Warning that the Church is being “despoiled of her institutions” as “freedom of conscience and of religion become a memory from a happier past,” Cardinal Francis George of Chicago observes that “the Catholic Church in the United States is being told she must ‘give up’ her health care institutions, her universities and many of her social service organizations.”
“So far in American history, our government has respected the freedom of individual conscience and of institutional integrity for all the many religious groups that shape our society,” he continues. “The government has not compelled them to perform or pay for what their faith tells them is immoral. That’s what we’ve meant by freedom of religion. That’s what we had believed was protected by the U.S. Constitution. Maybe we were foolish to believe so.”
Continue reading HERE
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Video: 1991 Medjugorje documentary - by Fr. Richard Foley SJ.
DOCUMENTARY 1991 "Tell The World Not To Wait, 10th Anniversary - A documentary about Medjugorje, made in 1991, immediately before civil war broke in the former Yugoslavia. The documentary is introduced by the late Fr. Richard Foley, SJ..
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
US Presidential Election 2012: Why no Catholic should vote for Obama
Sadly the Democratic Party now represents the culture of death. This once great party has disgraced itself. Secularists increasingly dominate it. President Obama is the most liberal pro-abortion President ever elected. Sure it is possible to find inconsistencies in the stances of Santorum, Gingrich and Romney and their supporters. Catholic supporters of Obama seek to justify their vote for a liberal pro- abortion President on the basis that his Republican opponents may favour the death penalty. It is pointless muddying the waters by pointing out inconsistencies in relation to the execution of convicted criminals whilst being pro-life in relation to abortion. It is a bogus argument to justify support for a pro-abortion Democrat candidate. It is a grave sin to vote for a pro-abortion candidate. It is important to remember that a convicted criminal will have been found guilty. The unborn child is innocent and if aborted has been executed. I am opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances on the basis that an innocent person might be found guilty. The unborn would be much safer under a President Gingrich, Santorum or Romney. So would unborn children overseas.
This administration has pumped money into the promotion of abortion in Africa and elsewhere. When we meet Our Maker we will answer for this. We will answer for our sins of omission. It is time to end the abortion of 1.4 million innocents annually in the US. It is a grave sin to vote for Obama or any pro- abortion candidate of whatever political hue. It is time to end the abortion holocaust. It is time for many Catholics to drop the milk and water approach in relation to abortion. It is time to drop the red herrings, which muddy the waters. A vote for any pro- abortion candidate is a grave sin and cannot be justified. In addition we now have Obama's HHS Mandate, threatening the constitutional right of religious liberty. This is another insidious attack on Christianity. No Catholic-indeed no Christian- worthy of the name should vote for Obama. Catholic political apologists for Obama such as Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and Kathleen Sebelius seek to justify support for abortion on conscience grounds. They conveniently omit the key word informed. They are duty bound to have an informed conscience.
And no Mrs Pelosi it is not a "conscience thing" for Catholics. It is an INFORMED CONSCIENCE thing for all Catholics including you. Catholic voters should not allow themselves to be influenced by these apologists.
This administration has pumped money into the promotion of abortion in Africa and elsewhere. When we meet Our Maker we will answer for this. We will answer for our sins of omission. It is time to end the abortion of 1.4 million innocents annually in the US. It is a grave sin to vote for Obama or any pro- abortion candidate of whatever political hue. It is time to end the abortion holocaust. It is time for many Catholics to drop the milk and water approach in relation to abortion. It is time to drop the red herrings, which muddy the waters. A vote for any pro- abortion candidate is a grave sin and cannot be justified. In addition we now have Obama's HHS Mandate, threatening the constitutional right of religious liberty. This is another insidious attack on Christianity. No Catholic-indeed no Christian- worthy of the name should vote for Obama. Catholic political apologists for Obama such as Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and Kathleen Sebelius seek to justify support for abortion on conscience grounds. They conveniently omit the key word informed. They are duty bound to have an informed conscience.
And no Mrs Pelosi it is not a "conscience thing" for Catholics. It is an INFORMED CONSCIENCE thing for all Catholics including you. Catholic voters should not allow themselves to be influenced by these apologists.
