forcing them to prostitute their moral convictions, to “Occupy” maniacs who respond to goodwill by engaging in thuggery, it is open season on Catholics. We will do what we can to constructively channel the anger, which is palpable.

Contact “Occupy Providence” official Susan Beaty: beaty.susan@gmail.com

Obama finally crosses the line with HHS contraception mandate

2012-02-01T13:07:00.000-05:00

I felt a curious sense of elation while reading the outpouring of outrage over the HHS mandate that Catholic institutions have one year to offer contraceptive coverage to employees and patients. I was pleasantly surprised to note that outrage has come not only from the expected sources like USCCB Head Cardinal Designate Timothy Dolan but even some surprising quarters like Cardinal Roger Mahony and EJDionne. who said,

Speaking as a Catholic, I wish the Church would be more open on the contraception question. But speaking as an American liberal who believes that religious pluralism imposes certain obligations on government, I think the Church’s leaders had a right to ask for broader relief from a contraception mandate that would require it to act against its own teachings. The administration should have done more to balance the competing liberty interests here.

One of my favorite quotes on this situation is "Obama has done what the Pope has failed to do, unite US Bishops". Reading this I began to understand my positive feelings toward what is clearly a threat to the First Amendment rights of Catholics. I am pleased to see Catholics of all stripes actually care about the fact that our institutions will be forced to provide contraception/abortifacients for our patients and employees. Read a roundup of reactions to the mandate at MercatorNet article here.

Like most orthodox Catholics I have become a bit cynical over thedecades of Catholic indifference on the contraception issue. You don't have to go any further than TV/radio host Sean Hannity to see a Catholic passionately justify his flouting of Church teaching. Here are some of my experiences of how casually the Church's ban on contraception has disregarded.

Twenty years ago, a Catholic nun was running a health fair in my parish on Long Island. I suggested that a couple who teach Natural Family Planning run a booth helping young couples like my new husband and I plan our families with respect for Church teaching. She gave me a disdainful look and reminded me that the parish allowed her to work as a social worker for federal funds, and that precluded her from doing anything "Catholic" like NFP.

I was not stunned, I had seen the same phenomenon as a social worker at Catholic Charities in the eighties. When a church or social service agency accepts government funds it accepts government control. The difference is, up until now the encroachments have been gradual and voluntarily accepted by the faithful themselves. After all, how many Catholics entered that health fair seeking Natural Family Planning?

When my husband and I took the diocesan course in preparation for marriage, half the couples were using NFP because too many years of contraceptives had left them sterile. Few were doing it in obedience to Humanae Vitae. In fact, NFP training should have been part of our Pre-Cana program, but the couple running the program admitted they used the pill and it "worked for them".I didn't bother reporting this to the pastor of the parish, I knew I would be met with a shrug.

A great majority of Catholics have disregarded Church teaching on contraception, in fact the Sisters of Mercy who taught me at the all girls high school I attended, instructed us on how to use it and where to obtain it, warning us not to let our parents see our notebooks. My mother did, and was horrified.

Contraception has been widely accepted in the Catholic community for nearly half a century. So why the fuss over the HHS mandate that Catholic institutions provide contraception for its employees? Perhaps we as a Church thought it was our dirty little secret. We convinced ourselves that no one outside knew how few Catholics actually obeyed this Church teaching to have the marital act be perpetually open to life. Except the research arm of Planned Parenthood, the Guttmacher Institute who reported last spring in the Huffington Post that 98% of Catholic women have used contraceptives. They have been dispensing contraceptives to Catholics for decades.Shame on us! So now we are outraged to be forced to do what we have been volunteering to do for half a century.

Elizabeth Scalia explains.

With the administration’s decision, the covert culture of death has finally made a truly overt move against the culture of life.

PP Director Cecile Richards with Obama

Obama just had the arrogance to think we wouldn't care if he was open about it. After all, when Rick Santorum explained how contraception led us to the legalization of abortion, Catholics yawned while the media attacked him. So Obama assumed, carefully advised by liberal Catholics friendly to his administration who helped him get Obamacare approved, that just one more push and he'd have Catholics on the ropes. No one cares about contraception, then we can use this mandate to force abortion down the line.

After all, it worked for Bill Baird an abortion clinic owner whose case in the Supreme Court made it legal for unmarried couples to obtain contraception, creating a gold mine for abortionists like himself.
Here's a little history of Bill Baird's activism from the website "The Pro-Choice League". Note how birth control leads to abortion.

Some facts about Pro Choice League's founder Bill Baird:March 22 is the anniversary of Baird v. Eisenstadt, his 1972 U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized birth control for all Americans (replacing the 1965 decision for married couples only). Baird v. Eisenstadt was a landmark case that became the bedrock of countless privacy cases such as Roe v. Wade and the gay rights victory Lawrence v. Texas (2003).
1964 - Baird established the nation's first aboveground abortion referral and birth control clinic (Well before abortion was legal facing a potential 10-year jail term).
1965 - Baird led the first demonstration ever outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral against the Church's stance against birth control for all citizens not only Catholics.
1965 - Established the nation's first birth control and abortion club on a college campus (Hofstra University - NY)
1965 & 1966 Challenged anti-birth control statutes in New York and then New Jersey for which he was arrested and jailed.
1967 - established the nation's first "abortion slush fund" to help students pay for illegal abortions.
1967 Baird led another march against the Catholic Church saying "... no religion has a right to impose its dogma on others."

Note how his activism lead to the legalization of all kinds of perversion from abortion to homosexuality. When Catholics disregarded Humanae Vitae in the sixties, they gave Bill Baird, Planned Parenthood, their ally, Barack Obama the abortion president, the opening they needed to slowly and covertly undermine the Church's influence on the culture.
Until Humanae Vitae in 1967, Catholics were holding the line on morality, keeping sexuality largely inside marriage, but our hedonism and love of government money provided the opening for the intolerable situation we find ourselves in today, where our Catholic institutions will have to pay for contraceptives and abortificients. Its time to shut the barn door, but the horse has already escaped.

Senator Marco Rubio

Rick and Bella Santorum

I am grateful for the opportunity to see my Church unite behind this issue and hope it becomes a teachable moment on how our own sinfulness created this weakness which Obama so wickedly exploited. I bet he and his staff are shocked at the amount of outrage they created, and are hoping it dies down in time for the election.

Thanks to Senator Marco Rubio, son of Cuban refugees and no stranger to creeping religious oppression, for introducing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012.
Rick Santorum and Marco Rubio have shown the moral courage which the Kennedys and the Cuomos lacked when abortion was overtaking our formerly moral culture. They along with bishops like Robert Tobin of Rhode Island, Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia, and Fabian Bruskewitz of Nebraska have long held such Catholic politicians' feet to the fire on life issues. Now the Johnnny-come-latelies are at long last realizing where ignoring the Church's teaching on contraception has led. May this moment be one of conversion of all hearts on this issue, and bond us together into a force for authentic moral reform in this nation. This is what can save America from total implosion.

Bella Santorum recovering from double pneumonia

2012-01-31T21:19:00.000-05:00

From the Family Research Council:

If you've been following the Santorum campaign, then you know Rick and his wife, Karen, had quite a scare last weekend when their littlest daughter, Bella, was hospitalized. The Santorums' three-year-old suffers from a genetic disorder called Trisomy 18, and a complication like pneumonia can be deadly. Rick cancelled his campaign appearances to be with Bella, but they're happy to report that their daughter is making a miraculous recovery.

I had the opportunity to talk with Fox News's Megyn Kelly yesterday about Bella Santorum and kids like her. FRC had just finished up a special conference on the topic of prenatal disability diagnosis. Tragically, about 90% of the kids who have conditions like Bella's are aborted. Sometimes parents are misled into thinking that their baby or their family will have a poor quality of life. But a study released this fall found the opposite. It showed that adolescent children with Down Syndrome are actually very happy--off-the-charts happy compared to the average teenager. And of all those parents who followed through and had their children, 97% were proud of them. Seventy-nine percent said their outlook on life was more positive because of their Down Syndrome child. Just ask the Santorums. Rick and Karen admit that Bella has some difficulties, but she brings them more joy than anyone could imagine. Join us in praying for a complete and speedy recovery!

See Megan Kelly interview Tony Perkins about Rick and Bella Santorum here.

Why Santorum is a lightning rod and a savior

2012-01-31T11:11:00.002-05:00

It is painfully clear why the liberal left hates Rick Santorum; its his stand on moral issues. But where does that visceral hatred originate? It goes way beyond partisanship, to deep emotional wounds which are the consequences of the very sexual immorality he opposes.Otherwise there would be opposition to him but not hatred. And sadly I don't believe its limited to the left. I think millions of Republicans have hatred for him because he occupies the high moral ground which they have ceded to the culture of death and they, instead of seeking healing by supporting him, are trying to silence his voice.

Most of this is a result of the pain caused by abortion. It is said that forty percent of women have had an abortion in the USA, many of them repeat abortions. This is creating untold, unspoken, buried suffering in millions of women and men, and it makes me angry. I am not so angry at those who have had abortions, many of them were lied to, told there was no baby, it would not affect them any more than an appendectomy, that their problems would be solved, or in the case of special needs children, that they were being good parents and sparing their children suffering. I am angry at those whose livelihood require perpetuating this lie. Like the Planned Parenthood reps who invaded the public high schools in minority neighborhoods where I taught to encourage sexual promiscuity with a wink, knowing that such activity would lead these youths into the abortion mill where Planned Parenthood makes its living. According to an article in the Star Exponent on Bella Santorum and abortion;

British Journal of Psychiatry contains the research findings of Prof. Priscilla Coleman, Ph.D. of Bowling Green State University entitled, “Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995–2009”.
Dr. Coleman concludes that: “Based on data extracted from 22 studies, the results of this meta-analytic review of the abortion and mental health literature indicate quite consistently that abortion is associated with moderate to highly increased risks of psychological problems subsequent to the procedure…Overall, the results revealed that women who had undergone an abortion experienced an 81% increased risk of mental health problems"

So many Republicans have not been living up to those moral ideals held by Santorum, and are suffering the regret and denial which post-abortive women and men suffer, but instead of seeking healing, they are shooting the messenger, moral issue candidate Rick Santorum with a long, faithful marriage and eight children (one of whom Gabriel has left this world for heaven). Most of his fellow Catholics are using forbidden contraception, and hate Santorum for correctly stating that is is the cause of abortion in this nation. The great majority of abortions are performed on women whose contraception has failed, in fact the Supreme Court used our dependence on contraception as an excuse for abortion according to Professor Janet Smith;

Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the recent Supreme Court decision that confirmed Roe v. Wade, stated, "in some critical respects abortion is of the same character as the decision to use contraception . . . . for two decades of economic and social developments, people have organized intimate relationships and made choices that define their views of themselves and their places in society, in reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail."

So, I firmly believe that there is a large, but silent group of Republicans and Catholics who know Santorum is right on abortion and marriage but that to endorse him would mean they would have to face their own moral failures, choose instead to support Newt whose serial adulteries and three marriages make them feel more comfortable or Mitt whose liberal past makes his protestations of moral conservatism laughable.

Rush Limbaugh once said, after Bill Clinton was elected that we get the candidate we deserve. He was referring to Clinton's addictive womanizing which he covered up by perjury which brought on his impeachment, and lowered the moral tone of the nation. My homeschooled Catholic children know what oral sex is thanks to Bill Clinton. Now we have a president who is mandating birth control coverage by Catholic institutions, and soon abortions will be forced upon them as well either causing them to cave in and cease being a light in the darkness or close their doors. Obama had a slight majority of the Catholic vote, and useful Catholic idiots like Biden, Pelosi, Doug Kmiec and Chris Matthews on his side. Once again, we got the immoral president we deserve.

Do we deserve Rick Santorum? Perhaps not, but I have hope that the Obama Administration's arrogance and recent overreaching may yet awakened the sleeping giant of Catholic conscience, and remind us that the only candidate who reflects our all important moral values was just off the campaign trail to be at his daughter Bella Maria's bedside in the hospital this weekend.

We are at a crossroads. This may be our last chance to try and regain the family structure and moral stability on which American was built. We cannot afford the social programs required by the social and economic chaos created by the rampant promiscuity in America :welfare, prisons, subsidized contraception and abortion, and food stamps to replace responsible, married love and solid moral character supported by good parenting.Rush Limbaugh in a transcript from his show, admits Santorum is right on the link between social and economic issues.

I have the greatest admiration for Santorum. He had a statement or debate, somebody, a think tank person, Brookings or whatever, something like three things -- it might not have been Brookings, but some think tank -- three things you could do that take care of income inequality, that take care of cultural rot, and they were all family-oriented type issues, and one of them was don't have kids before you get married. It's amazing when you look at the numbers of single-parent households, out of wedlock births. If you look at that definition, if you accept it as a sign of the disintegration of culture, the family breakup, it is amazing. Santorum is right.

Santorum offers us a way out; support the family and restore moral, civil and financial order. Are we wise enough and moral enough to take him up on it?

David Limbaugh endorses Rick Santorum

2012-01-30T19:24:00.000-05:00

Let's Honor, Not Stretch, the Buckley Rule

By: David Limbaugh

http://www.davidlimbaugh.com/mt/archives/2012/01/new_column_lets_2.html

In the intense heat of the present, it is easy to forget even the relatively recent past, but it seems to me that this GOP primary season is more acrimonious than the past few, probably because the stakes are so high... ... Conservatives are fighting among themselves about not just who the best candidate would be but also who is most electable. Sure, electability has always been an issue, but now some are saying that to support someone, it's essential not only that we show he is electable but also that he is the most electable. This amounts to replacing the "Buckley rule" -- that "we should support the most conservative candidate who is electable" -- with "we should support the most electable candidate, provided he is at least marginally conservative."

We saw a similar political calculus at work during the debt ceiling negotiations. Some argued that we couldn't buck Obama on his specious smoke-and-mirrors cuts, because to draw a line in thesand, even though correct in principle, could have been interpreted by the electorate as uncompromising and enhanced Obama's re-election efforts. Everything had to be focused on 2012. Now many of the same people are telling us that we have to compromise on 2012, as well, that we can't support a candidate who is more conservative, even during the primary, because it would reduce our chances of defeating Obama. I appreciate the concern, but the logical extension of this kind of thinking is that we all have to become mini political operatives, always engaging first in strategic political calculations and never voting our hearts. Such is the formula for sacrificing one's dreams and aspirations; such is the avenue toward fatalistic resignation, compromise and settling for less without even trying to push for your real goals; such is the formula for guaranteeing that we never elect another Ronald Reagan conservative.

I am the first to say that once the GOP nominee is chosen, we must unite around the candidate to defeat Barack Obama. Until then, I refuse to surrender to pressure to abandon my passion for true, reliable conservatism, especially from those whose idea of electability is highly debatable and from others whose assessment is hopelessly skewed by their own preferences. In this volatile season, dark horses have skyrocketed to lead the field, and some might have remained there but for alleged scandals or other factors. I don't believe that the science of electability is as certain as those promoting it would have us believe. We can't even agree on whether the key is wooing the center or igniting the base. It is complex and fluid and largely unknowable. Even current polls hypothetically matching Obama against different candidates tell us very little, because the Democratic attack machine has yet to unleash its $1 billion assault on, say, Mitt Romney.

I reject the conventional wisdom that Rick Santorum could not win the general election, because I believe he represents the best contrast to Obama and is the least vulnerable to attack, among other reasons. I have varying concerns about the other candidates, but I respect their respective supporters and realize that some of them even believe their candidate is the most conservative of the group, though I disagree. I will support whoever emerges as the Republican nominee, but I do not apologize for supporting Rick Santorum.

To learn more about former Senator Rick Santorum, please visit www.RickSantorum.com.

