Real Catholic Blog

Earlythis morning, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) conceded defeat in the Alaska Republican primary to unheralded challenger Joe Miller. Mr. Miller, a West Point graduate, Persian Gulf War combat veteran, Ivy League law school graduate, attorne and former state and federal judge, was more than 20 points down in the most recent polls leading up to Tuesday’s election. However, he led by only1,700 votes after voting ended, but 15,000 absentee ballots had to be counted, and a recount was in the offing. However, as the ballots were counted, Senator Murkowski saw that she was not gaining and conceded defeat.

Lesson learned: Senator Murkowski is, sadly, another Catholic in public office who flaunts The Faith and The Truth with her steadfast pro-abortion views. As bishop after bishop have proclaimed, Catholics in public office cannot stand in good conscience in The Church while enabling the killing of the innocent unborn, just as they cannot tolerate the killing of a person on the street or in a robbery.

Although Catholic Democrats come under most public criticism for this by the faithful (because most Democrats are pro-abortion), there are CINO (Catholics In Name Only) RINOs as well (Republicans In Name Only), and both gladly trade on their Catholicism for votes while refusing to uphold the principle of Life. 

It was very telling that Alaksa Right To Life, other pro-life organizations and media (see Defend Us In Battle), as well as prominent pro-life individuals, endorsed Mr. Miller over an incumbent Catholic (see Gun Lovin’ Alaska Catholic Club blog), while the WISH List a women’s “pro-choice” political action committee endorsed Senator Murkowski. I tried to find Mr. Miller’s religious affiliation to no avail (he doesn’t list it on his campaign bio and a Google search came up empty). But I will take anyone of any faith any day who is unapologetically pro-life over someone who trades on his or her faith assuming people will step in line.

I recently received a letter from former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. Written on behalf of the Cardinal Newman Society, his letter serves as an update — and a frightening alarm — on the assault by the governing Washington, D.C., secularists on Catholic teaching. More appalling is their willing accomplices — so-called Catholics, Catholics In Name Only (CINOs) — who scandalously give these progressives cover not only to devalue and debase the teachings of the Faith, but also redefine traditional American family values as well.

The letter below is a very important read. It was shortened for length, but you will get the picture. More like a horror film. Now, more than ever, it is important for all of us to engage civicly and do our part to restore the proper promulgation of the Faith in the public square and work to keep our institutions intact.  

As someone who treasures our Catholic Faith, I write with great concern.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo recently said that Catholics who lobbied for the health care reform law — ignoring the Bishops’ warnings about abortion funding and weak conscience protections — had caused “confusion and a wound to Catholic unity.”

And to make matters worse, among those working against the Church on pro-life health care were educators at our Catholic colleges.

And then there is this: President Obama’s latest addition to the powerful Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a same-sex marriage advocate whose concept of “sexual liberty” would trump our religious liberty.

And what were the credentials by which she was selected for this honor? Since 1991, she has been a celebrated professor at Georgetown Law Center — at a Jesuit Catholic university.

When Catholic colleges help advance the secular assault on morality and religious liberty, faithful Catholics need to stand up in defense of the Faith!

We cannot ignore the fact that certain Catholic colleges are employing and honoring dissenters who actively undermine the Church on abortion, marriage, healthcare and conscience protections. …

Chai Feldblum, the recent Georgetown law professor who is now at the EEOC, helped author the “Employment Non-Discrimination Act ” (ENDA) which is before Congress. This bill could cripple Catholic schools, hospitals and other charities by forcing them to provide benefits to same-sex couples.

Feldblum joins the EEOC just as it considers an appeal by Belmont Abbey College, a faithful Catholic college in North Carolina which has been charged with discrimination for refusing to cover birth control pills in its employee health plan.

If the appeal is rejected, Belmont Abbey and other faithful Catholic colleges could be forced to close their doors rather than compromise their Catholic identity! …

But the irony here is that the celebrated professor of a Catholic university is now a threat to faithful Catholic colleges! …

Consider the damage that liberal Catholics caused during the last days of the healthcare debate, when they undermined the Bishops’ demands for pro-life and conscience provisions.

For instance, an influential group of 25 leading “theologians” — 11 of them citing Catholic college credentials — lobbied Congress to reject concerns about the bill. That gave legislators cover to vote for the bill with a “clear conscience.”

And according to the Associated Press, the University of Notre Dame’s president emeritus Father Theodore Hesburgh helped House Speaker Nancy Pelosi convince a pro-life congressman to switch his vote in support of the health care bill.

