Election Day

I voted for Hughes, Andrzejewski and Plummer.

Fr. Pavone on Tiller

Video: Fr. Norman Weslin Arrested at Notre Dame

Imagine

Installation Homily

I missed watching Dolan's installation in New York yesterday. It looks like he gave a great homily.

Archbishop Dolan's Homily (Mass of Installation)
April 15, 2009

AMDG Installation Homily JMJ

April 15, 2009

"This is the day the Lord has made!

Let us rejoice and be glad! Alleluia!"

"He has risen as He said, alleluia! alleluia!"

"Jesus Christ yesterday and today, the beginning and the end,

Alpha and Omega.

All time belongs to Him

and all the ages,

to Him be glory and power! Amen!"

You are all so very welcome here, in this "Cathedral of suitable magnificence," as Archbishop John Hughes, whose cross I wear today, termed it, that has been such a warm, embracing spiritual home for untold millions.

Thank you, thank you all for so personally supporting me as I begin this apostolic ministry in the Archdiocese of New York.

Thank you, eminent cardinals, for by your presence you salute the vibrant Church in New York. A special appreciation to Cardinal William Baum, the dean of our American cardinals, Cardinal William Levada from Rome, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec City, and, of course, to Cardinal Edward Egan. Eminence, thank you for your leadership these past nine years, and, as the disciples on the road to Emmaus asked the Lord, please, "Stay with us!"

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, our papal nuncio, and Archbishop Celestino Migliore, papal nuncio to the United Nations;

My brother bishops, our beloved auxiliary bishops of the archdiocese, of the entire State of New York, from across the entire United States, and here even from Italy, Australia, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Ireland, whose fraternity means so much;

My cherished brother priests, especially those of this archdiocese, who now have a special claim on my heart;

deacons and seminarians;

consecrated women and men religious; distinguished representatives from other revered families of faith, respected civic and political leaders, special friends who have been so loyal to me from St. Louis, Rome, D.C., Kansas City and the wonderful archdiocese of Milwaukee . . . and all of God's people, children of our one Father and brothers and sisters in the Lord...

Maybe I should not be so flattered that so many are here . . . after all, everybody wants to "take sanctuary on income tax day!"

My dear family . . . when I told Mom that Pope Benedict XVI had appointed me Archbishop of New York, I remarked, "Mom, whatever God gives me in life, His greatest gift to me is that I am Bob and Shirley Dolan's son." I mean that. And I'm so glad Mom is here this afternoon . . . especially because there's a sale on at Macy's!

Thank you all!

But, I hope you understand, as grateful as I am to all of you, there is another claim on my gratitude that towers above all the rest.

Above all, above all, I give praise to God, our Father, for raising His Son Jesus Christ from the dead! For "Christ is risen! He is truly risen! Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! For His mercy endures for ever!"

For this is not all about Timothy Dolan, or all about cardinals and bishops, or about priests and sisters, or even about family and cherished friends.

Nope . . . this is all about two people: Him and her . . . this is all about Jesus and His Bride, the Church. For, as de Lubac asked, "What would I ever know of Him without her?"

The Resurrection, Easter, is the very foundation of our faith, our hope, our love. Everything in the Church commences when, like those two disciples on the road to Emmaus that first Easter, we recognize Jesus as risen from the dead. The Church herself begins.

The Resurrection of Jesus is so central to our faith that we celebrate it every Sunday at Mass. On my first day as your archbishop I dream that we can reclaim Sunday as the Lord's Day, anchored in our faithfulness to Sunday Mass, our weekly family meal with the risen Jesus.

In thanking God for the Resurrection of Christ, we thank God for the Church. For as "Jesus is the human face of God," as Pope Benedict XVI often reminds us, the Church is the human face of Jesus.

For us as Catholics, Christ and His Church are one.

The triumph, the life, the light, the mercy, the raising up, the salvation which exploded Easter morning as Jesus rose from the dead continues in His Church, an extraordinary spiritual family that gathers men and women of every nation, race, language, and background into a breathing tapestry of faith.

The power of the risen Christ shows itself -- Christ shows Himself! -- in the extraordinary community that is the Church.