My interview on "National Review"

2012-01-30T10:17:00.000-05:00

While in Washington for book signings, my Pre-natal Diagnosis Conference, and the March for Life, I was able to meet National Review columnist Kathryn Jean Lopez. We had already collaborated on this interview for National Review which came out today.

Here's a sneak peak;

LOPEZ: Do you see your book as important for marriages?

VELASQUEZ: Not all married couples will face a prenatal diagnosis of a special-needs baby, but it is certain that all marriages will face major challenges. Life sends us unexpected crises: infidelity, death of a parent, loss of a home or a job, addiction. Learning from the couples who dealt with potentially marriage-wrecking obstacles and emerged from the crisis stronger, more forgiving, and more loving is invaluable. It’s the basis for self-help groups from AA toRetrouvaille. I want married readers to note that the couples who contributed to this book grew closer to God in response to the challenges they faced raising their special-needs child, and, as a result, grew closer to one another. The child who precipitated a marital crisis became a source of healing for the entire family.

Leticia Velasquez - A Special Mother is Born

2012-01-27T20:05:00.000-05:00

Conference on Medical Advances in Pre-natal Diagnoses

2012-01-25T21:38:00.000-05:00

Warren Buffett is an anti Catholic

2012-01-25T11:44:00.002-05:00

WHY WARREN BUFFETT IS ANTI-CATHOLIC

January 25, 2012

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on an aspect of Warren Buffett’s finances not ordinarily discussed:

Warren Buffett’s comment that the rich should pay higher taxes, now enshrined by President Barack Obama as the “Buffett Rule,” is drawing much applause. What is not being discussed is the billionaire’s support for anti-Catholicism. First some background information.

Over several decades, Buffett has spent a fortune funding radical abortion organizations like NARAL and Planned Parenthood; he has lavishly given money to train a new generation of abortion physicians; he has spent millions to help RU-486 (the abortion-inducing drug) to win FDA approval; and he gave his pro-abortion, population-control friends at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation nearly $31 billion in 2006 for more of the same. There’s nothing anti-Catholic about any of this, but when he intentionally seeks to subvert Catholicism by dishonestly funding pro-abortion organizations that have hijacked the Catholic name, that’s another story.

To be specific, Buffett has given hundreds of millions over the years to anti-Catholic front groups like Catholics for Choice (formerly Catholics for a Free Choice) and its sister organization in Latin America, Catholics for the Right to Decide. In 2010, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation alone gave $759,822 to the former, and almost $1.7 million to the latter. These letter-head organizations wouldn’t exist if they depended on donations from members—they don’t have any—they exist because of the likes of Warren Buffett.

If Buffett, or someone like him, were to throw millions upon millions funding Jews for Jesus, what would the Jewish community call him? Now you know why Warren Buffett has earned the tag anti-Catholic.

Contact our director of communications about Donohue’s remarks:
Jeff Field
Phone: 212-371-3191
E-mail: cl@catholicleague.org

Dr James Dobson endorses Rick Santorum for president

2012-01-19T15:05:00.000-05:00

The Rick Santorum for President campaign is proud to announced that Rick Santorum has received the endorsement of Dr. James Dobson.

Dr. James Dobson said: "The institution of the family is the key issue facing this great nation. It is the foundation, the bedrock, upon which every dimension of Western Civilization rests. If it is undermined or weakened by cultural and governmental forces, the entire superstructure will collapse in short order. And indeed, today it is in serious jeopardy. The very definition of marriage is threatened, which has implications for the next generation and the stability of society itself.

Of all the Republican candidates who are vying for the presidency, former Sen. Santorum is the one who has spoken passionately in every debate about this concern. He has pleaded with the nation and its leaders to come to the aid of marriages, parents, and their children. What a refreshing message. The Congress voted in 1969 to impose a marriage penalty tax on husbands and wives who were struggling to raise their children. That unfair tax continued for 32 years, until George W. Bush rolled it back. Now, if Democrats and some Republicans have their way, the marriage penalty tax will be re-imposed in 2013. We desperately need a president who will intercede on behalf of those who are caring for the next generation and working to build this nation.

"While there are other GOP candidates who are worthy of our support, Sen. Santorum is the man of the hour. His knowledge of international politics, especially Israel and the turmoil in the Middle East, is highly relevant to the dangerous world in which we live. This is why I am endorsing former Senator Rick Santorum for president of the United States, and urge my countrymen to join us in this campaign."

Rick Santorum said: "I am truly honored to receive Dr. Dobson's endorsement today. Dr. Dobson has been a light for conservative movement, an unwavering leader in the face of forces both within and outside our Party to call a truce on the foundational principles that make our nation the greatest in the history of the world, but he knows that calling a truce is nothing more than surrendering. I commit to never surrender our principles, our foundational values, and the moral enterprise that is America. I am excited to work with Dr. Dobson in the weeks to come as we build upon our momentum generated from our Iowa Caucus win."

James C. Dobson, Ph.D., is founder and chairman emeritus of Focus on the Family, a non-profit, multimedia organization with a global reach. As founder, Dr. Dobson's vision and philosophical perspectives shaped Focus on the Family at its inception and supplied the impetus for its outreach for the first three decades of its existence. Even though a new generation of leadership now bears responsibility for carrying out the ministry's mission, Dr. Dobson's influence remains significant.

To learn more about former Senator Rick Santorum, please visit www.RickSantorum.com.

This should be a game changer for Santorum in South Carolina, Dr Dobson's endorsement is key to family values advocates like me who raised my family listening to "Focus on the Family". I hope that South Carolina voters can hear Dr Dobson's call for a restoration of the American family amid the cacaphony of media chatter. If not, we may be at the point of no return as a society, as we descend further into economic and social chaos. We may be on the downward trajectory which destroys all great civilizations, moral laxity. Our leaders fed our appetites with bread and circuses, and fiddled like Nero while Rome burned down around us.

"Rebellion"

2012-01-19T00:36:00.000-05:00

Santorum condemns Obama's rejection of Keystone pipeline as irresponsible

2012-01-19T00:31:00.001-05:00

Rick Santorum said: "Today's decision by the Obama Administration is but another capitulation to the radical environmental fringe - and in turn putting our national security and economy at risk. Our nation needs energy and this pipeline will provide this much needed resource. In rejecting this responsible project that will create thousands of American jobs, we are simply diverting this energy to our international competitors like China. This announcement is utterly irresponsible and one more reason why Barack Obama is not the right man to lead this country. As President, I would approve the Pipeline on day-one."

Stop the Shredding of American Values, Vote Santorum

2012-01-17T19:08:00.000-05:00

Easy Answer

2012-01-16T18:02:00.000-05:00

Conference on Medical Advances in Prenatal Diagnoses

2012-01-15T17:21:00.000-05:00

Council on Poor Prenatal Diagnoses

& Therapeutic Intervention

Founding Partners:

Medical Students for Life, Family Research Council,

Keep Infants with Down Syndrome & Jérôme Lejeune Foundation USA

First Annual

Conference on Medical Advances in Prenatal Diagnoses

Saturday, January 21, 8:30 am – 5 pm

Family Research Council, 801 G Street, NW , Washington DC

Presenters include:

Alberto Costa, MD, Ph.D.

Byron Calhoun, MD

John Bruchalski, MD

David Prentice, Ph.D.

Gerard Nadal, Ph.D.

The Conference will bring together professionals from many different specialty areas, including genetic researchers, ob/gyn physicians, developmental pediatricians, hospital nursing staff, medical genetic counselors and medical students. Other invited participants and guests include peer ministry providers, social service support professionals, advocates for persons with disabilities and public policy specialists.

The goals of the Conference are:

· affirm the life and dignity of all persons, especially those diagnosed prenatally with a disability or lethal condition

· review how information about prenatal diagnoses of disability or lethal condition is currently delivered

· consider how this information might be delivered more comprehensively

· consider the impact of a new blood test for Down syndrome in obstetric care

· explain the work of the Council and its year-long engagement on prenatal diagnosis issues

· review best practices for postnatal care of infants with disabilities in perinatal hospice and in hospital, home and medical daycare settings

An agenda for the day will be available soon. Our host for the day, the Family Research Council (FRC), has limited space, so this first Conference is by invitation only. However, FRC will be webcasting all general sessions that day, which can be viewed viawww.frc.org. For more information, contact Jeanne Monahan at Family Research Council, jfm@frc.org ( 202- 225-4008) or Peg Kolm, at mkolm@adw.org (240-994-0603). We welcome your interest and expertise in this effort, and hope you can join us on January 21.

Baby Amelia's case it not the only one: Bella Santorum

2012-01-15T15:57:00.000-05:00

A tragically true story going viral on the internet is the story of how CHOP refused a kidney transplant to baby Amelia because she is 'retarded', read it in all its horrifying detail here.

I put my hand up. “Stop talking for a minute. Did you just say that Amelia shouldn’t have the transplant done because she is mentally retarded. I am confused. Did you really just say that?”

The tears. Oh, the damn tears. Where did they come from? Niagara Falls. All at once. There was no warning. I couldn’t stop them. There were no tissues in conference room so I use my sleeve and my hands and I keep wiping telling myself to stop it.
I point to the paper and he lets me rant a minute. I can’t stop pointing to the paper. “This phrase. This word. This is why she can’t have the transplant done.”
“Yes.”
I begin to shake. My whole body trembles and he begins to tell me how she will never be able to get on the waiting list because she is mentally retarded.

Health Care for Gunner Press Conference

I wish I could say it was an isolated case, but it seems to be standard procedure that our less-than-perfect children are excluded from medical treatment given to normal children. Because of their so-called 'low quality of life'.
But who determines that? Panels of doctors, soon to be replaced by government bureaucrats (which Sarah Palin called "Death Panels") if Obamacare continues without the Supreme Court striking it down. At least Amelia's doctor knew her. These bureaucrats will be in some office building in DC making life-or-death decisions for my child with Down syndrome.
They obviously haven't read the article by Dr Brian Skotko in Medical Genetics where he describes the results of his survey of satisfaction in families with a member with Down syndrome. Respondents say that 99% are happy with their child with Down syndrome, and 99% of the children are happy with life. Even 89% the siblings report that they are 'better people' for having a special needs sibling.
I know this, my daughter Christina is nine and her two older sisters, her father and I grateful to God for the positive changes she has brought to our home, just by being herself. We can't imagine life without her and, yet we have had to fight sometimes for her right to exist. I co-founded KIDS (Keep Infants with Down Syndrome) to call attention to this fight for life of children with Down syndrome. From the moment they are diagnosed in the womb to their last breath, there are medical personnel who argue their live are not worth medical treatment.

It happened to the Santorums. Their daughter Bella has trisomy 18. When she left the hospital after her birth she was on oxygen. Her doctor tried to put her on hospice care at home with NO oxygen. Was she dying? No! She has a condition deemed 'incompatible with life'. Statistically speaking, she shouldn't be alive now. Only ten percent of babies with Edward's syndrome make it to birth, and of those, only ten percent make it to their first birthday. Statistics were stacked up against Bella Santorum. But she has fighters for parents!

Attorney and neo-natal nurse Karen Santorum, aka Mother Bear stood up. . . and Bella got oxygen. Three years later she is the heart of the Santorum home.Watch Rick's testimony about Bella's birth at the Thanksgiving Family Summit.

Read Rick's other story about Bella, "Two Years Worth Every Tear" in my book "A Special Mother is Born".

That's what motivated me to join Kristin Hawkins in her Health Care for Gunner press conference in September 2009. Parents of special needs children and adults with special needs joined Reps Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Trent Franks (R-AZ) to state our concerns that Obamacare may have to be rationed and that we feared our children would be denied health care. It was covered by the AP and in dozens of news outlets around the nation. But Obamacare passed by the slimmest of margins, and is the law of the land.
Unless we elect a man like Rick Santorum who has walked in our shoes as parents of special needs children, and promises not only to overturn Obamacare but to be an advocate for vulnerable children like Bella Santorum and Christina Velasquez in the White House.

LaSondra Spears - Letter to Planned Parenthood

2012-01-14T19:31:00.000-05:00

Christian Leadership Coalesces Behind Santorum!

2012-01-14T17:50:00.000-05:00

NATIONAL CONSERVATIVE LEADERS
COALESCE BEHIND SANTORUM

Today in Texas, national conservative leaders united behind the candidacy ofRepublican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum. Rick Santorum made the following statement in response to the outpouring support.

Rick Santorum said: "This is an endorsement that was coveted by every campaign, and I am deeply honored by their support - it is a great day for our campaign. The process has worked, the voters have gotten a chance to hear from every candidate and explore their records. This endorsement is another indication that it is time to coalesce behind the full spectrum conservative in this race who will fight for their values and won't waiver when times get tough. Now is the time to stop a moderate from becoming our Party's nominee and to unite behind the one candidate who draws the sharpest contrasts with Barack Obama. I am thankful for this outpouring of support and for the momentum that is building behind our candidacy. Together, in the Fall, we can defeat Barack Obama and restore America."

Exhibit at John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington for March for Life weekend

2012-01-14T17:25:00.001-05:00

The exhibit is free but you must pre-register here.

Pro-life Advocate Abby Johnson endorses Rick Santorum

2012-01-14T10:16:00.002-05:00

The Rick Santorum for President campaign announced that Abby Johnson, former employee of and now national nemesis of Planned Parenthood, has endorsed Rick Santorum for President.

Abby Johnson said: "I am proud to give my personal endorsement to Senator Rick Santorum, a true champion of the unborn. While Senator Santorum has other outstanding qualities that would make him a wonderful President of the United States, his focus on protecting life in its most vulnerable stages speaks magnitudes about his values and morals as a leader. By valuing life in all its stages, Senator Santorum displays the courage that is needed to turn this country around.

When a society devalues life, from the unborn to the elderly and disabled, morals and values are thrown to the wayside to the detriment of all its citizens. As I saw during my time working at Planned Parenthood, when life is devalued, unborn babies and their mothers just become another way to boost the bottom dollar.

Senator Rick Santorum has the courage to lead by morals and absolute truths, which I find refreshing. He is a man of integrity and faith and I am proud to publicly offer my endorsement."

Rick Santorum said: "It is a true honor to receive Abby's endorsement. Abby is a woman of courage and conviction. Her stand against Planned Parenthood is something to be admired, and her stand for life is unquestioned. To receive her endorsement is a terrific boon to our campaign, and reaffirms my strong commitment to standing up for the dignity of each and every life - both the born and the unborn. I look forward to working with Abby to finally defund Planned Parenthood and advance our shared message of faith, family and freedom."

Abby Johnson has always had a fierce determination to help women in need. It was this desire that both led Abby to a career with Planned Parenthood, our nation's largest abortion provider, and caused her to flee the organization and become an outspoken advocate for the pro-life movement.

During her eight years with Planned Parenthood, Abby quickly rose in the organization's ranks and became a clinic director. She was increasingly disturbed by what she witnessed. Abortion was a product Planned Parenthood was selling, not an unfortunate necessity that they fought to decrease. Still, Abby loved the women that entered her clinic and her fellow workers. Despite a growing unrest within her, she stayed on and strove to serve women in crisis.

All of that changed on September 26, 2009 when Abby was asked to assist with an ultrasound-guided abortion. She watched in horror as a 13 week baby fought, and ultimately lost, its life at the hand of the abortionist. At that moment, the full realization of what abortion was and what she had dedicated her life to washed over Abby and a dramatic transformation took place.

Planned Parenthood did not take Abby's exodus sitting down. They are fully aware that the workers who leave are their greatest threat. Instantly, they took action to silence Abby with a gag order and took her to court. The lawsuit was quickly seen as the sham it was and thrown out of court.

The media was, and continues to be, intensely interested in Abby's story as well as her continued efforts to advocate for the unborn and help clinic workers escape the abortion industry. She is a frequently requested guest on Fox News and a variety of other shows and the author of the nationally best-selling book, Unplanned, which chronicles both her experiences within Planned Parenthood and her dramatic exit.