Soon after the health care law was signed, Georgetown welcomed “special guest” Nancy Pelosi to a university celebration despite her firm opposition to any pro-life compromise in the law. …

Several leading Catholic colleges and universities have long been a source of disunity in the Church by employing dissident theologians, honoring pro-abortion politicians and hosting performances of the obscene play, The Vagina Monologues. …

The federal takeover of student loans — so that money is loaned directly from the U.S. government — is raising new concerns about protecting Catholic colleges from government intrusion. …

And the EEOC is expected to rule on Belmont Abbey College, potentially setting up a court battle that could have devastating consequences for the religious freedom of Catholics! …

If we want to restore a Culture of Life to America . . . if we want to protect the institution of marriage . . . if we want to hand on the Faith to future generations . . . then we must ensure faithful Catholic education, and we must oppose dissent and disunity.

We have all had enough of scandal. …

And may God bless you for all that will be accomplished with your support!

Rick Santorum

Here’s a letter from CatholicVote President Brian Burch concerning serious revelations about the new health care law and its permissiveness on abortion — despite what most everyone who read the billsaid. Brian spells out a crucial episode being played out in Pennsylvania right now that could determine whether, despite President Obama’s cynical executive order to the contrary, federal funding of abortions now will be the law of the land>

Dear CatholicVote Friend,

Can you answer this question?

Does President Obama’s new healthcare law fund abortions or not?

Last week the Obama administration announced they would be pouring hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars (our money!) into high-risk insurance pools in Pennsylvania and New Mexico where taxpayer funded abortions would be covered.

And then they got caught.

The National Right to Life Committee exposed the plan, prompting pro-life groups and legislative leaders to demand answers. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) responded by promising not to use the funds for abortion. This time.

Sign our petition to the Catholic Health Association to help us make sure this doesn’t happen again!

Cardinal DiNardo speaking on behalf of the Catholic Bishops responded saying: “We welcome this new policy [preventing abortion coverage] . . . while continuing to be gravely concerned that it was not issued until after some states had announced that pro-abortion health plans were approved and had begun to enroll patients.”

The Cardinal emphasized that the episode makes clear that a new law (not an Executive Order) is needed to strictly prohibit all funding for abortion.

Let’s face it, the nearly 2000-page health care law is so complicated it is virtually impossible to keep up with the new authorities and regulatory agencies that could be manipulated to funnel your money to abortion providers.

So something must be done.

Taxpayer dollars must NEVER be used to fund the destruction of innocent human life.

Some groups claiming to be faithful to the Church continue to claim that the new health care bill does not fund abortion. But last week’s episode proves there are loopholes, and we can’t rely on promises from the Obama administration to keep our money out of the hands of abortion doctors.

Our petition to the Catholic Health Association calling on them to get behind the Protect Life Act continues to add new signatures every day.

Join over 56,000 people that have already signed our petition!

If the Catholic Health Association claims to be Catholic, then they must be held accountable.

Help us turn up the heat. Sign our petition today. …

- Your Friends at CatholicVote.org

Great news! Many of our readers will remember the drummed up controversy by an atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation protesting the U.S. Postal Service issuing a stamp in honor of Mother Teresa. For a brief spell it looked like the USPS might reconsider. However, 138,000 people signed a national petition urging the Post Office to stick to its guns. Last week, it did! Thanks to all of you who signed the petition.

Roy Betts, a spokesman for the Postal Service, told CatholicVote.org last week (click here to read more from CV):

The stamp will be dedicated September 5 [at] the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Feel free to post information about the stamp, the image and the dedication ceremony on your website. Thanks!

The push to stop the stamp was nothing more than anti-religious and, specifically, anti-Catholic bigotry. So, it’s never too late to show support for a great cause like this. If you haven’t signed the petition, please do (by clicking here). CatholicVoteAction.org has done a great job with the Stamp Out Bigotry Web site. In fact, the more people sign in the days ahead, the better the chance of making this a forever stamp. Why not? As one commenter put it, Mother Teresa’s spirit and work are enduring.

Most importantly, be sure to buy and use the Mother Teresa stamp. The Postal Service is like any business — if you buy a certain product a lot, it will keep making it! Show your devotion to the Church through one of its modern servants, Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Coming soon, on an envelope in your mail! Mother Teresa’s spirit endures in many forms including, in the very near future, a new U.S. post stamp.

Remember the game show To Tell The Truth? A panel of celebrity judges had to determine, by asking each certain questions, which of three contestants was the real person and which two were the impostors. When they made their determinations, they explained which answers tipped them to pick one over the other two. After that, the host would ask for the “real” person to step forward and, after several fits and starts among the three, the real person would step forward.