God's love for us is so personal, so passionate, so intense that He gave His only begotten Son for our salvation. And when God the Father raised His Son from the dead, He put His divine seal of approval upon His work of art, the human project, on women and men made in His own image and likeness, washed clean by the blood of His Son on Good Friday, destined to spend eternity at His side, and assured us, "The evil, horror, lies, hate, suffering and death of last Friday will not prevail! Goodness, decency, truth, love, and life will have the last word."

That's the Easter message the Church is entrusted to live and to tell. For, believe it or not, the dying and rising of Jesus continues in His Church.

That's the story of these extraordinary acres of the Lord's vineyard of the Church we call the Archdiocese of New York. Now in her third century, the risen Christ has been and is alive here. Let me count some of the ways:

-- In the welcome given to countless immigrants, like even my own great-great grandparents, who came and still do come to this country through this city with little or nothing of earthly value, but tenaciously clung to that "pearl of great price," their faith, to find in the Church here the spiritual counterpart of Lady Liberty, Holy Mother Church, who welcomed them, embraced them, settled them in, taught their children, and kept that faith alive.

Spanish: Hoy agradecemos a Dios por la gracia de nuestros hermanos y hermanas Latinas, cuya presencia es una gran bendición en esta arquidiócesis. A ustedes, hermanos y hermanas, prometo dar mi amor, mi corazón, mi energía. Su fe Católica, viva y fervorosa, es una luz para todos nosotros.

-- The risen Christ is alive here in the Church in and through her priests. My brother priests: you are the apple of my eye! You mean everything to me. Without you, I can do nothing. In you I still see St. Isaac Joques, Venerable Felix Varela, Issac Hecker, Fighting Father Duffy, Fulton J. Sheen, Richard John Neuhaus, Avery Dulles; in you I see men who continue the power of the resurrection at the altar, in the confessional, in the classroom, with the sick, searching, and the poor. I have long admired you from afar, but today for the first time I can say, "my brother priests" of the Archdiocese of New York-my admiration, deep appreciation, and unflagging love to you;

--The Risen Christ is alive in her consecrated religious, women and men, in whom Elizabeth Ann Seton, Francis Xavier Cabrini, and Michael Judge find most worthy heirs, as you continue to give the Word flesh in your simplicity of life, charity, and obedience.

--The awesome yet gentle might of the Christ's Resurrection continues in the Church of New York in her faithful people, women and men who love their Church in spite of her wounds, who savor their baptismal call, rely upon the grace and mercy of prayer and the sacraments, live as committed husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, and generous single people, and who bring the person, teachings, and invitation of their Lord to family, community, parish, and the public square, continuing the legacy of such lay leaders as Pierre Toussaint, Dorothy Day, and Governor Al Smith.

--Christ is one with His Church in this archdiocese as we obey his final mandate to teach, as we praise God for the prize of our celebrated Catholic schools, to whose flourishing I pledge my best efforts and support, and our promising programs of evangelization and catechetics.

--The Resurrection of Jesus goes on in our apostolate for the struggling, searching, and marginalized, as thousands of those closest to Christ's Sacred Heart-the hungry, homeless, sick, troubled, and immigrants--find solace and help in our Catholic charities and healthcare. Conscious are we of former Mayor Ed Koch's observation that the Catholic Church is the glue that keeps this city together . . . and, and . . . the Resurrection goes on, as His Church continues to embrace and protect the dignity of every human person, the sanctity of human life, from the tiny baby in the womb...... to the last moment of natural passing into eternal life. As the Servant of God Terrence Cardinal Cooke wrote, "Human life is no less sacred or worthy of respect because it is tiny, pre-born, poor, sick, fragile, or handicapped." Yes, the Church is a loving mother who has a zest for life and serves life everywhere, but she can become a protective "mamma bear" when the life of her innocent, helpless cubs is threatened. Everyone in this mega-community is a somebody with an extraordinary destiny. Everyone is a somebody in whom God has invested an infinite love. That is why the Church reaches out to the unborn, the suffering, the poor, our elders, the physically and emotionally challenged, those caught in the web of addictions.