Today, Abby travels across the globe sharing her story, educating the public on pro-life issues, advocating for the unborn, and reaching out to abortion clinic staff who still work in the industry. She is the Chief Research Strategist for Live Action Films, works on projects for the various pro-life organizations and lives in Texas with her husband and precious daughter. She is grateful to God for her calling to speak for life and considers herself to be incredibly blessed.

Santorum Op-Ed In This Morning's "The State" Newspaper In Columbia, SC

2012-01-13T10:05:00.006-05:00

Mt. Pleasant, SC - In this morning's edition of "The State" newspaper in Columbia, SC, Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum argues that we need a President with bold solutions for America's families.
Santorum: Bold solutions for America's families
By RICK SANTORUM - Guest Columnist

I am excited about America and her future. In this election the American people have an opportunity to restore her greatness and to focus once again on protecting liberty and creating opportunity for all. No longer should it be harder for people to succeed economically than it was for their parents. No longer should upward mobility be better in parts of Europe than in America. We need a renewed focus on creating opportunity, not dividing Americans by class; on creating wealth, not distributing it; and on promoting savings rather than dependency.

This is what my father and grandfather came to America for. This is our time to reclaim it. In contrast, Obamanomics has brought one in six Americans to poverty. President Obama's philosophy of "spreading the wealth" in fact spreads poverty and economic decline.

I have a bold economic plan that will move our country forward - a plan that will create jobs, renew confidence in the free-market place and reward families for their hard work. My plan will cut spending and ensure future fiscal responsibility through a balanced budget amendment; lower and simplify taxes for families and businesses to promote growth; return federal programs to the states to promote freedom; and promote sustainable health-care and retirement solutions for young people and seniors.

First, I will cut spending by $5 trillion over 5 years, repeal ObamaCare and other onerous regulations and cut non-defense spending to 2008 levels. I support legislation to prevent members of Congress from being paid if they don't pass fiscally responsible spending bills on time. We will pass a balanced budget amendment to discipline Congress and limit federal spending to a maximum of 18 percent of gross domestic product. I will eliminate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's federal housing role, reduce non-defense related federal workers by at least 10 percent and eliminate all energy and most agriculture subsidies. We will unleash America's domestic-energy production.
Second, I will lower personal income and corporate tax rates and dramatically simplify the tax code for families, workers and businesses. To promote marriage, families and the high calling of parenting, I will triple the child deduction and eliminate all marriage tax penalties. The family is the foundation of our country. We need to have an economic policy that supports families and freedom and encourages marriage.

Instead of adding new taxes like President Obama has, I will fight to simplify the tax code by moving from six to two rates and lowering personal income tax rates to 10 percent and 28 percent respectively and eliminating most deductions. This will get us back to Reagan-era pro-growth tax rates. My goal is for the American economy to be growing at least 4 percent to 4.5 percent a year in my first term as president, more than double President Obama's; by one estimate this would help create 10 million jobs in three years.

I also support two corporate tax rates: 17.5 percent for most businesses - half the current rate - and zero for manufacturers. This will multiply job opportunities for struggling middle-income families and renew communities that have lost critical manufacturing jobs.

Third, I will support social innovation in the states and local communities, modernize our social safety net and be fiscally responsible by block granting to the states Medicaid, housing, job training, food stamps and education programs. We will promote dignity and control costs through time limits for able-bodied people, as we did successfully in welfare reform.

Fourth, I will work to implement key reforms to Medicare and Social Security. Those approaching retirement can only be confident if these programs are on sustainable footing. I support Rep. Paul Ryan's Medicare reforms, which include private-sector innovation, competition and consumer choice. While I whole-heartedly support cutting taxes, I believe that changes to payroll taxes should be tied to sustainable reforms in Medicare and Social Security.

I don't believe that poverty is a permanent condition. How do we effectively address poverty in rural and urban America? We promote jobs, marriage, quality education and access to capital and embrace the supports of civil society. I believe in equality of opportunity. I believe that American entrepreneurs and business owners create jobs and that skilled and committed workers sustain them, not government.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/01/13/2111262/santorum-bold-solutions-for-americas.html#storylink=cpy

Maggie Gallagher rallies support for Rick Santorum

2012-01-12T18:53:00.001-05:00

So, now that I've stepped down as NOM's Chairman of the Board, why am I personally supporting Rick Santorum?
I explained in my nationally syndicated column here:
On Tuesday night in Iowa, he stood before the cheering throngs like a Republican Rocky, or better yet, a latter-day Rudy suddenly lifted above his Notre Dame teammates in a fantastic storybook finish.
Rick Santorum was a contender.
Santorum stood before the cameras, the living embodiment of a certain Northeastern Catholic sensibility: tough, hardworking, less than slick, often underestimated, the kind of guy who has to work hard to get respect because life is tough, not fair—the kind of man who gets knocked down but who will always get up again.
As he recalled his immigrant coal-miner grandfather's funeral, Santorum's words sang: "I knelt next to his coffin, and all I could do was look at his hands. They were enormous hands. And all I could think was: 'Those hands dug freedom for me.'"
"What wins in America," Rick Santorum said, "are bold ideas, sharp contrasts, and a plan that includes everyone."
What moved me most are the words Rick Santorum used to "connect the dots"—to explain why support for marriage, for life, and for an economy that provides the dignity of jobs to average Americans are not three separate things. They are bound together by principles—by American principles:
"Whether it's the sanctity of life in the womb, or the dignity of every working person in America to fulfill their potential, you will have a friend in Rick Santorum," he said.
Unlike some values voters, I am not anti-anybody, certainly not Mitt Romney. Romney is in my view a fundamentally decent, extremely capable man, who fought hard for marriage in Massachusetts. If he is the GOP nominee, I can vote for him with a clean conscience.
But, when the guy who has taken more hits than any other for standing up for life and marriage fights his way with nobody's help from nowhere to, well, becoming a major contender for the GOP nomination, I have to cheer. I have to show I stand with him in some special way. Will you help me? Click here now to act.

The left, which thought it had buried Santorum years ago, is going after him with a hatred unmatched. They hate him with that special ire reserved for a man's virtues, not his vices.

They will go after him not just to defeat Rick Santorum, but to smear his good name, to associate it with their own muck, to take a decent and honorable man and try literally to make his name mean mud.
(Any mother who has tried to google "Santorum" and gotten the gross and obscene definition gay activists have tried to make of his honorable family name—a name which literally means 'holiest of holies'—will know exactly what I am talking about).

They will not succeed.

The American people, I promise you, are not going to reject a man they would otherwise support because he believes in traditional Christian views of sex and marriage. Especially when he believes—not just with his words, and not just with his vote, but with every action of his soul and his life—that a man's job is to support his children, born and unborn, to commit a loving and faithful marriage to one woman, and to devote himself to being a good dad.

That's Rick Santorum.

The media and some GOP elites are trying to dismiss Rick Santorum as a mere "culture warrior" with no chance to win. Will you stand with me today against all those powerful elites who say life, marriage, and religious liberty are not "core" issues to voters?

Will you stand up and say: "Yes life, marriage, and religious liberty matter to me. Thank you Rick Santorum for fighting the good fight your whole political career?"
Here are the unconventional things I'm asking you to do: Regardless of which of these good men you ultimately plan to support, can I ask you today to sign this petition, thanking Rick Santorum for standing up so bravely for life, marriage, and religious liberty?
Can I count you as a "values voter" committed to demonstrating to the media and to Republican elites that social issues matter?
I know it will mean a lot to Rick Santorum and to the social conservative movement. And ultimately to the American Republic.
Win or lose we have a chance to demonstrate that consistent, principled support for marriage, for life, and for religious liberty, matter.
Elections come and go. God's enduring truths remain.
By signing this petition you will be saying "yes"

Yes, I want to thank Rick Santorum for his fearless defense of life, marriage and religious liberty.
Yes, I want to fight back against the hard left which attempt to smear not only Santorum but so many decent and good people who stand up for marriage.
Yes, I want to stand tall and tell the Wall Street Journal and all the Washington GOP elites: We values voters are here, we are not going away, and we matter.
Yes, I want the mainstream media to know: Some truths really are fundamental to the American Republic. Among these are life, marriage and religious liberty!
Thank you again for being a consistent, principled voice for fundamental truth.
I'm so proud to fight the good fight in the company of people like you.
Together, we can—and will—make a difference.

Maggie

Breitbart.tv » Karen Santorum Asking ‘Holy Spirit’ To Speak Through Her Husband

2012-01-11T20:11:00.000-05:00

Breitbart.tv » Karen Santorum Asking ‘Holy Spirit’ To Speak Through Her Husband

Family Research Council explains value of Santorum tripling child tax deduction

2012-01-11T18:24:00.001-05:00

from the FRC email blast;
While the press picks on Rick Santorum for his social views, the Wall Street Journal is attacking the former Senator from another angle: his pro-family economic plan. In Monday's edition, editors complain that the "most disappointing" part of the Pennsylvanian's proposal is his idea to triple the child tax credit from $1,000 today, which the WSJ claims is "social policy masquerading as economics." The paper accuses Santorum of unfairly rewarding taxpayers who have children over those who don't. But at the root of these accusations is a fundamental misunderstanding about how the economy works. The child tax credit, which was originally conceived, developed, and promoted by FRC, recognizes that the American family is the engine that drives the U.S. economy. A world with fewer children means a world with fewer taxpayers.

Sen. Santorum recognizes, as we do, that a modest tax credit now is a small investment to make in the growth of human capital, which is shrinking at an alarming rate. Who does the Wall Street Journal expect to pay down the debt, fund social security benefits, and pick up the tab for big government programs in the future? Certainly not those who aren't having children. America's tax policy should reward the families who are raising taxpayers who will carry these economic burdens in the coming years. The principle of fairness applies to the tax treatment of the family: it should get the same deductions in the tax code as business does for similar investments in human capital. It's simple: if you're interested in growing the U.S. economy, you'll support tax credits for married families raising children.

When Christina was a baby, I brought her with me to protest my liberal Congressman's 'nay' vote on the Partial Birth Abortion Ban.
I made this point at a Town Hall Meeting of Rep Tim Bishop (NY-D) when I lived on Long Island. The assembled seniors who lived in the wealthy summer colony of Westhampton, NY were concerned about the future of Social Security. I reminded them that a 30% abortion rate for over a third of a century put their checks in danger. They were dumbfounded!
. When you lower the birth rate as dramatically as we have through abortion, failure to marry and delayed childbearing, you make Social Security a burden. It used to have 16 younger workers paying in for each retiree. Now that ratio is 3 workers for each retiree. Another factor which exacerbates this is the longer life span of older Americans, but good news or not, the Social Security System needs more workers. Santorum pointed out recently that if it had not been for an increase in legal immigration, Social Security would be in even worse trouble.
Want to help the economy? Have a baby!

Brian Burch tells Catholics to keep working for Santorum in SC!

2012-01-11T17:26:00.001-05:00

Is Mitt Romney's victory in the GOP primary inevitable?

Not so fast.

Governor Romney's victory last night in New Hampshire was decisive, but hardly a surprise. He spent millions of dollars there, and has been campaigning in the Granite State for six years now. And of course he served as Governor next door in Massachusetts.
So what about Santorum?

Coming from behind in Iowa, Senator Santorum had little time to organize much of anything in New Hampshire. He spent the week campaigning door to door for voters, but his campaign made the decision to not run any TV ads. They chose instead to hold their fire for South Carolina.

Right now Rick Santorum is polling in second place in South Carolina. After that comes Florida. A brand new Quinnipac poll asked Florida voters who they would support in a hypothetical match between Barack Obama and Rick Santorum. The result was a statistical tie in the biggest swing state in the country.

The facts are clear: Rick Santorum can go head to head with President Obama if voters give him a chance.

But right now we are focused exclusively on the South Carolina’s primary -- just ten days from now.

We're raising as much money as we can to try and put Rick Santorum back on top in South Carolina. We can't predict the future. But candidates like Santorum will never succeed unless people like us get behind him.

If you haven't yet contributed, we definitely could use your help. Chip in here.

And stay tuned. This campaign has been one of the most unpredictable in recent memory.

The Santorum Surge is far from over.

All my best,
Brian Burch
President
CatholicVote.org

Partial Birth Abortion poster baby, Donna Joy Vance endorses Rick Santorum

2012-01-11T11:05:00.001-05:00

Endorsement of Rick Santorum for President
By: Donna Joy Vance
Donna Joy was the child whose mother Lori Vance spoke on the floor of the Senate against Partial Birth Abortion. Lori and Donna Joy were Rick Santorum's companions during that battle, on the Senate floor, even in the cloakroom where Donna Joy tried unsuccessfully to hug opponent Barbara Boxer. "She was drinking punch, she threw her cup away and ran out of the room," recounts Lori Vance of the incident. Now Donna Joy runs track in school and is proud to fill out her voter registration. Here's her endorsement of Rick Santorum. She and her mother are pro-life heroes and both are 100% behind Rick Santorum. Seems that the more you know Rick, the more likely you are to get behind him.

Dear America,
I want you to vote for Rick Santorum for President. I do not really like President Obama. President Obama likes abortion. I do not like abortion. Mr. Rick will make a really, really, really good president! Mr. Rick and his friends in Capitol Hill wanted to let me live. He does not like abortion. It is killing a baby. Other people did not want me to live. Mr. Rick wants me to live. Please vote for Mr. Rick to be my president and I will be really, really, really happy! I am voting for him!
Thank you!
Donna Joy Vance

Bring Out Yer Dead, Mr. Santorum! – UPDATED

2012-01-10T15:03:00.001-05:00

Elizabeth Scalia shares her column on how our reaction to death has been sanitized, and how natural a home wake was only 80 years ago.

Death, for the people of that era, and every era before, was no stranger and brought no squeamishness. There was nothing mysterious about death beyond those questions we still ask–will we see them again in the next life, and why, so often, do the good die young while old bastards hold forth for far too long? A family mourned and drank, and fought and keened and then stumbled into church for the funeral; they buried their beloved and stumbled about some more, and life went on

Pundits Alan Colmes and Edward Robinson mocked the Santorum's handling of the death of their son Gabriel was a mean spirited act of ignorance. It was far beyond the pale and at least Alan Colmes has had the grace to apologized, which the Santorums gracefully accepted. It shows the depth of their Catholic convictions, and their loving hearts. I would have had a difficult time being that gracious!

Colmes and Robinson are not only part of the Culture of Death, but they are ignorant. They don't know what mothers know, that proper mourning a dead child is healthiest for the family. Karen Santorum is a mom of 8 and a neonatal nurse, she has training and life experience which she drew upon in her moment of crisis. What she and Rick did was the most healthy and loving for them and their children. How would the children know their brother Gabriel really ever existed without seeing him?

I lost three babies to miscarriage. The first time, I was in such shock, I allowed the OB to take the remains of my son to “the lab” without thinking about what that meant. The thought that my child may be disposed of like poor aborted babies, in medical waste, haunted me. Finally I researched and discovered that in my Catholic hospital, unborn children’s remains are put to rest in a common plot in a local Catholic cemetery. I felt comforted to know this.

The next two times I miscarried, I buried my children’s remains with their grandmother in our family plot in the same cemetery. My priest told me it was proper. I memorialized them in the book at the Shrine of the Holy Innocents in NYC. The book which inspired me to take such care of my children. to name them and bury them was Karen Santorum’s “Letters to Gabriel”.

Last night, I finally had the opportunity to thank Karen personally for her example and her book. If we truly want a culture of life, we participate in the corporal work of mercy and bury our dead with love, and dignity.

Just imagine how it would help the pro-life movement if we had Karen Santorum as First Lady, a promoter of the Culture of Life! Read more in Jill Stanek's column here.