Thursday night, the leaders of the three major parties in Great Britain held the second of an unprecedented series of debates in advance of the country’s parliamentary elections. The prime minister is not elected directly by the people — the P.M. is the party leader of the party that captures a majority of seats in the House of Commons — so these debates are causing quite a buzz not only within the UK but internationally as well because they are, in effect, nationalizing the election around these individual men. It’s also caused a stir because the leader of the long-time third party, the Liberal Democrats (acknowledged to be further to the left than even the Labour Party), was acknowledged to have won the debate. Coupled with the quickly falling poll numbers of the front-running, and main opposition, Conservative Party, incumbent Labour is back in the hunt in a nearly three way tie.

Background as prologue done, please see the video below from the debate last Thursday. The replies are in response to a question from a voter who supports homosexual unions, abortion, and condom distribution, who wants Pope Benedict’s fall visit to Great Britain cancelled. (It is expected he will beatify 19th century English Cardinal John Henry Newman during the visit.) Then, try to identify the “Conservative Party” candidate. It’s well nigh impossible.

To Tell The Truth: Will the real conservative, if there really is one, please stand up?

If the Conservative Party is on the same plank as the two leftist parties, is there hope in the UK? No wonder it’s an island of moral irrelevence where the dictatorship of relativism rules. (Who needs an election, then?)

If you think this is amazingly sad, I wish I could find a video with the complete discussion — there was a follow up in which all three lauded Britain’s homosexual union law with the “Conservative Party” candidate even saying, “the Pope needs to get with the times,” which prototypically misunderstands the point. A man, The Pope, does not make Church doctrine. No man can. The Pope defends Church teaching which is the teaching of our Creator, our Heavenly God.

One of the three, as you heard, even said he was “not a man of faith,” which may make him the first such Western leader. All three gladly said they were in agreement on disagreeing with the Pope. 

But I guess we should be thankful that they at least will welcome His Holiness to their country. Or will he even attend now? Because, as the Brits like to say, there is a twist to the tale.

Apart from the debate, but at about the same time, a memo by a government official about the historic first-ever Papal visit to Britain became public. In it, he wrote such vile as that the Pope might, during the visit, launch Papal-branded condoms, bless homosexual marriages and open an abortion ward (see American Catholic blog).

If this insult was made about a Muslim leader, the official would have been fired immediately. Instead, this man is allowed to stay in Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government. Or, as Gerald Warner of the Daily Telegraph wrote:

Wear a cross to work and you are sacked; insult the Pope and you are “transferred to other duties.”

The Vatican, however, showing the humility of Christ, stated the visit is still on, despite forceful letters of protest by Scottish and English Catholic bishops (The Scotsman). No doubt, this will put whoever wins the election and has the great honor of receiving Pope Benedict, in a more humble position in lieu of their adamantly arrogant ”disagreements with the Pope.” Maybe they will learn a lesson in humility from him. 

To Tell The Truth identities. Oh yeah, in case you are wondering: The man on the left, the first to answer the question, is David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader; the man who admits he is of no faith is Nick Clegg, of the third party Liberal Democrats; and the third candidate is incumbent Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the Labour Party. 

In November, I wrote about an exciting new film produced by Newt and Callista Gingrich about John Paul II. Yes, that Newt Gingrich, who converted to Catholicism within the last couple of years (as written about here with video), with the earthly influence of his wife, Callista, and the late Holy Father himself; as well, of course, from the Divine guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

Originally, the movie, Nine Days That Changed The World, a DVD documentary which chronicles the Pontiff’s 1979 visit to his native Poland — a pilgrimage that drew a third of Poland’s population to see him and peacefully, but forcefully, jackhammered the first cracks into the grip of Soviet enslavement of Eastern Europe — was supposed to have been released late last year. It wasn’t, but in a bittersweet irony it was released a couple of weeks ago, around the time of the plane crash that killed the Polish president, first lady and several high ranking government officials.

Nine Days That Changed The World looks extraordinary. That’s easy, of course, because John Paul The Great is and an extraordinary subject. The movie features priceless archival film and photos and interviews with John Paul biographer George Weigel and Solidarity leader and former Polish President Lech Walesa. It will bring back to life a period not long ago but neglected and taken for granted already, one which, as with all John Paul did, brings to life timeless lessons. It was a history altering event, an impact  unforeseen and unexpected by almost everyone at the time, but one which to this day shows the Heavenly power of the Holy Spirit.  

Here’s more about the film from Gingrich Productions:

Pope John Paul II’s historic nine-day pilgrimage to Poland in June of 1979 created a revolution of conscience that transformed Poland and fundamentally reshaped the spiritual and political landscape of the 20th Century. … explore what transpired during these nine days that moved the Polish people to renew their hearts, reclaim their courage, and free themselves from the shackles of Communism.