Video explaining how "The Pill" works as an Abortifacient
This video is an animation showing how the contraceptive pill sometimes causes embryonic abortions.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
My Conversion from Protestantism to Catholicism
What God Means to Me!-By Anne Harrington
My three younger brothers and I were brought up as Protestants in Washington State, and we came to the fulness of Faith when I was 15. The way God has revealed himself to me has been through my faith journey. My father (a city planner and US Army Reserves officer) was raised a devout Catholic, and my mother (a nurse) a devout Protestant. As you can imagine, that didn’t go so well.
Despite my mother’s “conversion” to Catholicism in order for them to marry, her beliefs had not changed. Three years later, shortly after my birth and baptism, we started a routine of spiritual two-timing on Sundays: Mass followed by a service at a local Evangelical Protestant church.
Eventually my father, weary of the hassle and bickering every weekend, caved in and agreed to drop the Catholic thing.
We moved when I was six to the town my father had been raised in. Joining a local parish was out of the question, so we did what every sensible Protestant family does after a major move: we went church shopping. We tested out multiple denominations (Nazarene, Free Methodist, another Evangelical group), and finally my parents compromised on Lutheranism.
All the while I had developed a close relationship with my paternal grandmother, who was horrified at our doctrinal ping-ponging. I have no doubt that her daily Mass attendance was fuelled by petitions on our behalf. Her devotion and love for her faith moved me, even as a child.
On the rare occasion I attended Mass with her, I was always filled with a deep sense of peace; a stark contrast to the spiritual chaos I was used to.
My parents had made the decision to home school early on – both for academic and spiritual reasons, and my mom quit her job to stay home and teach the four of us (I still question her sanity!).
On Ash Wednesday, 2003, I lay prostrate on my bedroom floor, crying and praying for guidance. I asked God to send me a sign, anything, to lead me in the right direction. When I looked up, the first thing I saw was my dad’s crucifix—he was deployed to Afghanistan that year, and I had found his crucifix and put it up as a reminder of him.
Immediately I was flushed with a sense of peace like nothing I’d ever experienced before. I wasn’t afraid anymore. I went to my mother and told her, through sobs, that I was a Catholic. I was prepared for a shunning, but was met with the power of the Holy Spirit. In secret, my mom had been listening to EWTN’s Catholic Answers radio programme, and had been moved by the spiritual and Scriptural depth of the content.
Her prejudices slowly melted away, but she was too proud to admit any Catholic sympathy after 20 years of bickering. Meanwhile, my dad was attending Mass regularly in Afghanistan without telling my mom. What was needed was a catalyst, and God had chosen me. Rather than be angry or upset, my mom called the local parish and set up a meeting with the Youth Minister and RCIA director. What started as a personal journey soon grew to a family affair, and by the grace of God my whole family has come to the fulness of the Faith.
I am still amazed at how God reveals his divine will in even the simplest of things; how seeds are planted and nourished without us even realising it. My journey has shown me that in everything, from my grandmother’s example to my spiritual turmoil, God is present.
Anne Harrington, 23, is attending the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College, for an MPhil in Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies.
(Source:Alive)
My three younger brothers and I were brought up as Protestants in Washington State, and we came to the fulness of Faith when I was 15. The way God has revealed himself to me has been through my faith journey. My father (a city planner and US Army Reserves officer) was raised a devout Catholic, and my mother (a nurse) a devout Protestant. As you can imagine, that didn’t go so well.
Despite my mother’s “conversion” to Catholicism in order for them to marry, her beliefs had not changed. Three years later, shortly after my birth and baptism, we started a routine of spiritual two-timing on Sundays: Mass followed by a service at a local Evangelical Protestant church.
Eventually my father, weary of the hassle and bickering every weekend, caved in and agreed to drop the Catholic thing.
We moved when I was six to the town my father had been raised in. Joining a local parish was out of the question, so we did what every sensible Protestant family does after a major move: we went church shopping. We tested out multiple denominations (Nazarene, Free Methodist, another Evangelical group), and finally my parents compromised on Lutheranism.
All the while I had developed a close relationship with my paternal grandmother, who was horrified at our doctrinal ping-ponging. I have no doubt that her daily Mass attendance was fuelled by petitions on our behalf. Her devotion and love for her faith moved me, even as a child.