Rick Santorum TV Ad: Sing Sing Sing

2012-01-08T22:49:00.000-05:00

My interview with the Long Island Catholic

2012-01-08T21:20:00.000-05:00

I told the reporter the story of how "A Special Mother is Born" came to be.
Here's an excerpt;

Velasquez said “A Special Mother is Born,” “my own story of Christina’s birth,” was first published in Faith & Family magazine in spring of 2007. “I received so many letters in response from women who had the same epiphany of being surprised by this powerful joy, this encounter with Jesus in the person of their special needs child, that I knew I was on to something,” she continued. “I began collecting stories from mothers three years ago, and was delighted to meet many courageous faith-filled women.” Reading former Senator Rick Santorum’s story in The Philadelphia Inquirer about his daughter with special needs inspired Velasquez to ask fathers to contribute to the book as well.

You can read it on their website.

If you missed Saturday debate at St Anselm College

2012-01-08T18:31:00.002-05:00

From the Satorum campaign, some of Rick's comments. I was present at an economic summit at St Anselm earlier that day, and will be posting on it shortly. The photo is from the morning event; "The Economy and the Electorate" at the New Hampshire Institute for Politics at St Anselm. Rick faced over 40 journalists about the economy and was very poised and detailed as he outlined his plant to bring back manufacturing jobs.
Tonight, Rick Santorum emerged as a front-runner for the Republican nomination for President. Attacked by his fellow contenders, Rick Santorum stood tall, calm, and collected - rebutting all scurrilous allegations with the fact that he has fought for causes he cares about. And when presented with the foreign policy challenges that face America, he stood head-and-shoulders above the fray as the best equipped, most knowledgeable, and with the fortitude to stand up for America's security interests.

Hogan Gidley, National Communications Director, said: "Rick Santorum stood on the stage tonight and emerged as a candidate ready to be commander-in-chief. Not just the Middle Class, not just Wall Street, but commander-in-chief for all Americans. Rick Santorum stood up for traditional values, stood up for the security of our nation, and stood up for all American workers. America needs such a leader, and it is becoming clearer and clear that leader is Rick Santorum."

SANTORUM SAID:
On CEO versus Commander-in-Chief:
"We need a leader, not a CEO. What we need is someone who can paint a positive vision for this country."

In Response To Rep. Ron Paul:
"If you haven't been accused by CREW, you're not a conservative. You should know better than cite a George Soros organization.

On The Right To Privacy:
"It created a right through something that wasn't there. I am for overturning Roe v. Wade, I do not believe we have a right to take a life. I do not believe the founders envisioned that. I do not believe the constitution enables that."

On Same-Sex Marriage:
"If the constitution says marriage is between a man and a woman, then marriage is between a man and woman."

On Securing Afghanistan (in response to Ambassador Huntsman):
"How long do you wait? Until the security of our country is ensured. That is the job of commander-in-chief."

On Iran (in response to Rep. Ron Paul):
"If we had your foreign policy there wouldn't have been a fleet to pick up the Iranian fishermen... The Iranian people love Americans because we stand up for the truth and call evil what it is."

On Manufacturing:
"I do something different than everybody else. I focus on one sector that has been hit hard - manufacturing. We eliminate the corporate tax for manufacturers... We eliminate all regulations that cost business over $100 million."
On The Middle Class:
"There are no classes in America... That's their (Democrats) job - divide, separate."

Why Catholics should support Rick Santorum: Values and Economics

2012-01-03T10:23:00.001-05:00

Rick Santorum is receiving a last minute surge of support among pro-life Evangelical Christians, among them the Duggar Family of TLIC fame who urge all Christians to support the family values stalwart.

I don't understand conservative Catholics who won't support Santorum but they can be divided into several groups;
1. Ron Paul anti-establishment zealots- you can't talk to them
2. Pro-lifers holding a grudge against Rick for supporting Specter against Toomey in the PA Senate primary. We must remember Specter was brought into line and we got Alito and Roberts while he was chair of the Judiciary Committee. Toomey is now the Senator from PA.That was the reasoning behind Santorum's support of Specter and may explain the loss of his Senate seat in 2006.
3. Conservative Catholics who think he's unelectable. Rush Limbaugh said recently only a true conservative will beat Obama. Santorum is surging in the polls, and getting money and media hype he was long denied.
4. Conservative Catholics who don't like some other less important aspect of his policy (like foreign policy) than life issues. Nothing is more important than ending the holocaust of abortion. The Pope says so.
5. Derisive comments that he doesn't 'sparkle' on TV. Obama sparkled during his 2008 campaign, see where that got us?

Let me be perfectly clear; when I first interviewed Rick for Canticle magazine in 2008, Fr Edmund Silvia wrote a sidebar to my article "Catholics in the Public Square: Catholic Politicians who Stood Their Ground" about the so called "non-negotiables":which are the life issues(embryonic stem cell research, loning, abortion) and traditional marriage are THE issues where a candidate must conform to the age-old standard of Catholic moral teaching.
Rick is the Catholic candidate which has the best record on these issues, and I will never forget his defense of the dignity of the unborn child during the Partial Birth Abortion debate.

Rick Santorum with Bella, Leticia and Christina Velasquez

He has written a book "It Takes a Family" which explains in great detail the Catholic social teaching of subsidiarity, or letting the lowest level of government handle aspects of our lives, and the relationship between strong two parent families and a health economy.He argues that the family is the building block of society, NOT the federal government.
More broken families mean more broken people whom the federal government has to imprison, rehabilitate, house, feed, and re-educate. The Democrats know this well, products of single parent homes is the bulwark of their base, they need to vote Democrat to keep their checks. The Dems need to keep them dependent on entitlements to remain in office. While they refuse to strengthen marriage or offer educational choice, the true ways out of poverty. Is this true concern for the poor?

I have a personal reason for supporting Rick. We are both parents of special needs children. He has a special needs daughter, three year old Bella who has trisomy 18 and has promised to champion such children if elected. This truly comforts those of us who have a deep-seated fear that, in a couple of years we will be fighting the Obamacare system for medical care for our special needs children. We had a conference in 2009 entitled Healthcare for Gunner. where we joined parents from Canada who had experienced discrimination against their disabled children under their socialized medical system.
That would not happen under a Santorum presidency.First of all, he promises to abolish Obamacare. In addition, I am confident that instead of NIH funding research into pre-natal testing which results in a 92% abortion rate for children like his Bella and my daughter Christina with Down syndrome, increased funding would go towards the promising research to improve their learning and memory skills.Many promising research projects are in clinical trials but would be farther along if they had as much funding as is given to the search-and-destroy prenatal testing methods.

Pro-family, pro-life, and pro-freedom, Rick has an immaculate record in his personal life and an outstanding record of public service to back up his detailed, populist economic plan according to Mark Sticherz of Catholic Vote. and Rich Lowry of National Review;

In the debates, Santorum has constantly talked about increasing economic mobility. In a heresy for a Republican, he’s acknowledged that some countries in Europe are more mobile than we are, and he has noted the disparity between the unemployment rates of college-educated and non-college-educated Americans. Santorum proposes zeroing out the corporate tax rate for manufacturers to provide them a boost as a source of blue-collar jobs. “We need to talk about people at the bottom of the income scale being able to get necessary skills and rise so they can support themselves and a family,” Santorum said at the CNBC economy debate. He’s right, although he is one of the few Republicans who seem determined to have the conversation.

Rick Santorum is the obvious choice for faithful Catholics.And values voters.And he has been proving in the last few days that hard work pays off as he surprised everyone but his followers, by his surge. We knew you could do it, Rick!

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/12/16/a-santorum-surge-or-a-jindal-j

The Dugggar family throws their support to Rick Santorum

2012-01-03T10:07:00.001-05:00

From an official Santorum press release;

The Rick Santorum for President Campaign has received the endorsement of the Duggar Family, stars of TLC's "19 and Counting."
Michelle Duggar said: "This year's Presidential race outcome will set the course of America for the next several years! Rick Santorum is a pro-life, Christian conservative with the family values and common sense business perspective that we need to get our nation back on track, to create jobs and to stand for what is right! Rick has a proven track record as a leader in the US Senate he fought to end partial birth abortion, he has stood for defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Rick believes in lower taxes and less government control in our lives. He also will fight for drilling our own oil out of Alaska, which will lower fuel prices, create jobs and put thousands of dollars back in families pocketbooks. Rick is the man for the job, and the entire Duggar family asks those who are looking for a conservative candidate to support to join them in voting for Rick Santorum for President. He will be a voice for senior citizens, the working families and the unborn."
Rick Santorum said: "I am excited to receive the Duggar's endorsement, and even more excited that they are coming to Iowa to join us for the Caucus. The Duggars have lived out their lives and their faith in the public eye, and have stood up for the foundational principles not just in word, but in deed. I have campaign on the theme of faith, family, and freedom and the Duggars epitomize this in their daily lives. I welcome their support and am honored that they believe in our surging candidacy."

The Duggar Family has been prominently featured on several Discovery Health and TLC documentaries including "14 Children and Pregnant Again!," "16 Children and Moving In!," and "Duggar's Big Family Album." The Duggars have used these and other national platforms to profess their faith and belief in traditional family values such as the preservation of human life."

The Duggar family has the moral authority to speak on behalf of life issues, they are a living epitome of the Culture of Life. I am so pleased they see in Rick Santorum the pro-life values I have come to appreciate about him. I hear that Jim Bob Duggar is driving the Santorum bus!

Top 10 Reasons for Hope - 2011

2011-12-29T23:48:00.000-05:00

Rick Santorum at The Gift of Life Premiere

2011-12-29T21:53:00.000-05:00

Christmas Blessings, 2011

2011-12-24T10:07:00.000-05:00

Discrimination begins in the womb

2011-12-20T16:45:00.001-05:00

My friend Gerry Nadal is confounded.

The man isn't confused often; he's a PhD in Microbiology, and is one of those rare people who makes full use of both hemispheres of his brain, he's as eloquent and insightful about historical perspective as he is brilliant about microbiology. So when Gerry is perplexed, its for a darn good reason. He, like me is absolutely flummoxed that the NAACP is opposed to the Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2011, Why would the NAACP among other so-called civil rights organizations, oppose a bill which would make it illegal to discriminate against unborn babies on the basis of sex or race?

He elaborates here;

"The Bill in question will make it illegal to target babies for abortion based on gender or race, and admittedly raises a problem for Planned Parenthood. Under the Bill, abortionists can be imprisoned for not determining if the race or gender of the baby was a determinative factor in aborting.

In practical terms, it’s doubtful that at the individual level this would affect many African American abortions, as the mothers aren’t aborting because of their child’s race. It does, however, have implications at the macro-level when an organization such as Planned Parenthood operates 78% of their centers in inner-city neighborhoods.

That said, why would any civil rights organization (and there are 45 others opposed to this Bill, including the National Council of Jewish Women) object to the Bill’s language or intent? Supposedly, the opposition is to the names of the two great leaders on the Bill, and therein resides a hornets nest of gender and racial politics, of political correctness. So, let’s lance the boil."

So, its the name is it? Those organizations can't state their true objective, undying allegiance to abortion as a way of life, so they have to find some detail to focus upon. But wait, what about this bill is incongruous to the legacy of tolerance and justice for which we honor Susan B Anthony(click here to see her pro-life views) and Frederick Douglass?

“The truth of the matter is that Douglas and Anthony belong to all of us, including those of us who fight in the modern abolitionist movement.”

As the mother of a child from another group targeted for abortion; those with Down syndrome, I rejoiced when I heard of this legislation. I thought, ‘if we can protect unborn babies from racial and sexual discrimination, maybe, just maybe we can protect them from genetic discrimination.’

I love all the races and both genders which God created. I love the genetic diversity displayed in the almond eyes of my daughter, no less a gift from His Hand than any other child.

We need to see that a love for diversity cannot be artificially begun at birth, it must begins when life begins, at fertilization!

Read Dr Nadal's riveting post on his blog Coming Home.

Think twice about dropping your donation into that Salvation Army kettle!

2011-12-19T16:58:00.001-05:00

As a social worker in the eighties, I worked extensively with the Salvation Army, so I had a positive image of their good works, and regularly donated to their kettle campaign each Christmas. This all changed this week when Anita Crane, a reporter for World Net Daily sent me the Salvation Army's policy on abortion. It has loopholes which are unacceptable, too many babies fall through.

"The Salvation Army believes in the sanctity of human life. Humankind was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). All people – without exception – are of value to him, holding a special place in his creation (Psalm 8:5), irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, health or social status, or their potential for achievement."
But it also states, "A serious commitment to the protection and care of the unborn calls us to a commitment to the prevention of unwanted pregnancy through means such as access to reliable birth control, safety in relationships, and societal respect of women."
Specifically, it says the Salvation Army "believes that termination [abortion] can occur only when carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a foetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period."

My reaction is contained within the article, but here is the long version:

As a peer minister to women facing a pre-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome, I have heard the horror stories of what the doctors tell women in order to convince them to abort their child. They are told their child will do nothing to help himself, will only live to 10 years of age, will be miserable, will make their siblings miserable, will never be able to tie her shoes, read, graduate high school, and ruin her parents' marriage. This information is patently false.

The truth is marriages last longer when a couple has a child with Down syndrome,according to this Vanderbuilt University Study, and more are graduating high school and college every day, thanks to inclusive education. No one can say how long a child will live based on information gathered pre-natally or what their IQ will be, and Dr Brian Skotko has just published the results of a survey in the American Journal of Medical Genetics saying how happy families who have a member with Down syndrome are.

I shared this in my article for the National Catholic Register;
“We mailed surveys to families around the country, and 3,150 mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and people with Down syndrome responded. Here is just a sample of what we found:
• 99% of people with Down syndrome said they were happy with their lives;
• 97% of people with Down syndrome liked who they are;
• 99% of parents said they love their child with Down syndrome;
• 5% of parents felt embarrassed by their child;
• 97% of brothers/sisters, ages 9-11, said they love their sibling.”
Now, some would interpret Down syndrome in the definition given by the Salvation Army policy statement as "a foetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period."

Some babies with Down syndrome do not live long. Some live for decades, outliving their parents.

Take another 'abnormality' trisomy 18. Most babies with t18 don't live to birth, that is true, but there are exceptions. Tell that to Rick Santorum whose three year old Bella Maria is still with us, and Mary Kellett of Pre-natal Partners for Life whose son Peter was a blessing to his family and the world till his recent death at 6 and 1/2 years.

So, if Salvation Army says abortion is OK for babies with abnormalities, most women facing such a diagnosis will be told by their health care professional that that includes them.

It is beneath the dignity of a Christian organization to allow innocent unborn children to be killed. It is beneath the God-given dignity of the babies to be told their lives can be cut short because their mother was raped (the other exception) or they are not perfect enough. If God only gives them life while in their mother's womb, who are we to cut it even shorter?

It is the position of KIDS Keep Infants with Down Syndrome that possessing an abnormal prenatal diagnosis does NOT lower the God-given dignity of a baby. We believe that all human life is sacred from conception till natural death, and if, in the tragic circumstance that a baby is destined to live only the briefest of times, only within a mother's womb or a few brief moments or days afterward, that we must give that child the full span of life and not end her life by abortion.

There is always the possibility of an incorrect diagnosis, so we must always decide on the side of life, and trust God with the life of our beloved child.

The Salvation Army should re-consider their position on this critical issue, as it is not consistent with a pro-life stance.
Let them live, Salvation Army. Let the babies live.

Support their moms if they feel that they can't do it alone, and give them hope for their child's future, if not here on earth, forever in eternity.
That is what we celebrate with the birth of the Christ Child, the birth of the giver of Eternal Life.

Send Salvation Army a message that you will not be donating until they revoke the loopholes in their abortion policy using this contact information:

Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan
The Salvation Army
International Social Justice Commission221 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022, USA
Phone: (212) 758-0763Email: IHQ-ISJC@salvationarmy.org

Read the entire article here.

