Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Chaput's the Man!
Archbishop Chaput sets Nancy Pelosi straight in no uncertain terms on Church teaching and Church history about abortion. Here's is my favorite part:
Since Speaker Pelosi has, in her own words, studied the issue "for a long time," she must know very well one of the premier works on the subject, Jesuit John Connery's Abortion: The Development of the Roman Catholic Perspective (Loyola, 1977).
Welcome to the ring with the big boys Speaker Pelosi!
Since Speaker Pelosi has, in her own words, studied the issue "for a long time," she must know very well one of the premier works on the subject, Jesuit John Connery's Abortion: The Development of the Roman Catholic Perspective (Loyola, 1977).
Welcome to the ring with the big boys Speaker Pelosi!
Labels: pro-life
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Fr. Frank Pavone on You Tube
Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life has posted two You Tube videos in which he demonstrates the two most common types of abortion - dismemberment and suction. I received a request from Priests for Life to post information about these videos:
I blog to you on behalf of Fr. Frank Pavone and Priests for Life. Fr. Pavone recently posted two videos on You Tube in which he describes and demonstrates the two most common abortion techniques, using the actual instruments of abortion and the words found in medical textbooks and court testimony.
You can view these videos:
Dismemberment abortion and Suction abortion.
These videos are part of a new project called, "Is This What You Mean?" It aims to educate the public about the nature of abortion and to challenge public officials and candidates who support the legality of abortion to admit what it is.
As Fr. Pavone has quoted in endless homilies and talks about public servants who are pro-choice, there is a difference between serving the public and killing the public. Abortion has lost its meaning and is just a word to some politicians. In fact, as long as it has been since Jan.22 1973, the public is still not aware of what an abortion is and what it looks like.
I blog to you on behalf of Fr. Frank Pavone and Priests for Life. Fr. Pavone recently posted two videos on You Tube in which he describes and demonstrates the two most common abortion techniques, using the actual instruments of abortion and the words found in medical textbooks and court testimony.
You can view these videos:
Dismemberment abortion and Suction abortion.
These videos are part of a new project called, "Is This What You Mean?" It aims to educate the public about the nature of abortion and to challenge public officials and candidates who support the legality of abortion to admit what it is.
As Fr. Pavone has quoted in endless homilies and talks about public servants who are pro-choice, there is a difference between serving the public and killing the public. Abortion has lost its meaning and is just a word to some politicians. In fact, as long as it has been since Jan.22 1973, the public is still not aware of what an abortion is and what it looks like.
Labels: pro-life
Thursday, January 24, 2008
March for Life 2008
For the first time this year, I attended the March for Life as a chaperone for several youths from the parish where I work. We left early in the morning hoping to attend the youth rally at the Verizon Center, but it was already full when we got there. We later heard that the Verizon Center was full by 8 o'clock in the morning. So, instead we headed to a nearby church which was set up as a satellite location. At the church we attended Mass - celebrated by a priest who is a leader of the pro-life movement in France. It was one of a series of firsts for the teens since it was a Tridentine Mass.
After the Mass we headed to the Mall to eat lunch and then hear the speeches. It was interesting being on the Mall as the crowd was gathering. It's always fun to see how many states are represented and how many colleges are there. As always, the official numbers are disputed and woefully under-reported in the Press - a friend told me that he saw a blurb in the Washington Post that stated there were 2000 people there. However, I think - and several other people said the same - that there seemed to be many more people there than there have been over the last few years. The only unfortunate part of the day was that because the speeches lasted so long and it took us so long to start marching the kids couldn't complete the entire March and had to leave before getting to the Supreme Court so that they could catch the Metro and get home in time for their parents to pick them up. Hopefully next year we'll be able to take them the whole way.
After the Mass we headed to the Mall to eat lunch and then hear the speeches. It was interesting being on the Mall as the crowd was gathering. It's always fun to see how many states are represented and how many colleges are there. As always, the official numbers are disputed and woefully under-reported in the Press - a friend told me that he saw a blurb in the Washington Post that stated there were 2000 people there. However, I think - and several other people said the same - that there seemed to be many more people there than there have been over the last few years. The only unfortunate part of the day was that because the speeches lasted so long and it took us so long to start marching the kids couldn't complete the entire March and had to leave before getting to the Supreme Court so that they could catch the Metro and get home in time for their parents to pick them up. Hopefully next year we'll be able to take them the whole way.
Labels: pro-life
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Will Holy Cross still be able to call itself a Catholic college?
The College of the Holy Cross is causing controversy once again in Worcester. This time they are hosting the 2007 Teen Pregnancy Institute. The problem is that the Institute includes 3 workshops by Planned Parenthood, included one entitled "Learn the latest and greatest of protection methods." In addition, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage Governor Deval Patrick is scheduled to give a talk to the participants and will receive a "Leadership Award." Fr. Michael McFarland, president of Holy Cross, responded to complaints by claiming that since the conference had been booked over a year before it could not be canceled.
Here is the statement from Bishop McManus:
STATEMENT FROM MOST REVEREND ROBERT J. MCMANUS
BISHOP OF WORCESTER
A controversy has arisen at the College of the Holy Cross that has resulted from the College's renting space for a conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy. The conference involves workshops presented by members of Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. Both organizations promote positions on artificial contraception and abortion that are contrary to the moral teachings of
the Catholic Church.
I have received numerous complaints from people who are shocked and outraged that a Catholic institution like Holy Cross would have anything to do with such groups. They have appealed to me to ask Father Michael McFarland, president of the College of the Holy Cross, to revoke the College's agreement to rent space to the Massachusetts Teen Alliance. I have done so.
As Bishop of Worcester, it is my pastoral and canonical responsibility to determine what institutions can properly call themselves Catholic. This is a duty that I do not take lightly since to be a Catholic institution means that such an institution conducts its mission and ministry in accord with Catholic Church teaching, especially in cases of faith and morals.
The moral teaching of the Catholic Church on respect for life at all stages of its development is manifestly clear. Life is a fundamental good that must be protected and respected from the moment of fertilization to natural death. This teaching is so basic and important that it provides the foundation upon which much of the Church's moral and social doctrine rests. It is beyond modification and compromise.
Both Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice are notorious for their policies and practices that directly reject the Church's teaching on artificial contraception and abortion. The College of the Holy Cross should recognize that any association with these groups can create the situation of offering scandal understood in its proper theological sense, i.e., an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil.
Certainly it is understandable how people of good will could interpret the college's allowing presentations to be made by such groups as truly scandalous.
I strongly contend that the confusion and upset to the Catholic faithful and others that flow from the perception that the administration of the College of the Holy Cross supports positions contrary to the fundamental moral teaching of the Church must be avoided. To deny Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice a forum in which to present their morally unacceptable positions is not an infringement of the exercise of academic freedom but a defensible attempt to make unambiguously clear the Catholic identity and mission of the College of the Holy Cross.
It is my fervent wish that the administration of the College of the Holy Cross will unequivocally disassociate itself from the upcoming conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy so that the college can continue to be recognized as a Catholic institution committed to promoting the moral teaching of the Roman Catholic church.
Here is the statement from Bishop McManus:
STATEMENT FROM MOST REVEREND ROBERT J. MCMANUS
BISHOP OF WORCESTER
A controversy has arisen at the College of the Holy Cross that has resulted from the College's renting space for a conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy. The conference involves workshops presented by members of Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. Both organizations promote positions on artificial contraception and abortion that are contrary to the moral teachings of
the Catholic Church.
I have received numerous complaints from people who are shocked and outraged that a Catholic institution like Holy Cross would have anything to do with such groups. They have appealed to me to ask Father Michael McFarland, president of the College of the Holy Cross, to revoke the College's agreement to rent space to the Massachusetts Teen Alliance. I have done so.
As Bishop of Worcester, it is my pastoral and canonical responsibility to determine what institutions can properly call themselves Catholic. This is a duty that I do not take lightly since to be a Catholic institution means that such an institution conducts its mission and ministry in accord with Catholic Church teaching, especially in cases of faith and morals.
The moral teaching of the Catholic Church on respect for life at all stages of its development is manifestly clear. Life is a fundamental good that must be protected and respected from the moment of fertilization to natural death. This teaching is so basic and important that it provides the foundation upon which much of the Church's moral and social doctrine rests. It is beyond modification and compromise.
Both Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice are notorious for their policies and practices that directly reject the Church's teaching on artificial contraception and abortion. The College of the Holy Cross should recognize that any association with these groups can create the situation of offering scandal understood in its proper theological sense, i.e., an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil.
Certainly it is understandable how people of good will could interpret the college's allowing presentations to be made by such groups as truly scandalous.
I strongly contend that the confusion and upset to the Catholic faithful and others that flow from the perception that the administration of the College of the Holy Cross supports positions contrary to the fundamental moral teaching of the Church must be avoided. To deny Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice a forum in which to present their morally unacceptable positions is not an infringement of the exercise of academic freedom but a defensible attempt to make unambiguously clear the Catholic identity and mission of the College of the Holy Cross.
It is my fervent wish that the administration of the College of the Holy Cross will unequivocally disassociate itself from the upcoming conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy so that the college can continue to be recognized as a Catholic institution committed to promoting the moral teaching of the Roman Catholic church.
Labels: Holy Cross, pro-life
Monday, October 01, 2007
Bella Sneak Peek
"There comes a time in everyone's life when something happens that changes them forever and their life will never be the same. If it hasn't happened to you yet...it will. BELLA is a true love story that shows how one day in New York City changed three people's lives forever. Powerful, passionate and always unpredictable, BELLA reminds us of the surprises that await us in each new day and that sometimes it takes no more than a moment to transform our lives forever."
I was invited to a private showing of the movie Bella last night. This movie has generated quite a buzz due to it's pro-life content and surprise People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival. The background of the movie is fascinating. The movie's star, Eduardo Verástegui, started in a boy band before becoming famous in Mexico as a soap opera star. But, he knew that there was something deeper inside of him, so he left the path he was following to join with Alejandro Monteverde and Leo Severino, both of whom have similar stories, to start Metanoia films. Eduardo also tells an amazing story about preparing for his character in Bella. Because his character spends much of the film listening, and because they didn't yet have an actress with whom he could rehearse, Eduardo decided to go to an abortion clinic for research. He had never been to an abortion clinic before. At the abortion clinic, he was overwhelmed by the sight of young women entering the clinic. He joined a group who was praying and was soon approached by a woman who wondered if he would speak to a couple who didn't speak any English. Not knowing what to say, but wanting to help, he agreed and ended up spending nearly an hour talking to the couple. Several months later, after returning home from filming Bella, Eduardo received a call from the man. They had a son and wanted permission to name him Eduardo.
The mission of Metanoia films is to "entertain, engage, and inspire," and they've started out with a bang in their first film. Bella is the story of two people who are hurting and are able to open up to each other. Nina is a waitress who discovers she is pregnant. José is a chef at his brother's restaurant who has closed up following tragedy. Together they discover the healing and hopeful power of love. This is a love story, but not a romance. It's about the love of family and the love of friendship. It's about risking everything for someone else.
The producers of the movie have made a conscious decision not to market the movie as a pro-life movie. They've made this movie for all the Nina's of the world, and they're hoping that not emphasizing the pro-life message in the advertising will enable them to get the movie out to mainstream audiences to touch those Nina's. Unfortunately, the movie isn't opening in Boston. The closest theater will be New York. But, I hear that Cardinal O'Malley will be hosting a screening.
I was invited to a private showing of the movie Bella last night. This movie has generated quite a buzz due to it's pro-life content and surprise People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival. The background of the movie is fascinating. The movie's star, Eduardo Verástegui, started in a boy band before becoming famous in Mexico as a soap opera star. But, he knew that there was something deeper inside of him, so he left the path he was following to join with Alejandro Monteverde and Leo Severino, both of whom have similar stories, to start Metanoia films. Eduardo also tells an amazing story about preparing for his character in Bella. Because his character spends much of the film listening, and because they didn't yet have an actress with whom he could rehearse, Eduardo decided to go to an abortion clinic for research. He had never been to an abortion clinic before. At the abortion clinic, he was overwhelmed by the sight of young women entering the clinic. He joined a group who was praying and was soon approached by a woman who wondered if he would speak to a couple who didn't speak any English. Not knowing what to say, but wanting to help, he agreed and ended up spending nearly an hour talking to the couple. Several months later, after returning home from filming Bella, Eduardo received a call from the man. They had a son and wanted permission to name him Eduardo.
The mission of Metanoia films is to "entertain, engage, and inspire," and they've started out with a bang in their first film. Bella is the story of two people who are hurting and are able to open up to each other. Nina is a waitress who discovers she is pregnant. José is a chef at his brother's restaurant who has closed up following tragedy. Together they discover the healing and hopeful power of love. This is a love story, but not a romance. It's about the love of family and the love of friendship. It's about risking everything for someone else.
The producers of the movie have made a conscious decision not to market the movie as a pro-life movie. They've made this movie for all the Nina's of the world, and they're hoping that not emphasizing the pro-life message in the advertising will enable them to get the movie out to mainstream audiences to touch those Nina's. Unfortunately, the movie isn't opening in Boston. The closest theater will be New York. But, I hear that Cardinal O'Malley will be hosting a screening.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
March for Life 2007
The March for Life 2007 was chaotic as usual with thousands of people converging on the Mall and surronding area in Washington, D.C. on Monday. It was a cold day, and muddy, but that didn't stop the groups who arrived from all over the country to show their support of life.
I love to read all the signs at the March to see where people are from. Here's a rundown on the states I saw present: New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Virignia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisianna, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, North Dakota, Kentucky, Kansas.
My friend and I drove 8 hours to attend the March, but many of these people spent many more hours on buses to attend. I'm always impressed by the time and difficulty that these people endure just walk for 2 hours, often in bitter cold, and then go home again. One day sacrifices like these will pay off big.
I love to read all the signs at the March to see where people are from. Here's a rundown on the states I saw present: New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Virignia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisianna, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, North Dakota, Kentucky, Kansas.
My friend and I drove 8 hours to attend the March, but many of these people spent many more hours on buses to attend. I'm always impressed by the time and difficulty that these people endure just walk for 2 hours, often in bitter cold, and then go home again. One day sacrifices like these will pay off big.
Labels: pro-life