On the rare occasion I attended Mass with her, I was always filled with a deep sense of peace; a stark contrast to the spiritual chaos I was used to.
My parents had made the decision to home school early on – both for academic and spiritual reasons, and my mom quit her job to stay home and teach the four of us (I still question her sanity!).
We were doing a segment on Church History, and I was drawn to the early Church Fathers and to studying how the Church developed. When I was 15, I decided to do a research paper on Martin Luther, since it correlated to my studies for Confirmation in the Lutheran church. It was the first time I had ever studied the roots of Protestantism, and the more I studied, the more uncomfortable I felt. Luther’s teachings on the Eucharist, “good works”, and other hallmarks of his doctrine just didn’t add up with saints Ignatius, Polycarp, Augustine, etc, not to mention Scripture! It became increasingly uncomfortable to attend Lutheran services, especially at communion. I knew I could no longer participate in this faith, and I knew where my heart was leading, but I was terrified of what it would mean for my home life.
On Ash Wednesday, 2003, I lay prostrate on my bedroom floor, crying and praying for guidance. I asked God to send me a sign, anything, to lead me in the right direction. When I looked up, the first thing I saw was my dad’s crucifix—he was deployed to Afghanistan that year, and I had found his crucifix and put it up as a reminder of him.
Immediately I was flushed with a sense of peace like nothing I’d ever experienced before. I wasn’t afraid anymore. I went to my mother and told her, through sobs, that I was a Catholic. I was prepared for a shunning, but was met with the power of the Holy Spirit. In secret, my mom had been listening to EWTN’s Catholic Answers radio programme, and had been moved by the spiritual and Scriptural depth of the content.
Her prejudices slowly melted away, but she was too proud to admit any Catholic sympathy after 20 years of bickering. Meanwhile, my dad was attending Mass regularly in Afghanistan without telling my mom. What was needed was a catalyst, and God had chosen me. Rather than be angry or upset, my mom called the local parish and set up a meeting with the Youth Minister and RCIA director. What started as a personal journey soon grew to a family affair, and by the grace of God my whole family has come to the fulness of the Faith.
I am still amazed at how God reveals his divine will in even the simplest of things; how seeds are planted and nourished without us even realising it. My journey has shown me that in everything, from my grandmother’s example to my spiritual turmoil, God is present.
Anne Harrington, 23, is attending the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College, for an MPhil in Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies.
(Source:Alive)
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Video: Senator Marco Rubio Gives Brilliant Pro-Life Speech Demolishing Pro Abortion Arguments
On Feb. 1, 2012, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) rallied pro-life supporters at the Susan B. Anthony List's (SBA List) fifth annual Campaign for Life Gala in Washington, D.C., saying that the country "can never truly become what it fully was intended to be unless it deals with [abortion] squarely...it's that important." Rubio also noted that America can do nothing more important than show the world that "all life is worthy of protection."
The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of more than 330,000 Americans dedicated to mobilizing, advancing, and representing pro-life women in politics. Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in the political proces.
* “The Right to Life is a fundamental one that trumps virtually any other right that I can imagine — Because without it, none of the other rights matter. There can be no Liberty without Life. There can be no Constitution without Life. There can be no nation without Life. And there can’t be other lives without Life.”
* “The issue of life is not a political issue, nor is it a policy issue, it is a definitional issue. It is a basic core issue that every society needs to answer. The answer that you give to that issue ends up defining which kind of society you have.”
* “This is an issue that, especially for those that enter the public arena and refuse to leave our faith behind, speaks to more than just our politics,” Rubio said. “It speaks to what we want to do with the opportunity we have been given in our life, to serve and to glorify our Creator.”
* “They say, ‘Well, they are not viable without the support of the mother.’ That also cannot be a good argument, because a newborn isn’t viable without the mother either. A 1-year-old child, a 2-year-old child — leave a 2-year-old child by himself, leave a 6-month-old child by himself, they are not viable either.”
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Naples Apparition to Mirjana of Medjugorje on February 2, 2012
Visit IL MATTINO.it for images of this event.
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