Bishop Tobin lights a CHRISTMAS TREE in Providence

2011-12-04T19:18:00.001-05:00

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.)-Father James Ruggeri, Pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish, 244 Smith Street, today announced that the parish -in conjunction with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence- will host a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Prayer Service on Tuesday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m.

The event was scheduled to provide those Rhode Islanders who wish to maintain the celebration of Christmas rather than secularize the season with the ‘holiday’ label.

St. Patrick’s Church sponsors ‘MaryHouse,’ a parish ministry that operates a soup kitchen and food pantry that is open year-round responding to those in the greatest of need throughout the community. The parish also sponsors a unique Catholic high school that serves those who would not otherwise have the opportunity of a Catholic secondary education due to affordability. Through the school and ‘MaryHouse,’ the parish and volunteers of St. Patrick make a real difference for struggling Rhode Islanders each and every day.

A choir will provide music then following a brief prayer service led by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin and Father Ruggeri, two children of the parish will light the Christmas tree.

“Echoing Bishop Tobin, the decision to avoid the word Christmas at the State House is sad and unfortunate in a state that is overwhelmingly Christian,” said Father James Ruggeri. “St. Patrick’s Parish is pleased to extend an invitation to anyone who is seeking a deeper understanding of the Advent and Christmas season to join us for the Christmas tree lighting.”

“Governor Chafee’s decision to avoid the word Christmas at the State House ceremony is most disheartening and divisive,” said Bishop Tobin last night in a statement. “It is sad that such a secular spirit has swept over our state. The Governor’s decision ignores long held American traditions and is an affront to the faith of many citizens. For the sake of peace and harmony in our state at this special time of the year, I respectfully encourage the Governor to reconsider his decision to use the word Christmas in the state observance.”

All Rhode Islanders are welcome to attend this community event.

from the Rhode Island Catholic

This Connecticut person just may bring her family to this event to support this valiant bishop!

Obama considering forcing Catholic institutions to pay for abortions

2011-11-30T20:28:00.000-05:00

I'll be speaking at the Museum of Motherhood in Manhattan on Monday Dec 5

2011-11-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

My talk is "Towards a New Paradigm of Perfection" at 10:30 and I will be challenging my audience to consider how our paradigms of perfection often exclude people and reject their gifts. I did when my in-laws, country fold from El Salvador came to share my home and I was soon to find, by their bonding with my genetically diverse daughter Christina, that we often miss the contributions of others but rejecting them.

www.MOMmuseum.org
Museum Of Motherhood
Celebrating The Multicultural Family

WHAT: Day Conference & Luncheon. Multicultural Mothers: The Many Hats We Wear

WHEN: Monday, December 5, 2011, 9AM-4:30 PM

WHERE: 401 East 84th St. (@1st Ave), lower level, New York, New York

INFO: Available Online: www.MOMmuseum.org

WHO: The Museum Of Motherhood (M.O.M.) is a living, breathing, community-centered arts, media and social change museum focused on amplifying the voices and experiences of mothers, and connecting 'the cultural family' while pioneering new areas of academe in†mother studies.†We are the first and only facility of this kind
FEATURING: Global Organizations, Experts and Multicultural Voices: Tanya Fields, Executive Director, The Blk Projek, Rachel Ishofsky, Jewish Heart For Africa, Presentation Panel on Aid for Aids International, Keynote with Dr. Phyllis Chesler, signing anniversary edition of her book, Mothers On Trial, two short films on global motherhood with Elizabeth Mangum, Birth Focus on Nomadic Motherhood and The White Ribbon Alliance on Maternal Health Care, Saving Mothers.org, as well as museum tours, Cynthia Odell, Afya & Leticia Velasquez on adopting new paradigms.
WHY: When we say mothers wear many hats it is more than just a turn of the phrase or a fashion statement. Within a given family, multiple cultures often exist simultaneously, making the family structure a melting pot for ideas, traditions, folklore and more. As we acknowledge a multicultural world with global perspectives, so too our twenty first century homes and communities have become microcosms of this phenomenon, making creative, tolerant perspectives an imperative when it comes to keeping old traditions alive and cultural information available to the next generation. Now, more than ever, institutions and communities must work to preserve folk knowledge and family cultural traditions paving the way to a collective archive, such as the one emerging within the Museum Of Motherhood, for the sake of collecting, organizing, preserving and sharing matriarchal values, sister traditions, patriarchy as it relates to family structure, birth practices and so much more, so that we may examine these links from the past, to understand ourselves and best transform our future.
TICKETS: Suggested donation $55 in Advance by ordering online, and $74 at the door.

SPONSORS: Food Emporium, Realityworks" infant simulators & pregnancy vests, Mustela™, YWCA, Gymboree, Working Mother Magazine, Mamapalooza, Motherhood Foundation Inc., Minnesota State U. PRESS: The New York Post, NY Times, Our Town, San Francisco Chronicle, Brightside Global Trade Journal (BMSI USA Publication).

The face of pro-life

2011-11-07T20:16:00.002-05:00

Nicole Taylor Peck of "Silent No More" addresses a pro-life rally

I got a kick out of the image the mainstream media has of the average March for Life attendee. They think that we are all Nellie Gray's age, senior citizens who are tottering up Capitol Hill on our last legs. They actually think the March route was shortened because we couldn't make the longer route which stretched down Constitution Ave.
But a brave Washington Post reporter ventured outside the office to actually view the March one year, being the sole representative of the Main Stream Media to do so, and was stunned. What he saw was wave after wave of vibrant, enthusiastic young people. Hundreds of thousands, in an endless sea of youthful dynamism. And the stereotype was shattered.
This article proves that the Washington Post knows that the Times they are a changin'. It describes the sweet Southern belle Marjorie Dannenelser of the Susan B Anthony List, the lovely Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life, and that human dynamo Kristen Hawkins of Students for Life.
I have experienced the youthful moms who are the movers and shakers of the pro-life movement in the Beltway. I spent an exhausting twenty four hours following Kristen, mother to a special needs son, and expecting her second child, in stiletto heels, and business suit, navigating the halls of Congress while calling familiar names to see where we could be most effectively placed to have the biggest impact. We attended a pro-life meeting in the Capitol Building, where Marjorie Dannelfelser advised members of Congress about upcoming pro-life initiatives in her gentle drawl, and I have been to Blogs for Life where Charmaine Yoest, surrounded by her teenagers addressed the movers and shakers of the pro-life movement. These high powered career ladies are proud mothers who are running the pro-life movement and changing the old stereotypes. And they have experienced unprecedented success.

Recent news stories about the new vitality of the antiabortion movement and its legislative achievements — more than a dozen states enacting record numbers of abortion restrictions this year — have glossed over one crucial fact. The most visible, entrepreneurial and passionate advocates for the rights of the unborn (as they would put it) are women. More to the point: They are youngish Christian working mothers with children at home.

So, the pro-lifers are no longer stuffy old white men, and prudish older women. They are hip, young and effective. And they know how to use the media, like the doe-eyed college kid, Lila Rose who single-handedly put Planned Parenthood on notice that the era of the government gravy train to fund America's largest abortion business is about to end.
The ladies are soft spoken, but they mean business. And the other side is scared.
They should be. They are going to have to fight tooth and nail to keep abortion on demand legal, regardless of who is president.

My book is available at the WestBow Press bookstore

2011-11-04T12:56:00.001-04:00

You can go here to order it directly from WestBow Press.

Michael Coren - The Arena - Mark Steyn & Ann Coulter

2011-10-28T13:16:00.000-04:00

Listen to his brilliant analysis of society and his outstanding guests, and bemoan with me the fact that Michael Coren is not on US television. He's on in Canada, and next Friday he'll be interviewing me for his show about "A Special Mother is Born". If I can get a video of the show, I'll be posting it.

National Down Syndrome Society asks that we write to Sequenom about MaterniT21

2011-10-28T13:00:00.001-04:00

A request from the National Down Syndrome Society, who asks that we write an email to Sequnom the makers of MaterniT21 the new prenatal screening test which we fear may decimate the Down syndrome population of 400,000 in the US.

Read about it in my article.

Jon Coleman the Director of NDSS says,

Please urge Sequenom to meet all NDSS criteria for prenatal test companies. To see the NDSS Criteria to Evaluate Companies with Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnostic Tests for Down Syndrome click here.

Click here to download the customizable letter and email it to info@scmmlab.com.

Bishop Lori defends religious liberty in front of Congress

2011-10-27T10:52:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Bridgeport Bishop William C. Lori testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the subject of religious freedom. He is the Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) new "Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue issued the following remarks today:

USCCB president Archbishop Timothy Dolan made an excellent choice when he selected Bishop Lori for this post. The Bridgeport bishop did not disappoint us yesterday. Indeed, he laid out, in exacting detail, the threats to religious liberty that exist today.

What is most disturbing about the nature of today's threats is that most stem from government, with the Obama administration leading the way. This is a condition that cannot be tolerated at any level of government, but it is particularly alarming when the federal government amasses its resources against the First Amendment. Because of its wide network of social agencies, the Catholic Church is feeling the pressure more than other religions, making this a critical issue for Catholics across the nation.

To read Bishop Lori's statement, click here

A Special Mother is Born discussed on Special Chronicles Podcast

2011-10-23T19:39:00.000-04:00

Special Chronicles Podcast Episode 27:"A Special Mother is Born," featuring an interview with author +Leticia Velasquez is now available to listen at http://www.specialch ronicles.com/

Special Chronicles | Podcasting a message of respect.

This is the website for the Special Chronicles Podcast.

Celebrate the Feast of Blessed Pope John Paul II with a new film series.

2011-10-22T08:49:00.001-04:00

Review of John Paul II; The Man, The Pope, and His Message

By Alberto Michelini

Leticia Velasquez

Catholic Media Review.

Volume 8 I Am Your Voice: The Pope on Human Rights

Catholics have long enjoyed the work of papal videographer, Alberto Michelini. Now under a special arrangement with the Vatican, what was formerly available on video has been converted to a four DVD set containing five hours of dramatic documentary footage, organized by topic into ten 30 minute films. Each film focuses on a different aspect of the pontificate of Blessed John Paul; including youth, children, the poor, the family, Marian devotion, historic events, a day in the papal apartments, and the working world. The series is available in English, French, and Spanish. The companion website wwwjohpaulseries.com for this DVD set has free downloads of companion discussion guides for leaders and participants for each volume with tools for group discussion. This makes this series an ideal tool for teachers to use in Catholic school, CCD, and parish adult ed programs. Study groups could use these films in private homes. Homeschooling mothers from the JPII Generation will find this ideal for teaching their children about the legacy of Blessed John Paul.

Volume 8 “I Am Your Voice” is the powerful film on human rights; Pope John Paul is seen interacting with and addressing poor, sick and persecuted people from every corner of the globe. A heartbreaking cry of misery is documented in this film; from the slums of Latin America and Calcutta, the prairies of Canada, the plazas of South Korea, the Australian Outback, the savannahs of Africa, and the shipyards of Gdansk. The desperation of the members of the human family who are callously denied basic human dignity are heard by the man who himself suffered under two oppressive regimes. South Americans who are living forsaken in squalid slums while neighbors enjoy luxury, occupying land was stolen from them. African lepers whom the government has forgotten, living in filth, workers who are deprived of just wages and political freedom, aboriginal tribes whose numbers are decimated yet remain proud of their culture. The Pope listens to their pleas with love and tells them “The Church hears your voice”

He responds to such pain with tears of compassion, embracing the disconsolate and dying, and railing with righteous indignation at the perpetrators of injustice at the rich who ignore the hunger of the poor, and the violence between protesters and police in Chile while he shouts to the multitude, “Love is stronger, Love is stronger!” John Paul speaks unflinchingly in defense of human rights at the United Nations in 1979, attempting to awaken the powerful of the world from the somnolence of egotism. He prays with profound sorrow at the grave of murdered Polish priest and Solidarity activist Fr Jerzy Popieluszko. Not taking sides for political purposes, as he is often accused of doing, the Pope is consistently on the side of the downtrodden, pointing out that the Church cannot be silent when human dignity is at stake.

During this moving footage, the narrator adds context to the scenes, and quotes from John Paul’s numerous encyclicals dealing with social justice; allowing viewers to grow in understanding of the Church’s position on human rights issues, as a preferential option for the poor, while avoiding the errors of Liberation Theology. He says that Christ came that we might have life abundantly, yet does not favor one political solution over another, rather, he attempts to stir the consciences of those in charge of the world’s economic systems, both left and right. For this he receives criticism for “dabbling in politics”.

Today there are protests of increasing intensity around the world, expressing frustration with injustices both political and economic. The Holy Father addressed this in his speech at the United Nations in 1979 when he said, “wars develop when inalienable rights are violated.” His warning was fulfilling the prophetic duty of the Church, to be the voice of the oppressed. He exclaims “the Church cannot be silent when human dignity is at stake”. One of the most emotionally charged moments of this documentary is when John Paul II upbraids his fellow Poles in 1991 in Kielce when he reminds them, shortly after the Solidarity Movement brought freedom to those behind the Iron Curtain and there was a movement to tell the Church to get out of politics with regard to abortion. He reminded his countrymen that a child is a gift from God.

No human being is forgotten in John Paul’s passionate defense of the dignity of mankind from birth to natural death. These films are compellingly narrated using the best of John Paul II’s encyclicals to educate the public about why Pope John Paul is called the Great and why millions attended his funeral shouting “Santo Subito!”

Don’t miss this outstanding series which offers an unparalleled opportunity to relive this extraordinary pontificate, and grow in your appreciation of the historical legacy of soon to be St John Paul.

In the spirit of the Gospel as well as out selfless Pope, It is “better to give than to receive”, CCC of AMERICA is hosting a contest: JPII They Love You. People who go to the Pope Series website to complete a brief web form in order to enter someone of their choosing to win a DVD set (valued at $49.99). They will have only 50 words or less to say why they are entering that particular friend, relative, neighbor, CCD teacher, Priest, etc to win a copy of the series.

More information may be found at this website; wwwjohpaulseries.com

Read my article on The Fight to Eliminate Down Syndrome

2011-10-19T19:54:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I posted about the New York Times' fair to favorable coverage of life with a loved one with Down syndrome.
But there is no paper like the National Catholic Register who is an open advocate for the Culture of Life, in all aspects. Thanks to their commitment to the life issues, I have published no less than four articles about Down syndrome and abortion. Down not Out, Down, Hero Dad and Palin, and Remembering Jerome Lejeune,
Three of four of them mention the French pro-life hero and geneticist, Dr Jerome Lejeune, who I believe will be canonized and serve as the patron saint of those with Down syndrome. He was declared Servant of God on June 28, 2007 (what a great birthday gift for me!)

Here is my latest article The Fight to Eliminate Down Syndrome; Eugenics at Work?
Go on over, and leave a comment!

Hartford high schoolers compelled to watch passionate gay kiss in play

2011-10-19T13:31:00.004-04:00

The parents were deliberately kept in the dark as where the students as their principals plotted to shock them into accepting gay sexual relations.

The kiss occurred during Hartford Public High School’s production of “Zanna, Don’t!,” a play depicting a world in which homosexuality is normative and heterosexuals take up the role of “outcasts.”

The Hartford Courant reported that “screams and loud voices” and sounds of disgust came from the audience during the display of affection, while “dozens” of mostly male students left the auditorium. While some trickled back in, officials had to prevent many from leaving the school building.

Dr. Christina Kishimoto, Superintendent of Schools

It backfired, dozens of shocked students fled the play in disgust, and tried to leave the school. Officials are pleased they are getting in touch with their inner gayness. Below read my response to the Superintendent of Hartford Schools.

