The tragic 6.3 magnitude earthquake which hit New Zealand’s largest city on February 25th added an eerie element to the series of man made upheavals in north Africa. In short order, the governments of Tunisia, Egypt, and imminently Libya, fell as a spontaneous and explosive wave of street protests forced out their long time rulers. … Read more
While I occasionally hear stories of women being “ordained” to the priesthood by the group Roman Catholic Women Priests, I’ve never heard of any women leaving the heretical organization…until now. Norma Jean Coon, who participated in one of these ordinations in 2007, recently posted the following on her personal website: [T]he ordinations were illegitimate and … Read more
A couple of days ago, I read about the two American couples killed by pirates in the Indian Ocean. What the mainstream media articles did not say was that at least one of them — retirees Scott and Jean Adam of Marina del Rey, California — were Catholics, and were cruising in that part of … Read more
Big — but perhaps not surprising — news from the White House today: President Barack Obama has ordered the Justice Department to drop its defense of a central part of the 1996 law that bars official federal government recognition of same-sex unions – a long-sought goal of gay-rights activists. Attorney General Eric Holder sent letters … Read more
Many thanks to Terry Mattingly at Get Religion for pointing out this incredible story of forgiveness in the face of overwhelming suffering and evil. A BBC Today segment introduces readers to Lawill Concy, a 42-year-old Ugandan woman who was mutilated at the hands of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), “the most feared militia in Africa”: … Read more
First Lady Michele Obama has received some serious flack for eating short ribs on a ski vacation in Colorado with her daughters. Rush Limbaugh, the paragon of nutrition and fitness, called her a hypocrite and criticized her for not looking like a Sports Illustrated model: “The problem is, and dare I say this, it doesn’t look … Read more
Over at Ionarts, Charles Downey discusses an overlooked portion of last week’s Grammy Awards: the Classical Grammys. Recounting that “they handed out the Classical Grammys in the parking lot before the show,” Downey seems unsurprised at the lack of attention generated by the classical genre. I suppose that should come as no surprise: no one … Read more
Bernard Nathanson, an obstetrician who led the charge for abortion rights before having a change of heart and becoming a staunch pro-life activist, has passed away at 84 after a battle with cancer. The National Catholic Register remembers his life and dramatic conversion: He often admitted that he and other abortion advocates in the 1960s … Read more
Simcha Fisher is popping up everywhere these days. In addition to her personal blog and her contributions here and at Faith & Family, she’ll now be blogging at the National Catholic Register as well — a lucky thing for those of us who think the world can always use more Simcha. And her first post … Read more
The Cathoic News Service (CNS) reports that the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, are expanding to California. As one of the fastest-growing religious orders in the country, it has outgrown its motherhouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Twenty-two women entered the religious order in August, and there have been between 10 and 20 … Read more
InsideCatholic columnist and friend Al Lagan of CAMC sent me a few observations about our current budget situation. I thought I’d share them here: Government deficit spending has accelerated dramatically in recent years. Both fiscal and monetary policy have used access to the debt markets as the main engine of efforts to revive economic growth. … Read more
In the Wall Street Journal last week, Neil Strauss pondered why so many stars believe their success is part of a divine plan. He cites his interviews with musical superstars like Lady Gaga, Snoop Dog, Christina Aguilera, and sports heroes like Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, all of whom credit God with guiding their … Read more
It’s Friday morning, so it must be time for links: Mark Levin doesn’t understand the conservative support of Chris Christie for president. Citing Ann Coulter’s push to get Christie in the race for 2012, he writes: Does she support his positions on: gun control, amnesty, the appointment of an Islamist to the bench, the green … Read more
Over at “The Deacon’s Bench,” Deacon Greg links to a brutally sad GQ interview with Billy Ray Cyrus, the former country music superstar now probably best known as “Miley Cyrus’ Dad.” Fame has not been kind to Mr. Cyrus, nor to his daughter, whose recent escapades have been well-documented and greatly lamented. Her rejection as an “appropriate … Read more
I am an unabashed Jeopardy! fan. When I come across it on TV, I have to play, shouting at the TV like my grandmother. I think Alex Trebek should be president, if it weren’t for the whole Canadian thing. I understand that all of this makes me a huge dork. And so, as a huge … Read more
I have a fascination with America’s train system — maybe because it stinks, and I can’t figure out exactly why this country still has such an antiquated and ineffective passenger railway. Whether it’s the regional trains or Amtrak, they’re all bad. Amtrak’s Acela trains, which carry people up and down the northeast corridor — our … Read more
Rev. Robert Sirico of the Acton Institute takes Washington Post columnist Anthony Stevens-Arroyo to task for a piece he wrote about Catholic Social Teaching. Stevens-Arroyo argues that “since the world economy has been so badly distorted by those seeking advantage of one class over the other, Catholic social justice demands a redistribution of wealth.” Rev. … Read more
Over the past week, there has been a lot of disagreement in the Catholic blogosphere about the tactics pro-life group Live Action used to obtain sting videos of Planned Parenthood. The organization, run by student activist Lila Rose, released its first video showing a Planned Parenthood staffer who appears to give aide and advice to a sex … Read more
Do you lean toward Alexander Hamilton or Thomas Jefferson? Proponents of their political and economic philosophies have been jostling for the upper hand since the beginning, and the Founding Father you favor will often define your political and economic views. In her Real Clear Politics piece on Monday, Salena Zito says we are currently transitioning … Read more
God bless Shahbaz Bhatti, “Pakistan’s leading Catholic politician,” who has said he won’t stop speaking out against Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, even after receiving death threats: Bhatti, Minister for Minorities and the first Christian to hold a cabinet post in Pakistan, has received multiple death threats. He said during a trip to Canada: “I have been … Read more