--The risen Jesus remains alive in this archdiocese as the Church partners with respected neighbors and friends of other Christian families, our Jewish older brothers and sisters in the faith, who today conclude Passover and have our best wishes, and with our Islamic and Eastern religious communities, as the Church relishes the unique ecumenical and inter-religious concord of this greater New York community; and as the archdiocese collaborates with our political, civic, cultural, and business leaders, so very welcome here today, in all noble prospects advancing human welfare and dignity. Seven-and-a-half years ago, on September 11, 2001, New Yorkers gave a lesson of extraordinarily generous courage to the world. Selfless police officers, fire fighters, and emergency medical personnel, saved lives, and many gave theirs. Their sacrifice was an ecumenical, interreligious civic testimony to the worth of every human person. You did us all proud, and now how proud I am now to partner with all of you in that same spirit;

--and, maybe most of all, Christ remains present in His Church as people whisper prayers, worship at Sunday Mass, struggle with sin and pursue virtue, hunger for God's Word and Sacrament, and realize that, as much as we love New York, we have here no lasting home, for our true citizenship is in heaven.

And just what, I ask you, does the Church have to give? Does she have power and clout, property and prestige? Forget it! Those days are gone, if they ever did exist at all.

The Church instead borrows the vocabulary Jesus Himself used in those days after He rose, as we speak of "a peace He gives us,"

of "feeding my sheep,"

of "teaching the nations."

The Church really has no treasure but her faith in the Lord, which is not bad at all, as we shrug and say with Peter and John in the Acts of the Apostles, "Silver and gold we have not, but, what we do have, we give: ...

Jesus Christ...!

Now, let me bring this home by suggesting that we all take a little stroll down...the road to Emmaus.

See, I mentioned to you that the Church continues not just the rising but also the dying of Jesus Christ. We've just been through a litany of ways that the rising of Jesus radiates in the Church in this historic archdiocese. But we'd be naive if we overlooked the dying, wouldn't we?

For indeed not only the Resurrection but the cross, the dying, of Christ goes on:

--As we are tempted to fatigue in our works of service and charity;

--As we continue realistically to nurse the deep wounds inflicted by the horrible scandal, sin, and crime of sexual abuse of minors, never hesitant to beg forgiveness from God and from victim survivors and their families, committed to continue the reform, renewal, and outreach Pope Benedict encouraged us to last year, when, among many other places, he urged us in this very cathedral, "to respond with Christian hope to the continuing challenges [of] this painful situation..."

-- The cross is there as more and more of our people are burdened under financial woe and uncertainty;

--As strains on the family take their toll, or as the Church is ridiculed for her teaching on the sanctity of marriage;

--As we struggle to keep our parishes and schools strong, and recognize that we need a new harvest of vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, religious life, and faithful, life-long, life-giving marriage;

Shortages and cutbacks, people mad at the Church or even leaving her, and our seeming inability to get the Gospel message credibly out there . . .

. . . are we not at times perhaps like those two dejected disciples on the road to Emmaus? They were so absorbed in their own woes, so forlorn in their mistaken conclusion that the one in whom they had placed their trust was dead, so shocked by the shame, scandal, and scorn of last Friday . . . that they failed to recognize Jesus as He walked right alongside of them!

I say to you, my sister and brother disciples now on the road to Emmaus, let's not turn inward to ourselves, our worries, our burdens, our fears; but turn rather to Him, the way, the truth, and the life, the one who told us over and over, "Be not afraid!", who assured us that He "would be with us all days, even to the end of the world," and who promised us that "not even the gates of hell would prevail," the one who John Paul the Great called, "the answer to the question posed by every human life," and recognize Him again in His word, in the "breaking of the bread," in His Church.

Let Him "turn us around" as He did those two disciples, turned them around because, simply put, they were going the wrong way, and sent them running back to Jerusalem, where Peter was, where the apostles were, where the Church was.

For three weeks in July, 1992, I was on pilgrimage in Israel. I had a wonderful Franciscan guide who made sure I saw all the sacred places in the Holy Land. The day before I departed, he asked, "Is there anything left you want to see?"

"Yes," I replied, "I would like to walk the road to Emmaus."

"That we cannot do," he told me, "You see, no one really knows where that village of Emmaus actually was, so there is no more road to Emmaus."

Sensing my disappointment, he remarked, "Maybe that's part of God's providence, because we can now make every journey we undertake a walk down the Road to Emmaus."

My new friends of this great archdiocese, would you join your new pastor on an "adventure in fidelity," as we turn the Staten Island Expressway, Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, Broadway, the FDR, the Major Deegan, and the New York State Thruway into the Road to Emmaus, as we witness a real "miracle on 34th street" and turn that into the road to Emmaus?