You can reach her at

superintendent@hartfordschools.org

Here is my letter:
I am a certified ESL teacher, with 20 years of experience.
I am also the mother to two teenage girls who have never attended public school. Thanks to this event, they never will.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/highschoolers-horrified-at-gay-male-kiss-in-school-play-while-officials-pra?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=45b98bd32f-LifeSiteNews_com_US_Headlines10_18_2011&utm_medium=email

I have the Constitutional right to raise my children according to my moral standards. It is not compulsory to accept homosexual activity (yet) in this state, despite the fiat of the Supreme Court which imposed same sex "marriage" on the citizens of Connecticut in 2008.

I will withdraw my nine year old daughter from public schools in CT before she can be exploited for political correctness and her innocence destroyed. My girls are taught in St Mary's Church to love and respect everyone, regardless of their orientation. They are also taught that homosexual actions as well as any sexual activity outside of marriage is a sin which leads to eternal damnation.
You will never change this teaching it comes from God Himself. You have no right to impose your immorality on innocent children.
You may teach respect, but not try to acclimate them to sin, this is intolerable, and you should be ashamed of this action. I am posting this on my blog.

Read the entire LifeSiteNews Story here.

Fair article on MaterniT21 at the New York Times

2011-10-18T20:04:00.001-04:00

Ever since Amy Harmon's Pulitzer Prize winning The DNA Age Series article "Prenatal Testing Puts Down Syndrome in Hard Focus" I have had a growing respect for the Times' coverage of issues regarding Down syndrome. Dan Hurley's wonderful magazine article on Dr Alberto Costa was another proof that they are giving our side a fighting chance despite the acrid tone of most of the comments. I wrote him to thank him and he said he was overwhelmed with positive emails from his article. I hope that he told his superiors, that more such press would do the paper proud.

Andrew Pollack's piece today on the Prescriptions blog is further proof that advocates of those with Down syndrome have made inroads in public reporting of the issue.Our position is fairly articulated

But some advocates for those with Down syndrome fear the new tests, which can be conducted as early as the 10th week of pregnancy, will lead to more abortions and reduce the population of those with Down syndrome. And they lament what they say is the perception that lives with Down syndrome are not worth living.

He quotes Dr Skotko's impressive survey on the happiness of those with Down syndrome and their families,

Dr. Brian G. Skotko, a specialist in the Down syndrome program at Children’s Hospital Boston, said that the number of babies born annually with Down syndrome in the United States declined 11 percent from 1989 to 2006. This was during a period when the number of such births would have been expected to increase by 42 percent because more women were putting off child-bearing until they were older, when the risk of an affected pregnancy increased.The reason is that most women who find they are carrying a fetus with Down syndrome, which causes mild to moderate mental retardation, terminate the pregnancy.

and the angst felt by researcher Dr Alberto Costa who is afraid the money will not be there to cure the cognitive delays in Down syndrome if all the research dollars go to prenatal screening tests.

All in all, its an accurate portrayal of the other side of the ''good news" that other papers are insensitively touting as a "life saving breakthrough." Such language hits me in the stomach like a sucker punch. That's my daughter they're desperately trying to abort!
If only they knew her like we do!

Which is the reason I became a blogger five years ago this month.

Read the entire article here. And please take the time to leave a positive comment amid the sarcastic and condescending ones. So many hurting people used this article about our innocent children to spew their venom!

Sequenom releases Down syndrome test; will babies with Down syndrome become extinct?

2011-10-17T21:23:00.001-04:00

The new test is aimed directly at unborn babies with Down syndrome as its name suggests MaterniT21. T21 is the nickname for trisomy 21, the true name of what we call Down syndrome because they have three copies or trisomy of the 21st chromosome.

Two years ago, Sequenom said it had this test ready but it seems some of their employees deliberately skewed the results, causing an investor crisis. Their stock plunged to $3 a share from $28. Apparently prenatal tests are big business, and the company plans to target 750,000 "at risk" women. At risk for having a baby like my nine year old Christina (see our portrait) If only they knew what they were missing!

But starting today, a woman can for a $235 co-pay, have her blood tested at 10 weeks gestation to know with 99% accuracy if her baby has trisomy 21. At the present time, early screenings like the Quad and Triple Screen blood tests are very unreliable, as is the sonogram called the nuchal thickening (which looks at the extra fold of skin on the neck characterizing trisomy 21). This is causing journalists to laud this new test as a life saving breakthrough. The New York Times says as much in its article

"New tests are coming to market that can detect Down syndrome in a fetus using a sample of the mother’s blood, potentially reducing the need for riskier invasive tests while also stirring ethical concerns."

But for the babies who test positive for Down syndrome, there is a 92% chance they will not live to be born.

Dr Brian Skotko warns; "“The number of American women who will have to grapple with this information prenatally will substantially increase,” said Dr. Brian G. Skotko of the Down syndrome program at Children’s Hospital Boston. His sister has Down syndrome, he said, and he pointed out that these tests could encourage more people to end their pregnancies, causing a decline in the numbers of people with the condition and leading to diminished support for them."

This is exactly the dilemma faced by researcher Dr Alberto Costa, whose daughter has Down syndrome. He is fighting for funds in a limited pool of research grants to test memantine, an Alzheimer's drug which when injected into mice with a form of trisomy 21 causes immediate increases in their ability to learn, equaling their typical counterparts. Now there is tremendous enthusiasm, in the research community that a treatment for the cognitive delays of Down syndrome will be found soon, within ten years. Clinical tests are being conducted in New Jersey for another drug developed by Dr William Mobley with similar spectacular results in trisomic mice.

“This was a disorder for which it was believed there was no hope, no treatment, and people thought, Why waste your time?” says Craig C. Garner, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and co-director of the Center for Research and Treatment of Down Syndrome at Stanford University. “The last 10 years have seen a revolution in neuroscience, so that we now realize that the brain is amazingly plastic, very flexible, and systems can be repaired.”

So, just as there is amazing progress to make life better than ever for people like my daughter, this test comes crashing down on us to destroy our hopes, by threatening to make children like Christina virtually extinct. Why? Because if the investors think there is more money to be made in preventing babies from being born, none will invest in these drugs to make learning and memory normal for people like Christina who has difficulty speaking but is learning to read and write.

"Costa, like others working on drug treatments, fears that the imminent approval of those tests might undercut support for treatment research, and even raises the possibility that children like Tyche will be among the last of a generation to be born with Down syndrome.

“It’s like we’re in a race against the people who are promoting those early screening methods,” Costa, who is 48, told me. “These tests are going to be quite accessible. At that point, one would expect a precipitous drop in the rate of birth of children with Down syndrome. If we’re not quick enough to offer alternatives, this field might collapse.” (NYTimes Magazine)

So we are faced with a choice, either use medical science to conduct high-tech eugenic search-and-destroy missions for those babies we deem 'life unworthy of life' or use it to enhance the lives of 400,000 Americans who have Down syndrome, and give hope to the 750,000 moms who might be carrying a baby with trisomy 21.
The choice is ours. Our answer will tell a lot about the type of civilization we are.

All CT Representatives voted NO on HR358 Protect Life Act

2011-10-14T21:10:00.003-04:00

FROM THE SUSAN B ANTHONY LIST
As expected, this week the House of Representatives passed the Protect Life Act (H.R. 358)—which stops taxpayer funding of abortion and strengthens conscience protections under Obamacare—by a vote of 251-172.

Passage of the Protect Life Act is a promise fulfilled to pro-life activists by House GOP leadership. As you may remember, SBA List activists led the charge in petitioning Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor to include the Protect Life Act in its “Pledge to America” shortly after last year’s elections that swept them into power.

Now, it’s up to the Senate to take up the Protect Life Act. We look forward to keeping you updated in the coming weeks on how you can help make it happen.

But for now, I need you to do two things.
See how your Representative voted on the Protect Life Act.
Use the SBA List Action Center to thank your Representative or express disappointment based on how they voted.

After you’ve taken those two important actions, I encourage you to watch clips from the heated debate on the Protect Life Act which was led by the courageous Rep.Virginia Foxx (R-NC) on the pro-life side.

Take a look at the SuzyB Blog to see if your Representative stood up to defend Life on the House floor and watch some of the compelling speeches from the debate on the bill.

As you watch the floor speeches, notice how our pro-life leaders in Congress overwhelmingly agree that Obamacare allows for taxpayer funding of abortion, which is exactly why the Protect Life Act is needed in the first place – and the exact message we worked to spread during the 2010 mid-term elections that have resulted in a federal defamation lawsuit.

Passing the Protect Life Act in the House of Representatives was a step in the right direction, but it’s going to be an uphill battle to have this must-pass legislation taken up in the Senate. We’re going to need your help to get it done!

Connecticut is one of the most Catholic states in the union. The Catholic Church is unequivocally pro-life, yet not one of our Congressmen voted yes. Don't expect any better from our Senators.
We need change in 2012!
Shame on Catholic Congressman Joe Courtney. I hope he doesn't present himself for Communion this Sunday.

Connecticut
No	CT-1	Larson, John [D]
No	CT-2	Courtney, Joe [D]
No	CT-3	DeLauro, Rosa [D]
No	CT-4	Himes, James [D]
No	CT-5	Murphy, Christopher [D]

Pre-orders for my book "A Special Mother is Born" are now being accepted!

2011-10-10T12:40:00.001-04:00

Great news for those of you who have been wondering when the books will be available!
WestBow Press has informed me that my books are coming within three weeks!

I am taking pre-orders here on my blog, as well as on my other blogs Cause of Our Joy, Causa Nostrae Laetitiae, Keep Infants with Down Syndrome, and Catholic Media Review.

Just click the paypal button in the margin on the right, and leave your shipping information and your payment of $22.50 ($19.95 plus $2.55 shipping for a total of $22.50) by credit or debit card , and I will ship your book to your home in one month.

Our Lady of Victory saved a life today!

2011-10-07T15:02:00.000-04:00

It was a brilliantly sunny fall morning, and Gabbi my 18 year old asked me over breakfast, "Do you want to fill in for a vacancy at 40 Days for Life at noon today?" I have been ill with pneumonia for two weeks, but little by little, am venturing outdoors again. I answered "yes", and continued praying the rosary with the children at the Worldwide Children's Holy Hour at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on EWTN.

At noon we were at 12 Case Street in Norwich, CT where Planned Parenthood has an abortion mill in the medical building with a rear entrance. We relieved an older woman, who was there since 11AM, but Joe, the tall young man who was with her, got involved in conversation with us in front of the main entrance to the building. Gabbi was holding a sign which read, "women deserve better than abortion" and I had another sign which read "STOP all abortion". Soon a gentleman came running up and started a pleasant conversation about his involvement with pro-life activities. As we were all talking, a metallic green SUV stopped abruptly in the road opposite us and the driver, a man in his forties, seemed very angry with us. I was afraid of a confrontation and avoided his eyes, but he seemed engrossed in conversation with the twenty something woman next to him in the front seat.
"Well, make up your f---ing mind," he growled, "are you going in or aren't you?" The woman, looking down, merely shook her head. The driver took off with a start, and turning around in the handicapped parking lot with exaggerated motions and angry glares in our direction, careened into the Obstetrician's office parking lot across the street. The SUV disappeared behind the building for twenty minutes.

We discussed the incident and started to pray the Hail Mary for the young woman who was obviously in conflict over entering the abortion mill.

Soon our doubts were answered as the SUV came driving violently out of the OB's parking lot, turned down the street, and passed the abortion mill's parking lot without going in. We tried not to cheer, as it was obvious that the young woman upon seeing our signs, had a change of heart which her companion was not happy about.
We give all the credit to Our Lady of Victory whose feast day, now called Our Lady of the Rosary is today.
NEVER underestimate the power of prayer!

USCCB forms religious liberty committee

2011-10-03T11:51:00.000-04:00

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the decision by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to establish a Religious Liberty Committee:

The president of the USCCB, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, has announced the establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty;Bridgeport Bishop William Lori will chair the committee. Dolan lists six reasons why the new group is being launched:

• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking to force private healthcare providers to carry contraceptive and sterilization services

• HHS wants to force the USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services to provide "the full range of reproductive services"

• The federal government is seeking to force international relief programs to offer reproductive health services

• The Department of Justice is attacking the Defense of Marriage Act, arguing that support for marriage is a form of bigotry

• The Justice Department is attacking a religious liberty known as the ministerial exception; it insulates religious employers from state encroachment

• New York State recently legalized gay marriage, providing a very narrow religious exemption

With the exception of the last concern, all of the others reflect the policies of the Obama administration. To say that this administration disrespects religious liberty is too kind—it shows nothing but contempt for the "First Freedom."

Bishop Lori knows first-hand how contemptuous government can be of religious liberty—he fought a prospective state takeover of the administrative affairs of the Catholic Church in Connecticut. Archbishop Dolan is also no novice: he has fought anti-Catholic bigotry for years. The Catholic League has worked with both bishops before, and looks forward to assisting them again.

from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

This is welcome news; our bishops are preparing for war. Obama and his pro-abortion administration has declared war on Catholics who are faithful to the Magisterium, and the Church Militant is preparing to fight back. Bishop Lori has already fought back discriminatory legislation in CT aimed specifically against the Catholic Church, and lost the battle against same sex marriage. Archbishop Dolan narrowly lost the battle against same sex marriage in New York.

Let's get behind them and let he

Cardinal Di Nardo issues Bishops Respect Life Month Statement

2011-10-01T09:04:00.002-04:00

STATEMENT FOR RESPECT LIFE MONTH

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo
Chairman, Committee on Pro-Life Activities
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

September 26, 2011

This October the Catholic Church throughout the United States will observe Respect Life Month, an annual tradition now in its fortieth year.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo Releases Statement for October 2011, Respect Life Month

Beginning on October 2, 2011—Respect Life Sunday—Catholics across the nation will join together to witness to the inherent equality and transcendent value of every human being.

In countless liturgies and events we will give thanks to God for the gift of human life, and pray for his guidance and blessings on our efforts to defend the most vulnerable members of the human family.

We will voice our opposition to the injustice and cruelty of abortion on behalf of those victims whose voices have been silenced. At the same time, we will remind the living victims of abortion—the mothers and fathers who grieve the loss of an irreplaceable child—that God’s mercy is greater than any human sin, and that healing and peace can be theirs through the sacrament of reconciliation and the Church’s Project Rachel Ministry.

The theme chosen for this year’s Respect Life Program is I came so that all might have life and have it to the full. In this brief explanation of his mission (cf. John 10:10), Jesus refers both to our hope of eternal life, to be restored through his death and resurrection, and to our life in this world.

By following Jesus’ new Commandment of unselfish love, our lives can be richly fulfilling, and marked by joy and peace. In contrast, treating others as either means or obstacles to one’s self-serving goals, while never learning to love generously, is an impoverished way to live.

Viewing life as a “zero sum” game, in which advancing one’s interests requires putting aside the needs of others, can lead to callous unconcern for anyone who is especially weak, defenseless, and in need of our help. The unborn child, the aging parent who some call a “burden” on our medical system, the allegedly “excess” embryo in the fertility clinic, the person with a disability, the cognitively impaired accident victim who needs assistance in receiving food and water to live—each today is at risk of being dismissed as a “life unworthy of life.”

Jesus’ promise of “life to the full” is especially poignant today, when our culture and sometimes our government promote values inimical to the happiness and true good of individuals and society. We face increasing attempts to expunge God and religious discourse from public life. This promotes the dangerous proposition that human beings enjoy no special status by virtue of their God-given humanity. Some now even seek to eliminate religiously motivated people and organizations from public programs, by forcing them to violate their moral and religious convictions or stop serving the needy.

The same forces, aided by advertising and entertainment media, promote a selfish and demeaning view of human sexuality, by extolling the alleged good of sexual activity without love or commitment. This view of sex as “free” of commitment or consequences has no place for openness to new life. Hence contraceptives are promoted even to young teens as though they were essential to women’s well-being, and abortion defended as the “necessary” back-up plan when contraceptives fail. And fail they do. Studies report that most women seeking abortions were using contraception in the month they became pregnant. Again and again, studies show that increasing access to contraception fails to reduce rates of unplanned pregnancies and abortions.

