This week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will meet with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican. With the debilitating illness of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Pelosi has become the de facto leader of dissident Catholic members of Congress. It’s only appropriate that Pelosi should take Kennedy’s place. When she became Speaker in January … Read more
On January 9, the Illinois House deliberated less than 90 minutes before voting 114-1 to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The case then went to the state senate, where on January 29 he was convicted by a vote of 59-0. Illinois legislators may tolerate some corruption, but they will not stand for the incompetence of being … Read more
A Catholic News Service (CNS) article on January 27 reported a comment by Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Florida, on the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). Asked by CNS reporter Nancy Frazier O’Brien about FOCA, Bishop Lynch spoke against it, but then tried to dismiss Catholic concerns about the impact of the bill on … Read more
As reported recently in the National Catholic Register, a new version of the so-called Fairness Doctrine is threatening Catholic radio. Under the new Obama administration, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will begin applying “localism” regulations to radio station licenses. Steve Gajdosik, president of the Catholic Radio Association, calls these regulations “the death knell for Catholic … Read more
The centerpiece of Obama’s Catholic outreach in the recent election was the “abortion reduction” trope. This was the cover provided by Catholic supporters for some of the most pro-abortion politicians in U.S. history. Doug Johnson, legislative director of National Right to Life, has detailed its deceptions and misrepresentations. By ending the Mexico City Policy, President … Read more
As Washington D.C. geared up (or in my case, hunkered down) in preparation for the unprecedented influx of people expected to attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama today, a telling paradox came to light. Officials estimate at least 1.5 million people are in town for the historic swearing-in of our nation’s first black president. … Read more
Last week, startled by the vehemence some Catholics expressed against Israel on her blog in the wake of the attack on Gaza, Dawn Eden noted a vital point about magisterial guidance when it comes to thinking about Israel’s right to exist: As a Jewish convert to Catholicism who desires ardently that everyone, especially my loved … Read more
Five-hundred people were turned away from the “Pro-Life Summit to End Abortion” held by Dr. Monica M. Miller this past weekend in Ann Arbor, MI. Most of the 500 who did have tickets made it to Christ the King Church in spite of the ten inches of snow that started falling Saturday morning. It’s been … Read more
Israel’s 13-day war in Gaza endeavors “to teach Hamas a lesson” and to defend southern Israel against its missiles. It’s highly unlikely the Israeli bombing and ground attack — which has resulted in nearly 700 dead, including 300 civilians — will achieve these objectives. Why? Because it has been tried before, and it failed. In … Read more
The situation in Gaza is a tragedy whose denouement is approaching. Over the past two days Israeli air strikes have killed nearly 300 Palestinians — over 700 have been wounded. Israeli tanks are ready to attack and 6,500 reservists have been called up in case the conflict intensifies. Israel is calling this retaliation for Hamas’ … Read more
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, called it “magnanimous.” I must admit, I certainly didn’t expect it. The gesture from president-elect Obama of tapping Evangelical pastor, Rick Warren, to deliver the inaugural prayer deserves recognition and congratulations from those, like myself, who have criticized his positions on abortion and other social issues. Obama … Read more
With Election 2008 in the history books, we asked a diverse group of faithful Catholics to respond to the following question: With the results of the 2008 election, it appears that old coalitions are breaking down while new ones are being created. This presents Catholic voters with a challenge and an opportunity: What should the … Read more
Go to Change.gov, the Web site of President-elect Barack Obama, and you’ll find a document titled “Advancing Reproductive Rights and Health in a New Administration.” Signed by dozens of pro-abortion groups, including Catholics for Choice, this 55-page document provides an overview of the marching orders for the Obama administration in removing all present restrictions on … Read more
Lisa Correnti is a San Diego mother of seven children. But like many other Catholic mothers, she has engaged in politics in order to defend the basic values of her faith. For several years she has quietly built her Web site, www.onenationundergod.org, into a goldmine of up-to-date information on the performance of Catholic politicians. In … Read more
As Republicans regroup in the days and months following the November election, some new faces have begun to emerge in the GOP. Among them is Rob Wasinger, a staffer for Sen. Sam Brownback for more than twelve years, the last four of them spent as Brownback’s chief of staff. A Catholic convert since his sophomore … Read more
The election is over, and the changes are already beginning. For sincere Catholics, the most disappointing prospect is President-elect Barack Obama’s complete embrace of the culture of death. He is dedicated not only to preserving the right to abortion, but actually to extending it. Unfortunately, he can make lots of changes quite quickly, and he … Read more
An article published yesterday in the Scranton Times announced, “Bishop takes his place on the national stage with his staunch anti-abortion stance.” Bishop Joseph F. Martino wasn’t the only bishop who spoke boldly during the presidential campaign, but he was noticed, in part, because Scranton is Vice-President Elect Joe Biden’s hometown. Martino was also noticed … Read more
In an op-ed published after the election, former Governor of New Jersey Christine Todd Whitman wrote, “Unless the Republican Party ends its self-imposed captivity to social fundamentalists, it will spend a long time in the political wilderness.” And who are these “social fundamentalists?” In Whitman’s political lexicon, they are “the people who base their … Read more
Joseph Cao is a Catholic lawyer and former Jesuit scholastic from New Orleans. He is running as a Republican for the Congressional 2nd district seat in Louisiana presently held by Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), who is best known for the $90,000 found in his freezer. The election will be held December 6. Few candidates for public office … Read more
Ordinarily this column is devoted to people I have known. Our current national crisis is an excuse for me to mention three exceptions. I cannot say I really knew Winston Churchill, but once my father took me to see him when he was visiting Bernard Baruch in Manhattan. He had no idea who I was … Read more