Nine Days That Changed The World and showed the unequal power of the Holy Spirit in the realm of man.

Last week I wrote about the inventive way CatholicVote.org is turning the secularist high holy feast of Earth Day on its head by promoting God’s greatest creation: Human Life! Today, it released a complementary video on people’s reactions to its provocative bus boards in major markets (click to learn more or get involved). It also announced it is expanding the campaign to Los Angeles! Here’s the video. Let us know what you think.

Another slant on Earth Day: Celebrating God’s greatest creation! The people get it!

Normally, a headline like that would signal a sarcastic post, instigated from some wacky, ill-thought, usually liberal fad or, worse, actual policy. But . . . not this time. As they used to say (and probably still do, somewhere): Now that I’ve got your attention!

In this case, it’s CatholicVote.org turning the liberal paganism of Earth worship around on its illogical head to make some actual sense of the Earth Day, whose advocates are vigorous population control freaks. It is buying up billboard and bus signage space around the country to promulgate the pro-life message by using the secular line of thinking. Pretty brilliant to use their words to promote the most precious aspect of God’s creation on Earth:

Human Life!

It is more than disturbing that “environmentalists” choose to protect and prioritize anything living except the unborn. You cannot celebrate the Earth and not celebrate the Creator — and that which He created in His Likeness. As CatholicVote’s Brian Burch said in a statement: 

Our goal is to use Earth Day to get Americans to think more deeply about what it means to truly respect the Earth and creation. Prevailing environmental attitudes too often view humans as the enemy of nature. We believe the human person is God’s greatest creation, and the Earth’s greatest resource. Building up a culture of life is the single most important way to build a culture that respects the environment.

If we truly care about building a world that respects the environment, we must begin by building a moral culture — one that understands pollution not just in materialistic terms, but in spiritual terms too. In fact, moral pollution does more to harm the environment than inefficient cars or greenhouse gases.

If we are wasteful and reckless with the environment, maybe it is because we are wasteful and reckless with each other — including the unborn.

Here’s what Pope Benedict wrote in a recent encyclical:

If there is a lack of respect for the right to life and to a natural death, if human conception, gestation and birth are made artificial, if human embryos are sacrificed to research, the conscience of society ends up losing the concept of human ecology and, along with it, that of environmental ecology.

It is contradictory to insist that future generations respect the natural environment when our educational systems and laws do not help them to respect themselves.

CatholicVote.org has bought space for these ads in Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle for starters. You can read more the Earth Day Pro-Life campaign from Joshua Mercer at the CatholicVoteAction blog, here. 

According To CatholicVote’s Burch: “Let’s remember: Transforming pagan feasts into Christian celebrations is what our faith has been doing for 2,000 years.”

Many of you probably remember the purported 70,000 nuns who, during the final hours leading up to the health care bill vote in the House of Representatives, announced their support for the bill — and this was before the window dressing executive order bone President Obama threw Rep. Bart Stupak, the allegedly pro-life Democrat from Michigan. Making matters worse is the gloating from the vile, nefarious group Planned Parenthood.

Thomas Peters, at CatholicVoteAction.org Blog, makes note of the thank you message sent to the nuns by Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood. The abortion-on-demand leader wrote this Wednesday on the left-wing Huffington Post:

Richards claimed that it was Catholic nuns who “most importantly broke with the bishops and the Vatican to announce their support for health care reform.”

“This brave and important move, demonstrating that they cared as much about the health care of families in America as they did about church hierarchy, was a critical demonstration of support.”

These nuns must know Catholic Teaching. They must also know the heinous nature of Planned Parenthood. Most people, even if unfamiliar with an issue or proposal, can make an informed decision based on who supports and opposes it. Doubtless, these nuns knew the issue involved.

But even if they didn’t and were sold a bill of goods, in what world are they, or any Catholic with proper formation, living in when they side with Planned Parenthood? On anything?

Sorry for the inactivity — first a cold, now a horrible back pain. But I’m not suffering compared to the country now, nor what the unborn are going through, nor the Church for that matter. Sorry for the brevity, but as I recover — and for the time being — I give it to our favorite straight shooter, Michael Voris of RealCatholicTV.com.

The fact is, according to Voris and many others, tax-payer funded abortion is now a reality and the policy of the United States government. But is the real sin that Catholics were instrumental in bringing this about? This episode of The Vortex spells it out.

Taxpayer funded abortion is now a fact after the health care takeover by the Congress and President Obama. But what role did Catholics, unfortunately and sadly, play in this abomination?