Both these trends—a distorted view of sexuality and a disdain for the role of religion—are exhibited by the Department of Health and Human Services’ recent decision on the “preventive services” to be mandated in virtually all private health plans under the new health care law. The Department ruled that such mandated services will include surgical sterilization and all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs and devices—including the abortifacient drug “Ella,” a close analogue to the abortion pill RU-486.

The decision is wrong on many levels. Preventive services are aimed at preventing diseases (e.g., by vaccinations) or detecting them early to aid prompt treatment (e.g., screening for diabetes or cancer). But pregnancy is not a disease. It is the normal, healthy state by which each of us came into the world. Far from preventing disease, contraceptives can have serious health consequences of their own, for example, increasing the risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted disease, such as AIDS, increasing the risk of breast cancer from excess estrogen, and of blood clots that can lead to stroke from synthetic progestin. Mandating such coverage shows neither respect for women’s health or freedom, nor respect for the consciences of those who do not want to take part in such problematic initiatives.

The “religious employer” exemption offered by the Department is so extremely narrow that it protects almost no one. Catholic institutions providing health care and other services to the needy could be forced to fire their non-Catholic employees and cease serving the poor and vulnerable of other faiths—or stop providing health coverage at all. It has been said that Jesus himself, or the Good Samaritan of his famous parable, would not qualify as “religious enough” for the exemption, since they insisted on helping people who did not share their view of God.

All these misguided efforts to foster false values among our youth, to silence the voice of moral truth in the public domain, and to deprive believers of their constitutionally-protected right to live according to their religious convictions, must be resisted by education, public advocacy, and above all by prayer.

The founders of our nation understood that religion and morality are essential to the survival of a freedom-loving society. John Adams expressed this conviction, stating:

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”

Catholics must not shrink from the obligation to assert the values and principles we hold essential to the common good, beginning with the right to life of every human being and the right of every woman and man to express and live by his or her religious beliefs and well-formed conscience.

As Pope Benedict XVI reminded us last year in one of his Ad Limina addresses to visiting bishops, “a society can be built only by tirelessly respecting, promoting and teaching the transcendent nature of the human person.” That common nature transcends all accidental differences of age, race, strength, or conditions of dependency, preparing us to be one human family under God.

During this Respect Life Month, as we celebrate God’s great gift of life, let us pray and reflect on how each of us might renew our commitment and witness to “respecting, promoting and teaching the transcendent nature of the human person,” thereby shoring up the foundations of a society sorely in need of this guidance.

Sign up for my newsletter

2011-09-30T15:20:00.000-04:00

If you are a fan of my upcoming book, "A Special Mother is Born" or hope to be, sign up for my monthly newsletter by clicking on the link on top of the sidebar of the blog.
I'll be keeping you up to date on the book publication date, the book tour, speaking engagements, media appearances, and conferences.
We are about three weeks to month from publication date and lining up speaking engagements for the book tour.

Victory over vice at JC Penney's!

2011-09-28T12:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I called JC Penney Customer Service and blasted them for the sexually saturated commercial they were airing asking them if they wanted to be on par with Victoria's Secret (funny aside, my girls say, "that Victoria, she has NO secrets!")

We were heard!

From One Million Moms who spearheaded the effort to ban the commercial:

Yesterday, OneMillionMoms alerted you to an extremely offensive commercial being aired by the JC Penney retailer and asked you to call their corporate office.

I'm glad to report that JC Penney has heard from thousands of women all across the country! As a result of your taking action, JC Penny has responded!

We received this response late last night:

"Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your comments about jcPenney's recent advertising. Very specifically, we attempt to avoid themes that would be considered offensive to jcpenney customers. We sincerely regret that our ad has offended you. It was not our intent.
"The jcpenney Company has a record of high standards in our approach to advertising and does its best to present our merchandise in a tasteful and appropriate manner.
"Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and we want to let you know that we will no longer be airing this commercial."

Fr Donat Gionet removed for anti-gay, anti-abortion sermons - Canada - CBC News

2011-09-27T21:58:00.002-04:00

Report from the Canadian press about Fr Gionet including quotes from his now infamous homily which was given in several locations around his parish coinciding with the local gay parade. The major of the town, who also sits on the parish council is gay.

"After 51 years as a priest, Gionet has been barred from saying mass and administering the sacraments in the Bathurst diocese.
Gionet said Wednesday that people who are gay are a threat to the Catholic Church.
"We have to try to fight [homosexuality], destroy it, or do our best to invite people to change their life," Gionet told CBC.
"And that's something which is from my duty as a priest. I have to teach the truth to the people. I have to tell them how they should live to be with the church because if you're gay you're not with the church."
Representatives from Gionet's diocese said they have heard mixed reactions from the priest's congregation, with some supporting his message but others uncomfortable with his sermons."

Of course there are mixed reactions, no one wants to hear their activities are sinful, but that is the duty of the priest! To call the sinners home to repentance and to preach the truth in season and out of season. God has blessed his faithfulness with a larger audience than he ever hoped to reach in his quiet parish. Stories about the priest, who is a modern day St Jean Marie VIanney, continue to multiply.

I was interviewed by Rene Landry of Radio Canada about Fr Gionet and will post a link to the broadcast here.

Courageous Priest weighs in on the issue here quoting a letter written by Fr Gionet to the press explaining his homily but not backing down one iota.

“I said:‘Today,it is we Catholics who are destroying our Catholic Church. We need only look at the number of abortions among Catholics,look at the homosexuals,and ourselves.’ (That’s when I pointed at my chest –through that action I wanted to say,we the priests) and I continued saying:We are destroying our Church ourselves. And that’s when I said that those were the words expressed by Pope John Paul II. At that point,in the St-Léolin church only,I added: ‘We can add to that the practice of watching gay parades,we are encouraging this evil’ …What would you think of someone who seeing what was happening on (Sept.) 11,2001,the crumbling of the towers,had begun clapping? We must not encourage evil,whatever form it takes.”

Fr Gionet sees homosexuals with the compassionate eyes of Christ, he sees their grave sins, and invites them home to confess and live a life in the grace of God. We tend to forget that after Christ saved the woman caught in adultery from judgement and stoning, He told her "go and sin no more". Fr Gionet is like Christ, not wishing violence against gays but warning them that if they persist in mortal sin, they are condemning themselves to hell.
Such pure love is seldom understood by the world, but one would expect his bishop to understand.

BOATLIFT, An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience

2011-09-27T18:03:00.000-04:00

Fr Donat Gionet suspended over homily against sin

2011-09-22T15:00:00.008-04:00

BATHURST, New Brunswick, September 22, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) –
The Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, New Brunswick has removed an elderly priest from active ministry after he caused a storm of controversy by denouncing homosexuality, cohabitation, and abortion in an August homily.
85-year-old Fr. Donat Gionet had retired to his home town of Caraquet in June to serve palliative care patients, and now laments that in his declining years he is being forced to celebrate Mass “in secret.”
Fr. Wesley Wade, the diocese’s vicar general, told Radio-Canada that Fr. Gionet’s comments were consistent with Church teaching, but lacked the proper “pastoral” sensitivity.

You see, the gay mayor of the town the parish is in is on the parish council. He was offended.This is an outrage, and shows what the gay agenda is after; silencing good holy priests.Canada is not alone, the same thing has happened to a bold priest in Texas who dared to speak the truth about homosexual sin, Fr Michael Rodriguez. God forgive us for hiding the truth from sinners in desperate need of it! We are endangering souls for the approval of Ceasar.

Here's my email to Fr Donat Gionet's bishop.

Most Rev. Valery Vienneau, Bishop of Bathurst,
I am writing in support of Fr. Donat Gionet, C.J.M. We need more priests like him, with the courage to tell sinners that they are walking over hell on a tightrope, not petting their egos by putting them on the parish council while they are living in sin.

The Prophet Isaiah said, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20.

If I love my children, and they are in sin, I will. as a mother, correct them with love. Of course, they might argue that my tone is harsh, not because it is, but because they are offended. "The sting in any rebuke is the truth." said Ben Franklin. Father Gionet was admonishing the sinner, a spiritual act of mercy. Please restore him to his parish, or you will be giving scandal to the entire diocese!

The openly homosexual mayor needs confession, not retribution against an elderly priest who is concerned for his immortal soul.

Your diocese needs more priests like this modern day St Jean Vianney! Satan said of him "with three more like him, I could lose the world!"

The cover to "A Special Mother is Born" is in!

2011-09-21T19:04:00.000-04:00

For ordering information or reviews, go to my book blog A Special Mother is Born.

The Difference Hope Makes

2011-09-15T13:43:00.001-04:00

A Palm Beach jury just awarded a couple $4.5 million in damaged in a wrongful birth suit.
Their son Bryan was born in October 2008 without arms and with only one leg.
Their suit was against the mother, Ana Mejia's obstetrician and sonographer, saying if they had done their jobs detecting the anomaly before birth, that the couple would have had time to abort him.

Mejia and Santana claimed they would have never have brought Bryan into the world had they known about his horrific disabilities. Had Morel and technicians at OB/GYN Specialists of the Palm Beaches and Perinatal Specialists of the Palm Beaches properly administered two ultrasounds and seen he was missing three limbs, the West Palm Beach couple said they would have terminated the pregnancy.

According to the outcome of this trial, its the duty of the obstetrician to detect any abnormality in time for the mother to abort him. Admittedly it does seem a gross oversight to miss such an obvious abnormality, but I am glad the doctor did miss it, for now little Bryan, who never chose his disability, will have a chance to sing his song in the world. I am sure Bryan would rather be alive as he approaches his third birthday. He doesn't need $4.5 million, just parents who have the attitude that life is what you make of it with what you have, not parents who bemoan what they don't have and seek someone on whom to lay the blame. We have become an entitlement society, where if my life isn't all I wanted it to be, someone other than me is at fault. Then I sue them and live off the damages. No wonder no one wants to be an obstetrician anymore, the malpractice insurance is astronomical, and those who remain in the field often pressure women into prenatal testing and abortion in case they regret their decision to give life to their child and turn on their doctor.
That attitude won't make Bryan succeed. He needs parents who accept him for who he is, not what he isn't, and who challenge him to achieve what he can despite his disabilities. Like Tony Melendez.

Tony Melendez at the Memorial for the Preborn in Washington.

'Tony Melendez was born in Nicaragua in the days when Thalidomide was no longer given to American and European mothers, but was still prescribed to Latin American mothers to curb morning sickness. He was born without arms. Rather than complain about the unfairness of his condition, which was preventable, his father sought to help his son. Tony's father brought the family to California to fit him with artificial arms, which he later discarded because he was so much better at using his feet. In high school, Tony learned how to use those feet to play guitar.Soon, he returned to the Church of his childhood, and began to play at as many as five Sunday Masses. He was selected to play the guitar for the visit of Pope John Paul II to LA on September 15, 1987.
It was as today, the Feast of the Sorrowful Mother.

Tony Melendez and my daughter Gabbi

Tony was nervous when he performed his song "Never Be the Same" about his reversion to Catholicism, but no one was prepared for the Holy Father's reaction. He rose, jumped off the platform where he was sitting, walked over to the platform where Tony was, and reached up to embrace him. The audience roared its approval. Since then Tony has crossed the world with his singing apostolate, married and adopted several children. It was my honor to meet and embrace him twice, his joy is contagious, he made me feel like his sister. I just emailed him with a link to this story to ask him to contact Ana Mejia and Rudolfo Santana to give them hope that little Bryan can have a happy, fulfilling life. Tony radiates the peace of Christ, and if anyone can illustrate how to turn one's life around from self-pity and blame to self-help and service, he can.

From my experience raising my nine year old Christina, a child with serious cognitive delays and physical disability, yet who greets every day with a smile, I can confirm hat $4.5 million dollars can buy many things to make life with a handicap easier, but a hopeful attitude, can't be bought, it must be caught. Caught from a living example of a deep personal relationship with Jesus and mentors who don't take 'no' for an answer.I hope Tony Melendez contacts Bryan's family and becomes that mentor.

I hope that this couple makes a commitment to each other in Holy Matrimony, returns to the Church and brings their son in to be Baptized. With the grace of the sacraments, they can find the peace they were seeking with the lawsuit, and give their son the hope he will need to sing his own song of praise for Our Lord in his daily life.

Read the entire article here.

A devotion which could save this nation; Our Lady of America

2011-09-14T17:14:00.001-04:00

If you haven't heard about Our Lady of America, here is the entire story. It is an approved apparition and could change the course of history. If we believe. And obey.

OUR LADY OF AMERICA, THE IMMACULATE VIRGIN

On May 31, 2007, Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis Missouri, after a comprehensive review of all aspects of these extraordinary apparitions and messages to Sister Mary Ephrem, beginning in the 1950's, confirmed in a three page letter to all his Brother Bishops of “The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops”, that Archbishop Paul Leibold of Cincinnati Ohio had already conferred Canonical Approval on these heavenly interventions prior to his unexpected death at age 58 in 1972.   These messages of Our Lady given to Sister Mary Ephrem and the Devotion are the first ever approved in the United States.  The visionary, Sister Mary Ephrem (born Mildred Mary Neuzil 1916 died - 2000), was originally professed in the congregation of the “Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” in 1933, and later, became a member of the “Contemplative Sisters of the Indwelling Trinity”.  The original revelations took place at the convent “Chapel of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Sisters” near Rome City Indiana, and later continued at their contemplative branch convent’s “Our Lady of the Nativity Chapel” in New Riegel, Ohio.   Providentially, Archbishop Leibold was also Sr. Mary Ephrem's Spiritual Director from the 1950’s until 1972.
It is significant that Jesus, St. Michael the Archangel and Our Lady first spoke to Sr. M.E. in 1954, which was the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Blessed Virgin Mary's Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX.  Just as significant, was the formal consecration of America to Our Lady under the title of Her “Immaculate Conception” by all of our bishops in 1846, 8 years before the dogma.
     Our Lady appeared to Sr. M.E. in September of 1956, as “Our Lady of Lourdes”, promising many miracles if America complies with her requests.  Again significantly, Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette at Lourdes in 1858 and said, "I am the Immaculate Conception”.  Also in 1958, Our Lady came to Sr. M.E. “standing on the world” like she did in the Miraculous Medal revelations to St. Catherine Labouré.  "O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us to have recourse to thee" and with a crescent moon under Her feet, with Her heel crushing the dragon similar to Our Lady of Guadalupe (Emporess of the Americas).   All of these images reinforce our Blessed Mother's role in salvation history and Her love for America because of our great and long devotion to Her as The Immaculate Virgin.
      On September 26^th, 1956, the feast of the North American Martyrs, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Sr. M.E.for the first time as “Our Lady of America, the Immaculate Virgin”, and began giving sister the body of Her messages specifically for the United States of America.
     Our loving Mother told Sr. M.E. that She has chosen America to focus on purity of heart, and chastity,  and holy families, in which the Holy Trinity will then dwell, thus providing them with protection and abundant blessings.   By this privilege and mandate with which She has favored America, She will shower us with an abundance of graces so America can achieve the holiness necessary to lead the world by our example to live in accordance with God's Divine Will regarding purity and holy families.  Our Lady stressed that this is the only way to achieve peace in our country, and peace in the world.
    In 1956, while the “Basilica of The Immaculate Conception” was under construction in Washington D.C, Our Lady appeared to Sr, M.E. holding a model of the Basilica, and requested that a large statue of Her as Our Lady of America, sculpted under her direction, be solemnly processed and permanently installed and venerated at the Basilica honoring Her Immaculate Conception.  Once this occurs, the
Basilica will be blessed with  more miracles than Lourdes and our country will receive a tremendous flow of graces through Our Lady, the Mediatrix of Graces, and the Divine Mercy of spiritual enlightenment from Her Spouse the Holy Spirit.
     Our Lady emphasized her role as “Mother of Sacred Humanity”, and as “Co-Redemptrix” of the human race, She helps souls achieve holiness as members of Her son Jesus' mystical body.  She implored Her beloved Bishops and Priests to promote Her messages and mission as Our Lady of America, and inspire the faithful by their personal holiness in their imitation of Her son Jesus, especially by their penance, mortification, reparation and evangelization.
      Our Lady begged us to pray devoutly the Holy Rosary, especially the Family Rosary.  She said the praying of the rosary binds us to Her forever, and when Here rosarians leave this world, She will personally lead them to heaven.
      Our Lady asks everyone, especially the youth, to be chaste soldiers in Her army of “Torch Bearers of the Queen”, bringing the light of Christ to our spiritually blind country and world.  On October 5^th, 1956, the eventual feast day of St. Faustina, the secretary of Jesus' Divine Mercy, Our Lady inspired Sr. M.E. to write the powerful prayer of consecration and supplication to "Our Lady of America, Patroness of Our Land".  This important prayer received the Imprimatur of Mons. Paul F. Leibold, Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati, and the Nihil Obstat from Father Daniel Pilarcyzk [later a Bishop] on January 25^th, 1963.