For, dare to believe, that:

From Staten Island to Sullivan County

From the Bowery, to the Bronx, to Newburgh,

From White Plains to Poughkeepsie...

He is walking right alongside us.

"For why do we look for the living among the dead?"

"For He is risen as He said, alleluia, alleluia!"

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever."

Source

A Pro-Life Episode of House

Christine writes about a recent episode of House, and its pro-life message. Since this one aired this week it was particularly good timing since we just had the 4th anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death.

Vatican Unhappy with Obama Ambassador Picks

Vatican Unhappy with Obama Ambassador Picks
Thursday, April 2, 2009 6:55 PM
By: Edward Pentin

As President Barack Obama continues to focus on his political base and push through policies that are anathema to the pro-life movement, he is having difficulty finding a suitable candidate to represent his administration at the Vatican.

According to Massimo Franco, author of "Parallel Empires," a recently published book on U.S.-Vatican relations, the Obama administration has put forward three candidates for consideration but each of them have been deemed insufficiently pro-life by the Vatican.

One of the few conditions the Vatican places on diplomats accredited to the Holy See is that they hold pro-life views in line with Church teaching.

Franco says the administration is now looking for a professional diplomat rather than a political appointee because finding an authentically pro-life candidate within the Democratic Party is proving impossible. The task is further hampered by the administration’s desire to reward individuals who gave donations to Obama’s campaign.

More

BO At Our Lady's University???

Catholic, pro-life organizations call on Notre Dame to cancel Obama commencement address

South Bend, Ind., Mar 21, 2009 / 12:01 pm (CNA).- On Friday Catholic and pro-life organizations responded to the announcement that the University of Notre Dame, one of the oldest and most prominent Catholic institution of higher education, will have President Barack Obama to deliver a commencement address on May 17.

The University of Notre Dame announced on Friday afternoon that President Barack Obama will be the main speaker and the recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree at the University of Notre Dame’s 164th University Commencement Ceremony at 2 p.m. May 17 (Sunday) in the Joyce Center on campus.

According to the Notre Dame press release, “Mr. Obama will be the ninth U.S. president to be awarded an honorary degree by the University and the sixth to be the Commencement speaker.”

In response to the announcement, the Cardinal Newman Society launched a website, www.NotreDameScandal.com, including an online petition to Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins, CSC.

“It is an outrage and a scandal that ‘Our Lady’s University,’ one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage,” the petition reads.

Less than an hour after the petition was posted, it already counted with the support of high-profile Catholics such as Philip F. Lawler, Director of the Catholic Culture Project, Fr. C. J. McCloskey III, and Thomas N. Peters, blogger for the American Papist.

More

This Pope is Becoming a Real Problem - Good!

I take this as a good sign.

Former Prime Minister Alain Juppé (UMP), interviewed Wednesday by France Culture concerning the words of Benedict XVI denouncing condoms, said that "this pope is becoming a real problem" because he is living “in a situation of total autism."

“This Pope is becoming a real problem”

If the world were too comfortable with the message of the church and the Pope, we would be in trouble.

This is Sick

Couple Sues Quebec Hospital for Not Dehydrating Disabled Infant Daughter to Death
By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

MONTREAL, March 17, 2009 (LifeSIteNews.com) - A Quebec couple have launched a $3.5-million lawsuit against Montreal Children's Hospital for allegedly putting their infant daughter back on artificial food and hydration without their approval.

Marie-Eve Laurendeau gave birth to Phebe Mantha at LaSalle Hospital in November 2007. After a difficult delivery Phebe was transferred to Montreal Children's Hospital in serious condition and put on life support.

According to the lawsuit Laurendeau and Phebe's father, Stephane Mantha, were told by doctors that their daughter had little chance for survival and advised them to take her off respiratory support and hydration, to which they agreed.

After withdrawing respiratory support, however, it was found that Phebe could breathe on her own, and the hospital's ethics committee reversed the parents' decision to withhold fluids and food from their baby.

More

Phebe is now almost 18 months old and, according to a CTV report, smiles at her parents. The parents say that Phebe's mother has had to quit her job to take care of their daughter and they are now living on only one income.

"I would tell them to come to our house for a week and see what it's like to live with a child like ours," said Mantha. "See the involvement that's needed -- the time and energy in terms of everything involved in our life."

How inconvenient that their daughter lived and they have to take care of her. My family would have done anything to be doing that for my sister right now.

Brownback - Turncoat

Spirit & Life®
"The words I spoke to you are spirit and life." (Jn 6:63)
Human Life International e-Newsletter
Volume 04, Number 10 | Friday, March 6, 2009
..................................................................................
www.hli.org

Brownback - Turncoat

I am not a politician, I am a priest. So I would like to give my priestly perspective about the recent endorsement of Senator Sam Brownback for the candidacy of Kathleen Sebelius for Secretary of Health and Human Services: Senator Brownback's cowardly betrayal of his Catholic faith is even more damaging than his political permission for this renegade to take office.

The situation is atrocious. An extremist abortion hack (called the most pro-abortion governor in the nation by many), who falsely calls herself "Catholic," is given the opportunity to preside over the nation's healthcare system and normalize abortion even further; this radical is then endorsed by a US senator who also calls himself "Catholic" and who, many believe, wants her job back home when she becomes the abortion queen in DC.

With pro-lifers like Senator Sam Brownback, who needs pro-aborts?

Moral theologians can work out what level of cooperation in evil the Senator's endorsement represents - he is, after all, an influential senator whose opposition, if he had given it, may very well have stopped her nomination. Yet, those of us who do not breathe the rarified air of Washington DC and who have dedicated our lives to defending the sanctity of human life understand one thing: any covenant with the abortion industry or its promoters is consent to the killing. As a convert to the Catholic Faith, Senator Brownback seems not to understand the Church's profoundly wounded heart with regard the slaughter of the innocents. The Church tells us never to participate in that slaughter, no matter what the cost; we do not give aid and comfort to the enemies of human life, we do not stand by while the innocent are being dragged off to a violent murder, and under no circumstances do we endorse the political aspirations of their executioners. Politicians who sell the lives of babies for political gains are the worst kind of turncoats.

Yet, this Catholic Senator's decision constitutes, I think, a watershed moment for all of us who want to see an end to the immoral industry of baby-killing in our country. We will never be served by the compromise of our principles in any form. Catholicism is the solution to this culture of death. If only Catholics ourselves would fully live up to our doctrine and put it into practice, there would be no "Tiller the Killer"s in Kansas, no partial birth abortions, no immoral sex education in the schools or Planned Parenthoods dominating our public life. Self-described "Catholics" like Brownback (in politics), Doug Kmiec (in academia), Hannity, Matthews and O'Reilly (in media) and others are not the solution to the problem - they are enablers of the problem. Despite their high-sounding lip service to the culture of life, they are compromisers. They will never end abortion because they don't want to end abortion.

I have often said that false Catholics, whether they be Cardinals, politicians or janitors, are the ones who have the most to account for on the Day of Judgment when they will have to account for ignoring Christ in His "least brethren," the unborn. Whether through advocacy of the evil (like Sebelius) or negligence in stopping it (like Brownback), they have blood on their hands. They've been given everything the Church has to offer: the teaching, the sacraments, the example of the saints and the grace to stand against Satan and all his works and all his empty promises. In other words, they know better, and the Biblical warning applies to them: "To whom much has been given, much will be required." Cowards and turncoats beware.

Sincerely,


Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

I'm Finished With This Guy

Remember in My Cousin Vinny when Vinny was done cross examining the one witness he ends by saying, 'I'm finished with this guy' or something along those lines? Thats a pretty accurate description of how I feel about Senator Brownback right now.

Brownback issued a joint statement with fellow senator from Kansas, Pat Roberts, congratulating the Governor.

"It's an honor for the State of Kansas to have an elected official appointed to the president's cabinet," stated the senators. "We are hopeful Governor Sebelius will be a voice for Kansas and rural America at the Department. We look forward to working with her on issues important to the state including a National Cancer Institute Designation at the University of Kansas Cancer Center."

ALL's Judie Brown on Sen. Brownback: "I'll never use 'pro-life' to describe him again"

I had been a fan of Senator Brownback, I supported his (short) run in the primary, and always appreciated his strong pro-life support. I can't understand why he would kiss up to Sebelius like this, she is extremely pro-abortion and is an ally of Tiller the Killer. I guess political expediency is more important than the lives of unborn children.

40 Days for Life

From Fr. Pavone, bolding mine.

40 Days for Life
For nearly two decades, Priests for Life has been among the leading groups in promoting peaceful, prayerful presence in front of abortion mills, and we continue to call the People of God to come to the places where the killing is taking place, so that their presence and their prayers can awaken the consciences of those who go there. Tomorrow, another 40 Days for Life campaign will begin in many cities, where people will gather at abortion mills during the entire Lenten season. When we show up, moms and dads change their minds about killing their children and the conscience of the community is awakened. Indeed, our biggest problem is not that President Obama is sitting in the White House, but that we are sitting in our own houses. Let’s rise up and end abortion.

Pope Meets with Pelosi

I was talking to Mom yesterday about the Pope meeting with Nancy Pelosi. I was a little upset by the meeting because I know all Nancy really wants in meeting the Pope is to get a nice photo of her doing so. I know the Pope has to be pastoral and meet with people with whom he disagrees with, because how can he influence them if he never meets with them sort of thing, but Pelosi? A photo with him would just enable her to continue her anti-life, and anti-Catholic policies. Mom remarked that if the Pope was smart he would meet with her in some closet, away from the media. That way she can get her meeting, but no photo. Well, it looks like Mom is a smart cookie, I saw an article this morning detailing the meeting sounding very close to that.

Pelosi could not immediately be reached after the 15-minute meeting, which was closed to reporters and photographers. The two met in a small room of a Vatican auditorium after the pope's weekly public audience.

And the Vatican released a statement on what the Pope told Nancy which included

The Vatican released remarks by the pope to Pelosi, saying Benedict spoke of the church's teaching "on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death." That is an expression often used by the pope when expressing opposition to abortion.

Benedict said all Catholics—especially legislators, jurists and political leaders—should work to create "a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development."

Well now that she's had time to ram through a massive stimulus bill and meet with Pope Benedict, maybe she will find time to meet with her Bishop, which she seems to have put off for several months.


Since there is no photo of this meeting, I'm just adding this one in because I find it funny. It looks like Monsignor Gaenswein is going to catch it in his hand.

Archbishop Chaput on Dos and Don'ts for the Prolife Movement

‘Abortion reduction strategies’ ignore half of the problem, Archbishop Chaput warns

Dos

1. Do become martyrs
2. Keep hope alive
3. Be strategic
4. Use new technologies to spread your message
5. Remember that renewing the culture, not gaining power, is our ultimate goal

Don'ts

1. Don't let yourselves be tricked into an inferiority complex
2. Don't let divisions take root
3. Don’t get trapped by politics -- especially partisan politics
4. Don't create or accept false oppositions
5. Our adversary is an opponent, but never our "enemy"
6. Don't let your adversaries set the agenda

Integrity

From Fr. Euteneuer of Human Life International

Spirit & Life®
Integrity

Dear Spirit and Life readers,

One of my most memorable experiences in Marine Corps boot camp was the lesson of integrity. Certain infractions of the strict code of discipline were considered "integrity violations" such as lying or undermining the chain of command, etc. We all implicitly understood that term to mean the breaking of rules of conduct or ethics that bind men together for the common mission. We did our best to avoid committing any violations of integrity, not merely to avoid penalties, but more so because we sought to form ourselves as honorable, trustworthy men deserving of our uniforms.

Ironically, the country our honorable Marines serve is currently being led by a President who has begun his term of office with an extensive list of "integrity violations," setting new lows for integrity in American history, and on the way to shredding the last bits of moral fiber left in our nation. But this is what we get when we elect a confirmed champion of the culture of death to the highest office of our land.

Count with me a couple of these violations that occurred in the President's first two weeks in office:

Mr. Obama is the first and only President-elect ever to be investigated by the FBI (regarding the Blagojevich scandal); and hasn't his normally-boisterous Chief of Staff been rather quiet lately?

Three of his nominees for high office were caught cheating on their taxes, including - astoundingly - the now-confirmed Secretary of the Treasury who has oversight of the IRS!

Candidate Obama's fervent promises to shun lobbyists from any influence in this administration didn't stop him from picking at least twelve lobbyists for top jobs, including the #2 man at the Defense Department. One blog noted that Obama has hired a lobbyist a day in less than two weeks in office!

The #1 man at the Obama Justice Department helped President Clinton pardon a billionaire financier on the run from tax evasion charges; the #2 man at the Obama Justice Department is an extreme pornography and abortion rights advocate; the #3 man at the Obama Justice Department helped to kill Terri Schiavo. This is Mr. Obama's version of justice?

Our new Secretary of State, even aside from her husband's foreign fundraising conflicts of interest, will put the whole US foreign policy apparatus behind the promotion of abortion around the world. Come to think of it, this is not an integrity violation at all; it is an essential part of the moral code of Obama, Hillary and company. The President's erasure of the Mexico City Policy will fund the international killers to the teeth for a new reign of terror on the unborn worldwide.

I could go on but I won't. One just wonders what the word "shame" means any more.

The icing on the integrity cake, however, is Mr. Obama's recent call to limit the compensation of the CEOs of corporations that receive government bailout monies. There are two good reasons (among many) why this move is disingenuous in the extreme: first is that it actually applies to no one at the moment because all those who have already received government bailouts are exempt. Second, keeping corporate executive salaries down will stimulate nothing except the rapaciousness of the vultures in Congress who want more sectors of American society under their control.

I can think of a number of people whose salaries should really be capped, however, but it would take integrity to call these filthy rich celebrities and sports stars to account for their obscene income in the same period of time in which more than one million Americans lost their jobs:

J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter author) - $300,000,000
Oprah - $275,000,000
Beyoncé and her rapper husband Jay-Z - $162,000,000
Jerry Bruckheimer - $145,000,000
Tiger Woods - $115,000,000
Simon Cowell (American Idol) - $72,000,000
Howard Stern - $70,000,000
David Letterman - $45,000,000
Michael Jordan - $45,000,000
Madonna - $40,000,000
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - $34,000,000

Integrity is clearly not Mr. Obama's strong suit. His lack of experience, superficial judgment, and penchant for empty rhetoric is now on display for all the world to see, and it is embarrassing. The point of the matter, however, is not that America can't survive such a poor performance. Remember that we did survive eight years of the Clinton regime. It's that this man is a product of the culture of death and will entirely radicalize our nation's institutions with other immoral and extreme people who share his views. The blood of fifty million aborted babies has clouded our national judgment, and we have chosen to rule over us not just one man, but thousands of his appointees who will likely drive us into oblivion before we wake up and insist on integrity once again.

Personally, I think a few months in Marine Corp boot camp might serve President Obama very well.

Sincerely,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

Speakout Illinois

I've posted these photos in previous posts, but now I will put them into context for the day. My Mom took some short videos from the conference which I will mix in.

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Saturday morning we got up early and made the trip out to Lombard for the 2009 Speakout Illinois Conference. When we arrived at the beautiful Westin Hotel, we joined hundreds of other pro-lifers. After checking in each person received a bag of materials including a Pro-Life Passport. At each table you visited you got a sticker, after filling up all the spots on the passport you turned it in and at the end of the day names would be pulled to win prizes. We walked around to different tables to see the different materials that the groups had available. In my experience Catholic groups are always heavily represented at pro-life events and this was no exception, but also in attendance were other religious groups including Lutherans for Life, Orthodox Christians for Life - Chicago, and others.

As I was walking around collecting stickers and I ended up listening to a representative from Word of Hope the post-abortion healing ministry from Lutherans for Life. She was saying that since Sarah Palin was chosen as John McCain's VP, and sshe was out front with her son Trig, they have received many more calls from women who aborted Down Syndrome children who were suffering.

I finished up my passport and went and sat down at the table. We were way in the back, which accounts for the number of heads you will see in my photos. The first speaker was Fr. Euteneuer of HLI. We saw him in the front getting ready so I went up and asked him to bless a few rosaries for me. He did, and even though he was busy it was still a very nice blessing. I've gotten a lot more rushed ones in the back of churches after mass than the one he did. I felt a little bad about it afterwards because I'm sure he was trying to prepare himself for the talk, but I am glad he did bless them.




Fr. Euteneuer gave his presentation. He spoke mostly about abortion throughout the world. He said that many times people think that either the whole world has abortion, or we're the only ones with abortion. Truly however it is a mixed bag. Most of Africa does not have abortion or abortion on demand. Most of Asia does. Most of Europe. South America is doing pretty good at the moment holding its own against abortion. He also showed the birthrates for the different continents around the world and he highlighted some countries specifically. Its shocking to see in Europe, particularly Eastern Europe, how many countries are not only below replacement levels they are far below. Some of the countries do not even have a birthrate of 1.


He also touched on how abortion is often brought into a country with a 3 prong approach. First birth control is brought in, however when some in the older generation resist it, the second step is to bring sex education into the schools and prepare the future generations. The next step is abortion when birth control doesn't work. At the end of his presentation he had this slide, which got a pretty good laugh from the crowd.






After a short break Alveda King came to give her presentation. She spoke about how her mother almost had an abortion when she was pregnant with her. She spoke about how she had two abortions herself, one voluntary and one involuntary, and the effects that those abortions have had on her life and relationships. She played for us a video that is still being edited but is a video letter to President Obama, with the causes that the group she is in is asking for him to enact. She also showed another short video of her explaining abortion, which will soon be up on the priests for life website.

She also spent some of her time taking questions from the audience. The questions ranged from what one woman who has written a book about her experience from abortion could do to get her message out there, to the eugenic nature of Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood, and abortion. It seemed to me from the questions that people were asking that many people are worried about where the pro-life movement can go with an Obama presidency.

Dr. King teaches us a new song for the pro-life movement.





After Dr. King finished we had to leave the room for a half hour for the staff to set up for lunch. On my way out I stopped to view the Little Soles display in front.







After we came back for lunch the Henry Hyde Leadership Award was presented to Phyllis Schlafly. She didn't speak very long because she had a flight she needed to catch, but she spoke about what the feminist groups want President Obama to do for them after all the support they gave him.





After her speech, the prizes were called for the passport contest. There was going to be a memorial for the unborn next, but we left. We wanted to go to 5pm mass at church and we needed to go home and get ready to do that. It was a really great experience. Its so easy in the pro-life movement to feel alone, so it was great to be there with 400 other people who are all in it together with you, and have had many of the same experiences as you.

The 2009 Speak Out Illinois Conference

I was going to wait until I could spend more time to make a full post on this, but I don't know if I'll have time tomorrow, so I'll post my photos now and pick up with a more detailed post when I have a chance.

I went to the 2009 Speak Out Illinois Conference today.

The 2009 Speak Out Illinois Conference, "Rekindle the Fire," will be held Saturday, January 31 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center. Our program will feature talks by Fr. Thomas Euteneuer and Dr. Alveda King, plus the presentation of the Henry Hyde Leadership Award to Phyllis Schlafly. The Master of Ceremonies will be Christian radio personality Sandy Rios. http://speakoutillinois.org/

Fr. Euteneuer of Human Life International





This was from the end of his presentation that made me laugh. :lol:



Dr. Alveda King of King for America and Priests for Life, and niece of Martin Luther King Jr.





Phyllis Schlafly who received the Henry Hyde Leadership Award.

Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad Sacked

Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad Sacked
Posted by Tom McFeely

Thursday, January 29, 2009 9:09 AM

NBC has refused to air CatholicVote.org’s new pro-life ad during its broadcast of this Sunday’s Super Bowl game.

According to a Jan. 29 press release from CatholicVote.org, “After several days of negotiations, an NBC representative in Chicago told CatholicVote.org late yesterday that NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving ‘political candidates or issues.’”

Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote.org, said in the press release, “There is nothing objectionable in this positive, life-affirming advertisement. We show a beautiful ultrasound, something NBC’s parent company GE has done for years. We congratulate Barack Obama on becoming the first African-American President. And we simply ask people to imagine the potential of each human life.”

The 30-second ad has no graphic content nor even any direct references to abortion.

It features an ultrasound image of a baby in the womb and images of Barack Obama, along with a narration describing how the president’s mother chose to give birth to him and nurtured him as a single mother after his Kenyan-born father left the family, allowing Obama to grow up to become the nation’s first African-American president.


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What the FOCA?!

What the FOCA?!

I was invited to a facebook group for this last week and I saw someone on campus wearing a shirt yesterday.