      Since Archbishop Burke’s formal  approval announcement on May 31, 2007, this prayer, with a picture of Our Lady of America is flooding our country in unimaginable numbers.
      In 1958, the 100^th anniversary of Our Lady proclaiming at Lourdes “I am the Immaculate Conception” Our Lady requested that a medal be struck showing Her as She first appeared to Sr. M.E. on September 26, 1956 with the following words around the perimeter: “By Your Holy and Immaculate Conception O Mary, deliver us from evil“.  On the reverse side were to be the Coat of Arms of the Christian Family, the symbol of the indwelling Holy Trinity (an eye in the center of the triangle, on the red shield of the Precious Blood of Jesus), with the Holy Rosary draped over both symbols.  Around the perimeter were the words: “Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritu Sancto“, and “Jesu, Maria, Joseph“.  Just as She told St. Catherine in Paris in 1830 regarding the Miraculous Medal, Our Lady of America promised extraordinary graces and protection, and now additionally, purity of heart, for those who wear it with great faith.
    St. Joseph has a major role to play in Our Lady of America’s desire to lead America to purity in love.  He is the model for fathers and protector of the family.  He also said he is the protector of all Popes, who are the Vicars of Jesus Christ, and he participates as a cooperator with His spouse, Mary the Co-Redemptrix.  St. Joseph desires that a special feast day honor his unique fatherhood, his purity, and perfect obedience to Divine Will.   Jesus and Mary told Sr. M.E. that they desire that St. Joseph be honored on the first Wednesday of every month, by the faithful going to Holy Mass and praying the joyful mysteries of the rosary (similar to the “Nine First Fridays” devotion honoring Jesus’ Sacred Heart, and the “Five First Saturdays” devotion honoring the immaculate heart of Mary).
   The Archangel Gabriel told Sr. M.E. that Jesus was pleased with her efforts on behalf of His Mother, and He wanted sister to learn great purity of heart from His Mother.
     St. Michael the Archangel appeared several times to Sr. M.E. as the “Angel of Peace”.  He said he comes to those whose hearts are attuned to the voice of God.  Jesus sends him to these holy souls as a supernatural light to guide them through the spiritual darkness of this evil and dangerous world.
     Jesus had many encounters with Sr. M.E. and called her “His little white dove“, and again, “little secretary of My Heart “.  Jesus told her that the voice of His heart was the voice of mercy, and if mankind continues to reject Him, who is the light of the world, and His constant pleas for repentance and conversion, then we will experience a terrible purification.  Jesus said: “Choose My love or My Father’s anger“; “every home and every soul is My Father’s house, but many of them are no longer sanctified by His presence“.  Jesus said His heart hungers and thirsts for our love.  It saddens Him that most children are not taught to know Him and love Him.  Jesus said that parents have a great responsibility to educate their children.  He implores them to teach their children to know and love Him, and that they will be judged severely regarding this grave duty, and woe to children who disobey and show disrespect for their parents.
     In conclusion of this brief and selective summary of these urgent interventions of Divine Mercy, it is important to stress that time is of the essence.  A general analysis of the state of our nation’s morals, purity in love, holiness in families, and the importance of religion in our culture, during the period in the 1950’s when these apparitions began, when compared to where we are today, speaks volumes. Our Blessed Mother as “Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate”, has been appearing and speaking all over the world during these same years about the urgency of living and evangelizing Her peace plan from heaven.....or else!!!
     Our Lady told Sr. M.E. that the peace She promised at Fatima has been delayed because of the ever increasing sinfulness of the world, and that She has repeatedly interceded to hold back severe chastisements and purifications.  Therefore, it is now essential that we respond quickly and intensely to Her pleas to lead our country, and by our example, every nation to live purity in love and holiness in families.  Our Lady of America’s messages are extremely encouraging for Her many armies who are battling to cure the satanic sexual insanity and spiritual blindness that now dominates the whole world, and trying to avert the Divine justice and punishments awaiting us if we continue to ignore Her pleas, and  be indifferent to, and/or reject the teachings of Her Son Jesus through his One True Catholic Church.
      The messages and mission of Our Lady of America are complementary, and to a certain degree interconnected, to the many other already approved apparitions at Fatima, Divine Mercy, Akita Japan, and Amsterdam.  We thank Almighty God for Our Lady of America, The Immaculate Virgin, and for choosing America to capitalize on it’s reputation as a world leader, to help our seven billion brothers and sisters throughout the world to experience purity and peace, and the joy of happy holy families.   Amen.
(This summary was written by Bud Macfarlane, M.I. and it has been reviewed and approved by the Apostolate.)
FOR MORE  INFORMATION VISIT   HTPP://WWW.OURLADYOFAMERICA.ORG

Friends of late term abortionist LeRoy Carhart

2011-09-13T11:58:00.005-04:00

I emailed the landlord of Dr Carhart to ask him to terminate the lease for his later term abortion business. and two women were asked to write me emails and question my objections. He moved from Nebraska to Germantown, Maryland when late term abortion holocaust came to an end in that state.He is currently under investigation by the Board of Health in the state of Maryland.

Now pro-life people are protesting Dr Carhart's killing field by peacefully holding prayer vigils and contacting his landlord, entreperneuer Todd Stave .The group "Kick Carhart out of Maryland" has pertinent information about his evil practice on their website.

Todd Stave
11403 Spice Oak Terrace
Rockville, MD 20850
toddstave@gmail.com
(301) 217-0830

Here are the notes and my replies It is interesting to note that my first correspondent, who calls herself "Charlotte Taft": lives in New Mexico. All emphases are mine. My comments are in red.

From: Charlotte Taft
Dear Leticia,
In a world where there is so much anger and bitterness it is always wonderful when people who see things so differently can still recognize that they are all part of the same human family. Thank you so much for your prayers for the Staves. I will continue my prayers until they see the light.

I understand that you don't agree,
but I believe with all my heart that Dr. Carhart is doing good compassionate work that saves women's lives.

It appears that DL has given you some incorrect information with regard to their legal rights. Do you support the protests they have been organizing with graphic signs in front of middle schools? Does that represent the kind of love you want to be expressing? Telling the truth in love is rarely popular, but it must be done.

To paraphrase a wonderful quote about fear tactics, "Just because you have frightened a woman into silence doesn't mean you have converted her."
I hope you might come to respect a woman whose conscience is just as strong and precious as yours, but tells her a different story about the most responsible way to live her life.

I'll send prayers to you that your heart may be touched and your eyes may be opened.
Sincerely,Charlotte Taft

Dear Charlotte,

Tearing a child limb from limb is legal but it is no way moral.

So many couples are waiting to adopt a child, and yet selfish women would rather rip a viable child's arms and legs off their body than give that child a couple more months of shelter, give birth, and give them up.
I will never understand this.
I don't care if women are frightened out of doing this, if they don't have respect for the lives of others, they may need to be frightened out of something evil like abortion. We frighten men out of homicide by jail time and the death penalty. How is murdering an innocent baby any different?
I am a teacher of adolescents.
Middle school children today watch horror films with graphic dismemberings, see Holocaust films in school with bulldozers pushing emaciated corpses in the death camps, so they need to see what Dr Carhart is doing for money in their neighborhood. They need to be educated on the modern day atrocities LeRoy Carhart is committing in their own neighborhood.

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."Edmund Burke
I would not have been quiet during the Holocaust, or during slavery, so how can I refrain from telling you the truth now?

Its an act of mercy in my Church to admonish the sinner, we are hoping you will abandon your sin, repent and accept the mercy which Christ extends to you.

I am still praying for your conversion and that of the abortionist. Dr Bernard Nathanson presided over the deaths of 60,000 infants, saw what he was doing on a sonogram, repented, converted to Catholicism and died in the peace of Christ.
I wish the same for Dr Carhart and you, Charlotte. Give it up, before you face our Savior with this abomination staining your immortal soul.

Ad Jesum per Mariam,

Leticia Velasquez

The second email is from Kathryn Ranieri.

From: Kathryn ranieri

Good morning,
I'm writing you, Leticia, to ask you to think about what you are doing.

Our Creator has given us inalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. We are given the gift of life, you and me, and the free will to chose. Yet, you and your prolife cohorts want to deny Todd Stave's right to choose how he lives his life.As long as he doesn't aid and abet murder, we won't get involved in his morality.
You want to deny his children and their school mates the right to choose how they live. No we want to educate them about the atrocities committed in Todd Stave's building, by LeRoy Carhart.
You want to deny Todd Stave’s right as an American citizen to legal business transactions. Yet, your campaign against Todd Stave hurts your cause.

You offer prayers of concern for Todd and his family and for Dr. Leroy Carhart and I thank you for those prayers. But, as a Christian, I'm asking you to show compassion for children in Stave’s middle school, respect for the humanity of Stave and Carhart, and trust in the wisdom of those with whom you don’t fully know. I'm asking for you to think about what Jesus would do. I faithfully believe he would not engage in a vengeful stalking campaign against God's children.

For your consideration,
Kate Ranieri
--
The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
Oscar Wilde

Oh, yes it is, Jesus is" the Way the Truth and the Life"

Dear Kathryn,
Jesus would warn you that your immortal soul is in danger of hell fire. He would tell you of his mercy, and that if you continue to support evil, you will shut yourself off from Him.
Jesus would remind you that tearing a child limb from limb is legal but it is no way moral.
So many couples are waiting to adopt a child, and yet selfish women would rather rip a viable child's arms and legs off their body than give that child a couple more months of shelter, give birth, and give them up.
I will never understand this.
I am a teacher of adolescents.

Middle school children today watch horror films with graphic dismemberings, see Holocaust films in school with bulldozers pushing emaciated corpses in the death camps, so they need to see what Dr Carhart is doing for money in their neighborhood. They need to be educated on the modern day atrocities LeRoy Carhart is committing in their own neighborhood.

I would not have been quiet during the Holocaust, or during slavery, so how can I refrain from telling you the truth now? Its an act of mercy in my Church to admonish the sinner, we are hoping you will abandon your sin, repent and accept the mercy which Christ extends to you.
I am still praying for your conversion and that of the abortionist. Dr Bernard Nathanson presided over the deaths of 60,000 infants, saw what he was doing on a sonogram, repented, converted to Catholicism and died in the peace of Christ.
I wish the same for Dr Carhart and you, Kathryn. Give it up, before you face our Savior with this abomination staining your immortal soul.

Ad Jesum per Mariam,
Leticia Velasquez

Note the misuse of the terms compassion, rights and intimidation to demonized peaceful protesters who are within their First Amendment rights. The prevailing error in these women's writing is their moral confusion, and their relativism. If all truths are equal, ladies, why should I believe your truth? Isn't mine just as valid?

The most shameless tactic is the misuse of Our Lord's will when Kate asks me, what would Jesus do? Christian churches are in a sad state when members can believe that Jesus would favor the brutal killing of an innocent in the womb.May God have mercy on them, these women, Todd Stave, and Dr Carhart.
We continue to lift them up in prayer.
Tuesday Sept 13 UPDATE:
The fan mail continues, this one from Ohio. I think Feministing or NARAL has asked for volunteers to respond to me.
From: lt lt

Dear Leticia,

I'm writing to thank you for your recent email concerning the location
of Dr. Carhart's practice. There are a few misunderstandings that
clearly need to be addressed.

The group Defend Life seems to be under the impression that if enough
people call/write, the owner of this building can remove Dr. Carhart
from the premises. That is not accurate, and not going to happen. Dr.
Carhart performs life saving abortions at a later gestation in
extenuating circumstances such as fetal anomaly or a threat to the
life of the mother, under the guidelines of Maryland law, and as such
is legally protected. The owner of the building would be breaking the
law were he to follow Defend Life's request and try to evict Dr.
Carhart without cause.

Defend Life seems to be at the very least misguided in it's protests
at a local middle school, with large signs that are not only graphic
and inappropriate, but that contain the personal information of a
child's father, putting the well-being of the child at great risk by
anyone wishing to cause harm, and also at risk from peers wishing to
bully. Is this in accordance with a Pro-Life stance that purports to
care for children?

I ask that you please also keep Defend Life in your prayers, as they
must be lost to carry out such actions.

-Leah

Ten years later, World Trade Center cross still consoles :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

2011-09-11T18:55:00.000-04:00

Ten years later, World Trade Center cross still consoles :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Fr George Rutler has some reflections for 9/11

2011-09-11T15:15:00.000-04:00

If you don't know his EWTN show, "Christ in the City" you missed Fr Rutler saying he gave all the victims of the Twin Towers a wartime general absolution, so they all made it to Purgatory. What a consolation that is!Here is his letter to his parish in NYC for today. FROM THE PASTORSeptember 11, 2011by Fr. George W. RutlerProvidential symmetry sets the plaintive anniversary of September 11, 2001, on a Sunday, which is always a celebration of the Resurrection. By rare indult, Holy Mass on this day replaces the ordinary liturgical Propers with suffrages for the dead. We live as mourners, never forgetting the wanton rampage of evil on that Tuesday whose late summer brilliance was so affronted by the moral darkness of those who blackened the bluest sky. These days pick up the pace from the pleasant torpor of summer, and on this particular day ten years later, we also move on into a new decade to engage a cultural war against the moral offences which have afflicted our time. The Second World War was won by people who knew the difference between good and evil. Things have changed, and there is a lot of ambiguity now about what constitutes integrity and truth itself. Many take the shortcut of denying that we are in a war at all. It was the mistake made by decadents in the 1930’s, like the “Cliveden Set,” who underestimated the pulsating hatred on the pages of “Mein Kampf.” Christian civilization is again under attack, and little resistance is shown by a society of indolence, promiscuity, infanticide, eugenics, extravagant debt, crime, collapsed family life, and marriage so surrealistically redefined by Gnostics that 44% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 think that matrimony is becoming obsolete. The battle of good against evil will not be won by a culture of narcissists led by leaders chosen because they make people feel good instead of being good. Christians do not confuse optimism and hope. They do not optimistically think that “wishing will make it so.” They hopefully trust in God, who “made us to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.” So today we sing a grand hymn by Cecil Spring-Rice, “I Vow to Thee, My Country.” He wrote the first version as a diplomat in Stockholm in 1908. At the end of his career as British ambassador to Washington in 1918, Spring-Rice altered its bluster after the traumatic carnage of the First World War. It is set to the magnificent melody of Gustav Holst from the “Jupiter” section of The Planets, which sustains even the lame poesie of more recent alternative lyrics preferred by insensitive taste. Spring-Rice gave the strong chords for the moment, paraphrasing in cadence Proverbs 3:17:And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago,Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

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September 26, 2011

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Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo
Chairman, Committee on Pro-Life Activities
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops