I AM NOT A VEGETABLE - I AM A HUMAN BEING!!!!!

Today marks the 4th anniversary of Terri Schiavo's court sanctioned murder by dehydration & starvation. (9:05 AM Eastern Time) Sadly, we saw the same thing recently happen again with Eluana Enlargo. We saw the attitude that they are something less that fully human. & thus, like a worn out rug, disposable. The term "vegetative' for the condition they are in also serves to dehumanize them & allow people to justify this cruel form of murder. These people were human beings that deserved to be treated with the same dignity as you or I.

Terri Schiavo Was Not a Carrot

by Wesley J. Smith

The use of the "V-word" continues to be used in the most "enlightened" places. Today, it is an interview with health author Jane Brody in the NYT about her new book on planning for death.

From the interview:
Q: When is the right time to start planning for death?

A: Start thinking about it when it's unlikely to happen any time soon. It's much easier to do it then. It's less painful. Get it out of the way. Many people are saying, "I'm going to take action now while I still feel good and I'm still healthy." You don't have to be old. If you recall, Terri Schiavo was 26 when she suffered a heart attack that deprived her brain of oxygen and left her a living vegetable for 15 years, at great cost and trauma to her family.

Terri Schiavo was not a carrot or a turnip. She was a human being with a profound cognitive disability. Calling her a "V" demeans her and dehumanizes her moral worth as a human being--just as the odious "N-word" does people with dark skin. It should never be used among enlightened people. Indeed, we need to grow as a culture so that anyone using it is treated with the same disdain by polite society as we do now to anyone who uses the crude "N" epithet.

Second: Terri's family was certainly grief stricken over her injury--the precise cause of which will never be known. But that is not what so badly traumatized them, and it is not what extracted a "great cost."

Those inflictions came from the horror they felt--and still feel--because they were not permitted to care for her for the rest of her life in order to, instead, slowly dehydrate her to death by court order to the applause of much of society.Brody needs to get a clue as to both her facts and her lexicon.

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For those who may be in the Naples, FL area this afternoon, Ave Maria University will host “The National Mass for Terri’s Day” at the Ave Maria Oratory at 5:15 PM ET. Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, will be the main celebrant, along with Father Thomas Euteneuer, President of Human Life International.

The address for Ave Maria University is 5050 Ave Maria Boulevard, Ave Maria, FL.

How Long Until The Food Network Comes Up With The American Version of This?

Actually, this might be more appropriate for C-SPAN if they ever decide to add a cooking show.

OK, I'll Say It 1 More Time, YES, You Did

Source: Open Thread

Good News for Canon 915, Bad News for Governor Sibelius

Closing Ranks on Canon 915: Bishops Confirm that Sebelius Should Not Receive Communion

Commentary by Deal W. Hudson

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius received some good news last week when abortionist Dr. George Tiller was found not guilty of breaking state laws regulating late-term abortion. The relationship between Tiller and Sebelius would surely have played a role in her upcoming confirmation hearings had he been found guilty.

But Governor Sebelius got some bad news as well -- something not noticed much in Catholic media or the secular press. The bishops of Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia, confirmed publicly they would uphold the declaration of her ordinary, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, stating that Governor Sebelius should not present herself for communion.

A spokeswoman for the Washington Archdiocese, Susan Gibbs, said Archbishop Donald Wuerl would expect Sebelius to follow Bishop Naumann's request while in Washington. Joelle Santolla, spokeswoman for the Arlington Diocese, announced that Bishop Paul Loverde would expect the same while she was in Northern Virginia.

That Archbishop Wuerl and Bishop Loverde would back up Bishop Naumann in regard to the future Secretary of Health and Human Services is a significant development in the effort of some bishops to enforce Canon 915: "Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to holy communion." This will send the message to other bishops that if they choose to pronounce members of Congress from their dioceses unfit for communion, their authority will be respected in D.C. and across the Potomac in Virginia. The ramifications are enormous: For example, if Sean Cardinal O'Malley of Boston stated publicly that Sen. John Kerry was in violation of Canon 915, he would not have been able to receive communion at Pope Benedict XVI's Mass in Washington, D.C., a year ago. Rep. Nancy Pelosi would not have been able to celebrate her elevation to speaker of the House with a special Mass at Trinity College, if Archbishop Neiderhauer had found her wanting according to the standard of Canon 915.

Some will argue that neither Archbishop Wuerl nor Bishop Loverde will attempt, through their priests, to deny Governor Sebelius communion. But this misses the point, and the significance, of how the combined statements of Bishops Naumann, Wuerl, and Loverde have created a new and more vulnerable situation for the pro-abortion Catholic members of Congress. As Archbishop Raymond Burke has explained, Bishop Naumann did not impose a "sanction" on Governor Sebelius; Bishop Naumann asked Sebelius, not the clergy, to apply Canon 915 to herself.

But if Sebelius were to receive communion in D.C. or Northern Virginia, it would likely generate a news story that would mushroom quickly, involving the priest who administered communion and his bishop. This is not news coverage that Sebelius, or the Obama administration, would want to deal with.

No doubt there are priests in both dioceses who would have little compunction about giving communion to pro-abortion Catholic politicians, but whether they want to get into a media-generated spat with their bishop over a high-profile politician is another matter.

A final point: Archbishop Wuerl and Bishop Loverde's collegial response to Bishop Naumann destabilizes the relationship between pro-abortion Catholic politicians and their bishops back home. The question will arise as to why Governor Sebelius should be the only politician in Washington who has been called to account under Canon 915. What about the dozens of others in Congress who have a 100 percent pro-abortion voting record? What about Vice-President Joe Biden himself?

Will other bishops seize this opportunity to apply Canon 915 to politicians in their dioceses, knowing that Archbishop Wuerl and Bishop Loverde will back them up? Given the determination of the Obama administration and the Congress to roll back all restrictions on abortion, I wouldn't be surprised.

Brazil's Abortion Controversy

Sometimes there are so many things going on that it is difficult to pick & chose what to cover. There is not enough time for me to be able to always do justice to all the issues. That is why I have links to both Life News & LifeSiteNews at the bottom of this blog.

1 of those issues has been what has been going on in Brazil with the 9 year old girl forced to have an abortion. I have a friend down there who has been filling me in on how the media has misrepresented the facts. LifeSiteNews has recently done a series of articles on this that show the difference between what the media said & what happenned. 1 of the sad parts is that there have been Bishops who criticized the local Bishop for doing what he needed to in stating the mother & doctors had excommunicated themselves. I am sick of this either or attitude they showed. The critics made it sound like he was being uncaring for the girl & that she should be the only focus. Or that by saying something to the others she was being ignored. I guess they don't care about the souls of those who provided the abortion like the local Bishop did.

Supposing 1 of those doctors had died without the Bishop doing what he needed to do. Then some of the responsibility for that doctor's lack of repentance. would have been on his head By speaking out, the Bishop was fulfilling his role as shepherd as well as prophet & watchman as the Bible says.

Another sad thing has been the comments by a Vatican Official. Fr. Euteneuer looks at those comments & the damage they have done.

Article by Vatican Official Needs Prompt Clarification

It is no secret that pro-lifers over the years have been greatly burdened by the general lack of support by many of the members of our clergy on life issues, but until now, we have been able to rely on the various Vatican offices for a clear, consistent and correct defense of life. A statement made two weeks ago by an official of the Vatican about an abortion case in Brazil, however, has raised more than a few eyebrows, and is causing grave concern for its potential impact on the Church's ability to defend life around the world. I am asking your prayers that the Holy See will clarify and correct this situation right away before further damage is done.

The incident in question involves - unbelievably - the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who issued a statement on March 15th criticizing a bishop in Brazil for properly declaring to be excommunicated the doctors who performed an abortion on a nine-year-old girl who was pregnant from rape. The girl was pregnant with twins so the doctors aborted two babies. Despite her young age, she was not in any serious danger (according to the hospital), nor were the two babies she was carrying in any danger. Even if she would have been in danger, the abortion would have been immoral because the direct killing of the innocent never is allowed. It goes without saying that the Church condemns unequivocally the incestuous act committed against this young girl, however, the issue of excommunication of the perpetrators of the abortion stands on its own and deserves applause, not criticism by other prelates. Unfortunately, Archbishop Fisichella is not the only bishop to publicly criticize the decision of the Brazilian bishop in applying church law.

The innocent little girl, thus, became the center of a perfect storm created by the abortion industry which capitalized on her victimization to promote abortion in Brazil where it is currently illegal. Unfortunately, Abp. Fisichella's intervention gave the impression of a quasi-doctrinal statement and played right into the hands of the abortion promoters by seeming to give permission for abortion in such a "hard case" scenario. Archbishop Fisichella was not condoning these abortions per se, but due to some unfortunate choices of words in his article, and predictably, on the very day that Abp. Fisichella issued his statement, the Associated Press picked it up and titled their own article, "Vatican prelate defends abortion for 9-year-old." The world is indeed watching and listening to what comes out of the Vatican because of the Holy See's immense moral and spiritual authority; hence the responsibility to be loyal without fault when speaking in the name of the Catholic Church.

I applaud most of all the handling of this case by the local diocese in Brazil and pray that all bishops may take an example from this picture perfect handling of a difficult pastoral situation. Credit needs to go to Archbishop José Cardoso Sobrinho and several priests of his diocese for providing generous pastoral care to the family during this terrible crisis. Indeed, when the girl was transferred to a hospital 140 miles away from the parish, her priest travelled that distance every day to visit her and to assure the family that the Church would provide every possible care for the welfare of the three vulnerable children.

The great irony in all this is that while we get little or no support from Church officials to correct bishops who are negligent in their duty to guard the faith and the flock, in this case, the local bishop did exactly the right thing in issuing this excommunication edict and he was slapped down by a Vatican official!

The appearance of a Vatican compromise on this issue comes at the worst possible time in the cultural and political situation of Latin America. This Catholic continent is especially the target of attack by the aggressive forces of the culture of death, so the last thing we need is for the Church to look weak or divided about our teachings or our resolve to fight the purveyors of death to our brothers and sisters there. The Catholic Church, and her divine authority, is in many places the only shield that the unborn have to keep the abortionists' instruments of death from them. Let us pray that the Vatican will rectify this error and fortify that shield without delay. The unborn children of Brazil as well as all other parts of the world are counting on us!

Sincerely,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,

President, Human Life International

Dishonoring Mary

H/T: Cavey (The Removal Of The Leprechaun Notre Shame )

Notre Dame and Its Subject of Honor

On May 17, 2009 President Barack Obama will ascend the steps of the Joyce Auditorium stage to accept Notre Dame’s highest honor as a doctor of laws, amid deafening applause. And doubtless, it will come after months of intense debate on messy things like academic freedom, the nature and mission of Catholic universities, and what it means to grant the podium to scholars and political figures of diverse views.
But all the months of scrutiny will abate at this awesome culmination, and graduating seniors and their families will savor the moment of seeing the first black president in our nation’s 232-year history address them with his message of hope and unity.
At that moment, I invite every member of the Notre Dame community to gaze northwest and ponder in their hearts what the Lady who glistens atop our Golden Dome is thinking. Here is my humble guess.
She will wonder whom the University is honoring.
She will remember the university’s first days, how she first came to be cloaked in gold above a lake, and how she stood overlooking an awesome experiment dedicated to the pursuit of faith and reason, a place of scholarship and service, of faith and action, of fellowship and intellect— a place chartered to glorify and honor her. She will remember how that awesome journey was wrought with intellectual questioning and diversity of thought and fierce debates, but that all of the intellectual vigor was ordered to the Truth that she literally held in her womb. She will remember how the university grew—how its embrace of academic excellence and faith came into harmony, attracting people of diverse backgrounds and differing thought, but how its love of diversity was subordinated to a love of honoring her.
She will remember that she is literally the Mother of her faithful—she is Notre Dame—and that in her is the embodiment of undying and selfless love. She gave life to the source of life, and to honor her is to honor her Son and life itself.
She will wonder why her university is honoring a man with a philosophy inimical to life. A man who believes the law should protect the right to abortion—a man who, in his first days of office, opened the nation’s coffers to international abortion organizations, who proclaimed that abortion is an issue “on which (he) will not yield.” She will remember the only article this man wrote for the most prestigious law review in the country, which stated that the law has an interest in safeguarding abortion to “prevent increasing numbers of children from being born in to lives of pain and despair.” She will remember, too, that her Son’s own life—the most influential life ever lived—was marked with great pain and agony.
She will remember that her University has given a forum for many scholars and leaders—but she will wonder why we are so honoring this one. She will wonder what part of the president’s philosophy of law and life is praiseworthy. And she will wonder what her university’s stewards consider a doctor of true law.
When President Obama steps down those steps holding the physical proof of her—her!—university’s most esteemed honor, she will remember the words of the school’s founder in 1844: “When this school, Our Lady’s school, grows a bit more, I shall raise her aloft so that, without asking, all men shall know why we have succeeded here. To that lovely Lady, raised high on a dome, a Golden Dome, men may look and find the answer.”
On May 17, 2009, Our Lady of the Lake will wonder in whom they have found that answer.

_________________
& then there is this thought by Rush Limbaugh about the event:

"Does not the tradition of having the newly elected president do your commencement address pale in comparison to the foundational building blocks of the university and the church on which it's founded? Are they going to have to cover up Touchdown Jesus the day Obama makes his speech? How could they not?" (emphasis mine)

He may be right. & I don't mean politically as ND may be embarrassed to have this happen if they don't:

H/T: Cavey (Zee Hypocrisy She's... C'est Magnifique!! )

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Note: There has been so much on this I don't know where to begin. So for now all I will say is that this is turning into 1 of the worst PR fiascos that ND could ever hope for. Cardinals, Bishops, alumni who donate big bucks, ND fans, all upset. All vocal about it. Do I have to go on?

Update On Missouri & the Militia

The other day I wrote a post, Are Rosaries Protected Under the 2nd Amendment?, about how Missouri had issued a report, based on NSC info, that basicly grouped way too many people together under the label of being security threats. Well, I received this letter the other day from the Campaign for Liberty about Missouri's retracting it.

& while I applaud this victory, it doesn't mean we can relax. 1st of retracting the report publicly doesn't mean that it still isn't going to be taken seriously privately. Also, since the source of much in it was a Federal Department, Homeland Security, there are still a lot of concerns we need to have as it gives an insight into how the government views us, a threat, rather than what we are really doing, championing liberty & freedom in the mold of our Founding Fathers.

March 28, 2009
Dear Friend of Liberty,

Although it sometimes seems that freedom is shrinking everywhere we turn, the fact is a powerful grassroots stand can still stop Big Government bureaucrats in their tracks.

That is exactly what happened to the Missouri Highway Patrol this week after being forced by your vocal outrage to retract the incendiary Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) report.This report identified peaceful, freedom-loving Americans as possible security threats, simply for supporting Ron Paul or opposing tyrannical government.

Faced with an overwhelming public outcry, Missouri officials quickly started backpedaling, removing references to Ron Paul and Campaign for Liberty.

Then, just hours before Dr. Paul’s plane touched down in St. Louis to lead our Celebration of Freedom rally Friday night, the Missouri Highway Patrol officially retracted the entire offending document.

The Missouri Highway Patrol will be performing an investigation into the origin of the report. Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder has even called for the suspension of the Director of Public Safety until those responsible have been identified.

Click here to read the news report.

It is no surprise that oversight and accountability are in short supply at the MIAC, a Big Government “fusion center” combining federal, state and local agencies into an unconstitutional mess of a bureaucracy. But government disorganization is no excuse for making political profiling and persecution into official policy.

This victory for the grassroots freedom movement, coupled with this weekend’s Campaign for Liberty Regional Conference in St. Louis, marks a great moment for liberty in Missouri and all of America.

This week we saw that politicians still respond to the voices of their constituents.

This week we saw that freedom can triumph over tyranny when we unite to take a stand.

In Liberty,

John Tate

President, Campaign for Liberty

P.S. This week Campaign for Liberty showed that freedom-loving Americans will not be silenced by political persecution. We successfully fought for the retraction of the MIAC report, and we met in St. Louis to celebrate freedom’s victory over tyranny.

Tiller Found Not Guilty

As many have heard by now, infamous Kansas late-term abortionist George Tiller not guilty on 19 counts of performing illegal late-term abortions. While Gov. Sibelius may be breathing a sigh of relief along with him at having avoided this bullet, there are more charges pending. & like John Gotti, some of them will evetually stick & he will finally be brought to justice.

But rather than comment any more myself, I'll let 3 people who were there tell what they saw. They are involved with Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust! (CLT refers to Campus Life Tour)

Our Heroes
by CLT Assistant Director Bud Shaver

This week we are witnesses to the impact that can and has been made by the faithful commitment of Christians who confront the injustice of abortion. As the culture of death spread across this nation they heroically opposed it. They were ridiculed, beat, and thrown in jail for their efforts. They refused to be silent as an entire generation, my generation, was targeted for death.
The Campus Life Tour came to Wichita in support of Operation Rescue's efforts to bring late term abortionist George Tiller to trial. We spent the week in prayer and in the courtroom hoping for justice.

Visualize Abortionists on Trial
by CLT member Ashley Colantuono

"Visualize Abortionists on Trial" were the words I read on a fellow Pro-Life activist's sweatshirt at the courthouse Monday. I didn't need to imagine what that would be like because I had a seat in the court room where both George Tiller, infamous late-term abortionist and Kristin Neuhaus, consulting abortionist for Tiller, took the stand. Many emotions plagued my heart; however, I was mostly enraged with anger with the thought of how many children have been killed by the both of them. Other times I was tearfully praying because of all of their lies they were concocting. Overall, I was ecstatic to know that this wouldn't be the last time we get to see an abortionist on trial.
Americans have become so apathetic and comfortable with abortion that I don't think they're ready to see abortionists on trial. But guess what, America? It's happening. This week witnessing Tiller's trial is just a taste of what's to come. You see, abortionists are slipping up and not complying with the law. Thankfully the generation before me fought hard to fight abortion and to expose abortionists breaking the law. And as the baton is passed on to us, we will fight even harder to do the same.
Even though abortion is decriminalized in this country up to nine months of pregnancy, states can put certain restrictions and limitations on how the procedures are performed and for what reasons. So abortionists have found ways around those laws but are very rarely kept an eye on by the state without help from pro-life activists. After viewing only a couple days of Tiller's trial it reminded me of how many trials are coming up for other abortionists. This gives me much hope for our generation, and the next one to come. We will finally see the fruits of our labor, which would be to witness abortionists on trial and being sent to prison to pay for their actions. I ask that you continue to pray for the case against Tiller and that justice will prevail. And also for our generation, that we will continue to equip and activate our peers to fight this battle over death.

Not Guilty?
by CLT member Tara Shaver

Tiller was weighed and found wanting this week...we thought. However, a jury of 6 found him not guilty of performing late term abortions with an illegal 2nd signature of a Kansas physician. This verdict came as a reminder of the attitude of the people of America- apathetic and unwilling to bring justice to the guilty. Thankfully Operation Rescue has more to expose about Tiller and we are praying that the next blow will hit even harder. We are already optimistic that judgment will come as the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts released to the public a petition it filed in December listing eleven allegations against Tiller's license. This took place on the same day Tiller was found not guilty of 19 misdemeanor charges! God is good and will receive the glory.

We are so thankful for Operation Rescue and local pro-lifers' efforts to bring Tiller to justice. This week has been such a blessing for us to witness. We've prayed fervently with the saints, seen an abortionist on trial and experienced God's faithfulness in bringing additional charges against Tiller. We are encouraged more than ever and ready to continue to fight injustice and educate our generation.
Please visit Operation Rescue's website for full details on the trial.

News stories: Jury Declares Abortionist Tiller Not Guilty

It's Not Over: Tiller Charged With 11 Counts By Kansas Health Group

GEORGE TILLER JURY FINDS HIM NOT GUILTY OF VIOLATING STATE LATE-TERM ABORTION LAWS

PRO-LIFE, PRO-ABORTION ADVOCATES DIFFER ON GEORGE TILLER NOT GUILTY VERDICT RESPONSE

GEORGE TILLER JURY IGNORED KRISTIN NEUHAUS ABORTION EXPLOITATION, WILL STATE MED BOARD?

ABORTION PRACTITIONER GEORGE TILLER COULD STILL LOSE HIS LICENSE IN MEDICAL BOARD CASE

TILLER FOUND NOT GUILTY!

It’s Not Over: Tiller Charged With 11 Counts By KSBHA

"How long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?" - Rev. 6:10

Sunday morning I came across a post on Thoughts of a Regular Guy (It Takes A Big Man) that linked to an article that was An Apology to Murder, Inc. for comparing them to Planned Parenthood, since PP is so much worse. The author makes some excellent points. (& had some very sobering stats to back it up.)

I put up a response that was half serious, half tongue in cheek: "While I having ocassionally refered to PP as Murder Inc, I have also often said that PP makes them seem like amateurs. Basicly, this post backs up my claim that PP is worse.
As someone of Italiano heritage, but no Mafia ties, I think that I am able to speak on behalf of Murder Inc., accept you apology & say you are forgiven for trying to lower them down to the level of PP."

On Paul's blog I added this: "The only question I have, is how soon before we have to apologize to Hitler for comparing PP to him because they are outdoing him as well?"

I got thinking about what the post said & what my response is & got to thinking that things are even worse than simply comparing what PP does to either Hitler or Murder, Inc.would make it sound like. Our "culture of death" is like nothing ever before seen as far as I am concerned.

1st of all, if you look over at the right hand column you will see a counter that shows how many babies have died by abortion since the star of the Iraq War. It has over 7.75 million children murdered. Then there is the real time counter that gives a rough idea of how many abortions are going on. & this is just what PP, Marie Stopes, & the other abortionists (as individuals or as a part of a clinic) are doing via surgical abortions.

But there is more we need to include. There are all the chemical abortions that we don't have a totally accurate count for. I'm talking about those that use the morning after pill & the like. Next we have to add in all those unborn killed because of those forms of birth control that prevent the embryo from being implanted in the uterus. Unfortunately, we have no real idea of how many that is.

Next up we need to look at embryonic stem cell research. This is being justified in the same way that the experiments did by Nazi doctors in the concentration campsd & the Tuskegee Syphilis experiments were. They all use a utilitarian approach that says the end justifies the means.

Then we have how many people like Terri Schiavo & Elena Englaro who are called "vegetables" because of their condition. 1st of all the term "vegetable" dehumanizes them. This enables those in the "culture of death" to justify killing them. The term "quality of life" comes up here, just as it does when talking about unborn children with down syndrome, etc & with those suffering from debilitating illnesses to justify killing them. In this last case, the terms we use are "euthenasia" & "mercy killing".

Next we have to add in those experiments that are trying to create chimeras, designer children through cloning, clones for the previous mentioned experiments such as embryonic stem cell research, etc. I could go on & on.

When you add all of the above together, it outdoes any evil done by Murder, Inc. or Hitler's Nazi regime. Even if you take what they did, add in all the evil done by dictators like Stalin, Pol Pot (killing fields), Idi Amin, et al, the deaths caused by all the genocides of the 20th Century, individually or as a group, what they did is but a drop in the ocean compared to what the "culture of death" is doing in our day & age.

Now, I am NOT trying to trivialize all of these evils. The "culture of death" is doing a good enough job of that by their actions. & that is my point. & that is the point the author was making with his apology. Nothing can justify any of those evils. Yet, by what we are allowing with the "culture of death" our society HAS given its tacit aproval to those past actions as well.

& when I add in the decandance & immorality that is rampant in society today, all I can do is weep & wonder why God hasn't completely pulled back His protecting hand to let us reap the whirlwind. How much longer, as has been seen many times in the past, will it be until even the righteous are not enough to spare us any more than the few righteous in Sodom & Gommorah were to spare them. We are on the brink of a serious chastisement.

In Luke 11:32 & Matthew 12:41 Jesus warns us that Ninevah will judge the generation that rejected him, because they repented when warned. I see in that, a message for our time. While the title quote from Revelation refers to those matryred for the faith asking how much longer will God allow evil to go on, I can hear those words being said by the voices of the victims of the "culture of death".

Whether we like it or not, some day we will stand before God in judgment. & before then our society will probably have to face judgment, as so many have before, & answer for its crimes. When we stand before God, will those victims stand up in judgment against us, or will they be able to say that we did what we could (even if, in our humaness, imperfectly) to put an end to the evil that is the "culture of death"? To the extent we are silent, to the extent we have failed to repent for society's sins, to the extent we have failed to pray & act as best we could, we will have to answer for those failures.

It is not too late, even if you haven't done any or all of what you should to change. As long as we are alive we can turn to God & ask his mercy to forgive us. Then we can also ask God to give us the wisdom & guidance to do all we can to fight the battle. & when we stumble, for the grace to pick ourselves up, repent, & get back in the fight.

As I said, we are on the brink of a serious chastisement. But it is not too late. The many prayers, roasries, Masses, etc have spared us the full wrath we deserve. But for how much longer?

I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to stand before a single victim of the "culture of death" & be ashamed that I didn't try to do what God expects of me in this battle.

The Hero Behind the Videos Exposing Planned Parenthood's Evil Deeds

Last week Live Action released the latest of Lila Rose's undercover investigations into the cover-ups done by Planned Parenthood clinics across the USA. This new undercover investigation finds a 4th Planned Parenthood (Phoenix, AZ) covering up statutory rape of girls. Here is that video:

Here is the story of the brave woman behind the video:

Taking on Goliath
by Deal W. Hudson

If you think the pro-life movement has run out of energy and new ideas, you should meet Lila Rose. You may not know her name, but you very likely have seen the media coverage of her various sting operations at Planned Parenthood clinics around the country.

Rose is 20 years old, but she is already entering her fourth year of covert operation, as it were, exposing the underhanded -- and, in some cases, potentially illegal -- practices at abortion clinics run by Planned Parenthood. She has already made appearances on The O'Reilly Factor and Hannity's America.

Posing as an underage pregnant girl, Rose has taken concealed audio and video equipment into these clinics. First, she makes sure the clinic personnel know she is underage and that the baby's father is an older man, repeating his name clearly. By law, the clinic personnel must then notify the police that the alleged father has had sex with a minor.

But in every case, the counselors at Planned Parenthood have brushed aside the sexual abuse of a minor and failed to contact the police. The Arizona attorney general recently opened an investigation of a Tucson Planned Parenthood clinic based upon Rose's footage.

Previously released footage has already put Planned Parenthood clinics on high alert -- each clinic has a poster with Rose's picture on the wall. I asked Rose how she felt about having her picture displayed like a wanted criminal: "Well, I had to go blonde over the summer so I wouldn't be recognized. I think it's sad. They are afraid of this little girl -- at the time I was 18 -- and more concerned with looking for me than looking for the sexual abusers."

Rose comes from a large Evangelical family -- five brothers and two sisters -- in San Jose, California. Her father, John, is a software engineer; her mother, Antonia, a home-schooler. Rose is a junior at UCLA studying history, and she entered the Catholic Church on March 15 of this year.

It was as a freshman at UCLA that Rose first got the idea to record what goes on inside an abortion clinic. "When I came to UCLA there were no pregnant women on campus, so I knew they were being aborted," she told me. With help from her friend James O'Keefe, she took a concealed voice recorder into the UCLA health clinic pretending to be a pregnant co-ed. When she asked whether they would help her keep the baby, she was told, "We do abortions, but we don't support women who are pregnant at UCLA."

When she published the transcript of the conversation in The Advocate -- the campus paper she started as a freshman -- the story provoked a campus-wide debate among students, staff, and administrators, resulting in the creation of a parenting support network.

Later in that same year, 2007, Rose took both video and audio recorders into two Planned Parenthood clinics in Los Angeles. "The first time I went alone and had an audio recorder stuffed in a pocket and an old camcorder camera stuffed in my purse." I asked her if she had felt any fear. "No, I was not scared. I was eager to see what would happen. It's always been my dream to be used in the fight against abortion. I had a strong feeling I could be helpful."

She credits the work of Mark Crutcher at Life Dynamics for inspiring her to take this route in exposing practices inside Planned Parenthood clinics. Crutcher had once used an actor pretending to be a 13-year-old girl to call abortion clinics.

Perhaps even more troubling to Planned Parenthood are the phone calls Rose and O'Keefe placed to their development offices, posing as donors who were pushing a racist agenda. They told development personnel that they wanted to make a donation specifically targeting a black woman so that there would be fewer black children. Not a single Planned Parenthood staffer hung up on them, and some indicated they were in agreement.

Rose and O'Keefe made videos of these phone calls and posted them on YouTube. Some of Rose's videos, such as this one from Bloomington, IN, have been viewed over 100,000 times.

Rose and her organization, Live Action, are presently in the midst of a multi-state investigation, from which much of the footage has not yet been released. "We have a lot of footage we are sitting on. Planned Parenthood is the world's largest abortion provider and should be held accountable. But we want to show not only the victims of sexual abuse but also the victim who is the pre-born child."

Rose's story is pure David and Goliath. Here is a college junior who doesn't own a car, working out of her apartment with the help of one paid staffer and friends who volunteer, taking on one of the most powerful, well-funded, and well-connected organizations in the country. Planned Parenthood has tried to silence her: After she posted the videos of her visit to the Los Angeles abortion clinics, Rose received a threatening cease-and-desist letter from Planned Parenthood's attorney.

"When I got the letter, I was by myself in my college dorm room. I was full of adrenaline, and I was very excited. I didn't know what to think or do, so I got on my knees and said, 'Lord, whatever you want to happen, let it be according to your will.'"

Bishop Tobin To His Critics: "You need a conscience transplant"

Jesus Wasn’t Always Nice

Posted Mar 26, 2009

BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
Jesus wasn’t always nice. I had to remember that in responding to some letters I received from readers who were disappointed by my recent article, My Interview with President Obama. Some folks didn’t like the rhetorical device I employed, namely the fictional interview I composed. Others felt that I was too hard on the President when I criticized him for using tax dollars to fund abortion overseas. They said that I was not being charitable as Jesus would have been.
For example, one letter writer complained that I presented the President as a clown. “I resent the insult to our President,” she said. One of my fans from Ohio wrote, “Wow! The venom really drips on this [column] . . . Easy to blast away from the comfort and security of your cemetery hermitage . . . What did you expect to accomplish?” And a third instructed me that “the Bible teaches us to love and pray for our enemies and to turn the other cheek and not attack them . . . Charity is patient and kind. It is not arrogant or rude.”
First I should note that I am seldom offended by people criticizing the things I’ve written. Inspiring healthy dialogue in the Church is one of the goals of my columns. I hope, though, that critics can always distinguish between my personal opinions and the essential teachings of the Church which, as Catholics they are obliged to accept.
I do find it intriguing, though, that the critics of the Obama column were more offended by my writing than the fact that the President is using their tax dollars to destroy unborn children. (And now to engage in the destruction of human embryos in stem cell research.) But it still seems to me that if the President’s anti-life actions don’t stir up moral outrage in you, nothing will; if they don’t offend your conscience, you need a conscience transplant, my friend.
The other premise of my critics seems to be that because we are Christians we should never be angry or challenge others. We should always be charitable, tolerant, kind and nice, they suggest. After all, isn’t that what Jesus would do?
Well, in fact, no. The Gospels are very clear that in confronting moral evil Jesus wasn’t at all nice or kind. We usually think of Jesus as a prophet of peace, and indeed He was. But His preaching also created bitter controversy and division. “I have come to set the earth on fire . . . Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Lk 12: 49, 51)
Think of Jesus cleansing the Temple, an incident recorded in all four Gospels. Jesus entered the Temple angrily, confronted the merchants and money-changers, made a whip out of cords, drove them away and upset their tables and booths. Doesn’t sound too charitable to me!
Jesus railed against the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum for their lack of faith, and predicted a terrible judgment day for those towns. “You will go down the netherworld,” He warned. (Mt 11: 23) Doesn’t sound too charitable to me!
And of course there’s Jesus’ withering condemnation of the Scribes and Pharisees. He repeatedly called them hypocrites. He described them as “blind guides . . . whitewashed tombs . . . serpents . . . brood of vipers . . . and murderers.” (Cf. Mt, Chapter 23) Doesn’t sound too charitable to me!
There are other examples, but you get the point. In confronting moral evil, Jesus wasn’t nice, kind, gentle and sweet. He lived in a rough and tumble world and He took His message to the streets. He was a fearless prophet who spoke the truth sometimes with harsh and angry language. Jesus’ condemnations infuriated public officials and religious leaders, so much so that they were determined to kill Him. And indeed they did.
In using condemnatory language was Jesus being “uncharitable?” Of course not. It was precisely because He loved people, because He was concerned for their salvation, that He spoke the truth, that He condemned their immoral, sinful behavior.
And that should be the mission of the Church today. Sometimes as Catholics we’re hesitant to challenge the immoral behavior of others, including public officials, because we don’t want to appear judgmental or uncharitable. Our society urges us to be “tolerant” of other people and their behavior, even if it’s objectively wrong. But it’s precisely because we love others that we should never tolerate immoral behavior. As Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver has written so well, “Tolerance is not an end in itself, and tolerating or excusing grave evil in a society is itself a grave evil . . . And it is not a Christian virtue.” (Render Unto Caesar, p. 145-146)
If the language in my article about President Obama’s funding of abortions seemed harsh and offensive, so be it. It has nothing to do with my personal attitude about the man. Admittedly I’m not a fan, but as I’ve written before, I pray for him and his fine family and I wish him well. As a religious leader, though, charged with carrying on the prophetic mission of Christ, I have the right, and in fact the duty, to challenge his immoral actions. I do so because Christian charity requires me to do so, because I love my country and I believe in the sanctity of human life. As St. Paul said, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.” (I Cor 9:16)

Who Said This Will Surprize You

"the Gestapo tactics over Prop 8 - McCarthy-style blacklists, boycotting of otherwise gay-friendly businesses, apologies coerced out of individual supporters who made the “wrong” choice, enforced politically-correct donations to the Human Rights Campaign."

The person who said this was talking about his observations of how "the gay community was working itself into a frenzy over the passage of Proposition 8 - the measure to amend the California State Constitution to define marriage specifically as a union between one man and one woman."

So far this sounds like it could be any of a multitude of conservative pundits saying this. Not so in this case. In fact, this is someone who was very supportive of the gay community.

However, after seeing the above his reaction was: "I realized I didn’t trust the community anymore."

Now for the kicker. The author of this goes on to write: "And I’m gay."

Later he adds: "I hadn’t left the community, it had left me. When did the gays get so mean, anyway?"

People would expect someone like me to react this way to the actions in California, & wrongly call me hateful & a homophobe as well. But when someone who is gay feels this way about what the gay community is doing to push its agenda, it seems to me that the gay community better face the fact that the battle is lost.

H/T: Paul, just this guy, you know? (Another Viewpoint, has link to entire article)

Here Come the Judge

"Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants. Indeed, these two sciences run into each other. The divine law, as discovered by reason and the moral sense, forms an essential part of both."
--James Wilson, law lectures at the University of Pennsylvania

___________
Judge Wilson signed the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution. He was also the 1st person appointed as an associate Justice for the Supreme Court. The lectures that the above quote is from were given during his time on the Supreme Court.

Priests for Life

(This is the 5th in my Lenten series to educate people on some of the leading Pro-Life Organizations. Another purpose is to encourage financial support for them. Unlike Planned Parenthood, these groups are dependant on private donations alone. By supporting these groups we can help speed up the day when PP & their ilk no longer commit murder with our money.)

This week our focus is on Priests For Life.

"Priests for Life was started in 1991* to do one of the most important tasks in the Church today . . . to help priests around the world spread the Gospel of Life to their people."

But PfL isn't just for priests. "Priests for Life is for everyone who wants to stop abortion and euthanasia. While primary membership is for Catholic bishops, priests and deacons, there is also a lay auxiliary membership for those who want to benefit from educational resources and networking among other pro-lifers. We also rejoice when ministers and faithful from other denominations associate themselves with our work and provide mutual support.

Working with laity has been an important concern of Priests For Life from the beginning. Besides motivating priests, we train and encourage the laity, and link up their initiatives and projects with the leadership of the clergy. Lay groups appreciate how important that leadership is, yet often feel they don't have enough of it. Priests for Life can provide that connection."

Their mission statement identifies four key goals of activity:
"a. unite, encourage, and provide ongoing training to priests and deacons who give a special emphasis to the "life issues", especially abortion and euthanasia, in their ministries;
b. instill a sense of urgency in all clergy to teach about these issues and to mobilize their people to help stop abortion and euthanasia;
c. assist clergy and laity to work together productively for the cause of life;
d. provide ongoing training and motivation to the entire pro-life movement."

OK, that is a simple summary of the organization & their work. But it doesn't tell the whole story. & that is what I will attempt to do in the rest of the post. Or at least give you an overview of what all they do. 1st a little more background.

PfL is an "Association of the Faithful". That is a category under Canon law which enables members of the Church who want to join such associations to work together to advance particular aspects of the work of the Church.

PfL was actually "started in San Francisco by a number of priests who wanted to activate and encourage their brother priests in the pro-life cause. Fr. Lee Kaylor was the first President of the organization. He came to know Fr. Frank Pavone and Fr. Jim Heyd, and eventually asked them to serve in leadership capacities. It was in 1993 that Fr. Frank Pavone became the first full-time director of Priests for Life, with the permission of Cardinal John O’Connor, and Fr. Jim Heyd became the first part-time Associate Director, with the permission of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. At that time the headquarters of Priests for Life moved from San Francisco to New York."

PfL is headed by Fr. Frank Pavone MEV. Originally a priest from the New York Archdiocese, he is now a priest of the Amarillo Diocese and serves full-time in pro-life leadership with his bishop’s permission. In 1993 he became National Director of Priests for Life. He is also the President of the National Pro-life Religious Council, and the National Pastoral Director of Rachel’s Vineyard, the world’s largest ministry of healing after abortion..

He is aided by Executive Director Janet Morana, P.D. She is also the Co-Founder of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, the world’s largest mobilization of women and men who have lost children to abortion.

In addition to several other priests who work full time with PfL there are several lay associates. 1 of those is Dr. Alveda C. King, Director, African American Outreach. She is the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Theresa Karminski Burke, Ph.D. & Kevin Burke, MSS, LSW are the co-founders of Rachel's Vineyard, a PfL ministry (more later)

PfL runs several ministries. Like many of the other organizations I have mentioned, they provide speakers & educational materials for those working to defend life. They also have 2 telivision programs, Defending Life is seen on EWTN. Gospel of Life airs on Angel one Channel 101 on Sky Angel IPTV and on Dish Network channel 262. Every Wednesday, Fr. Pavone appears EWTN radio's Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo. Janet Moreno appears there every Friday. PfL also uses e-mail, videos, printed & other A/V materials as well.

Since I have already mentioned Rachel's Vineyard, I will look at that next. They minister to those who have been harmed by abortion, men & women, parents, grandparents siblings of aborted children, as well as persons who have been involved in the abortion industry. Through their weekend retreats & support groups they help to bring inner healing.

"The program is an opportunity to examine your abortion experience, identify the ways that the loss has impacted you in the past and present, and helps to acknowledge any unresolved feelings that many individuals struggle with after abortion. Because of the emotional numbness and secrecy that often surrounds an abortion experience, conflicting emotions both during and after the event may remain unresolved. These buried feelings can surface later and may be symptoms of post abortion trauma."

Another ministry closely related to this is the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. Silent No More was co-founded by Georgette Forney, President of Anglicans for Life (A Life-Affirming Ministry in the Worldwide Anglican Communion) and Janet Morana, Associate Director of Priests for Life. Dr. King is also a part of this campaign.

"The Silent No More Awareness Campaign is an effort to make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women, men, and their families. Our hope is that the emotional and physical pain of abortion will no longer be shrouded in secrecy and silence, but rather exposed and healed. Believing that women deserve better than abortion we pray this effort will make abortion unthinkable as every culture develops ways to help women and men embrace their pre-born children."

They do this by public appearances as well as through the mass media.

In addition to their basic focus of aiding priests, they have 3 ministries for Clergy and laity training. They are Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, Seminarians for Life & Deacons for Life.

Missionaries of the Gospel of Life is a religious order founded by Fr. Pavone. On 12 December 2005 Bishop John Yanta of the Diocese of Amarillo signed the constitution of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. At that point they were officially establishing as a Society of Apostalic Rite. In addition there is a lay association for those who are single or married and want to do pro-life work in the context of the spirituality of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life.

Seminarians for Life focuses on the dissemination of pro-life information to seminarians. Deacons for Life focuses on helping those in the permanant deaconate.

Other outreaches include Political Responsibility and Government Outreach, Youth Outreach, African-American Outreach & Hispanic Outreach.

In addition there is Priests for Life Canada that obviously does the same work in Canada.

Priests for Life is also recognized as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. At the UN besides attending meetings they collaborate with the Holy See and numerous pro-family NGOs to foster international policies protecting the dignity of human life at all stages.

They also provide many International Resources & ministries.

Like so many of the Pro-Life groups that I have looked at, all I can do is provide a very poor overview of their work. Please follow any of the links to find out more.

Next week: Pro-Life Action League

_________

Quotes taken from PfL & affiliated websites

Hillary Dishonors Mary - PP Honors Hillary

2 interesting bits of news provide an interesting insight into the mindset of Hillary Clinton & her total lack of respect for life or the Catholic faith.

1st there is this picture taken at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadelupe in Mexico City. According to the news report Hillary expressed surprize at the importance the Virgin of Guadalupe has not only for Mexico but for all the American continent. Well, I guess this shows how well she doesn't do her homework in preparing to visit another country. Also, it shows her ignorance of something that, as someone who has ran for president & courted Hispanics, she should have picked up long ago.

She also asked who painted it. Again, it shows her ignorance & lack of preperation (or is it lack of respect for authentic Catholicism?or both)? When told God painted it, she expressed approval of His work. She is also supposed to have prayed for the wellbeing of all Americans.

I suspect that doesn't include the unborn. Nor do I think she gets the irony of the fact that here she is creating a photo op in front of the image of the Patroness of the Pro-Life movement. All the while being against everything Mary stands for.

Meanwhile, on Friday she received an award from Planned Parenthood Federation of America a Friday night gala in Houston, Texas. It is PP's highest award, The Margaret Sanger Award for her work in promoting abortion. Or as they put it: "women's health and rights throughout her public service career."

PP president Cecile Richards giving Hillary her "Maggie"

Again the contrast, she stands before an image that is revered by a group of people that Margaret Sanger wanted to wipe out. THIS WOULD BE FUNNY, IF IT WASN'T SO SAD. Here she is, trying to appear concerned about the culture of a people & then being honored by a group that is concerned with putting Sanger's racist plans into effect & making money at it. A group that cares nothing about women's health or rights, just killing. May God have mercy on her soul!

Sources: Picture: Hillary Clinton visitis Our Lady of Guadalupe

Planned Parenthood Will Honor Pro-Abortion Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

USCCB - Reiki is Dangerous, Incompatible with Catholic Belief

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Doctrine has issued Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy. In short, it has made it clear that Reiki is spiritually dangerous & should not be used by Catholics under any circumstances. Somehow, I don't think that this will stop most of those New Age Centers that pass themselves off as convents from offering it, esp in those dioceses where the Bishop won't have the courage to do what he should & put a stop to it.

I also predict that this announcement will come under huge attack from the liberal "Catholics in Name Only" media as well.

Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy

1. From time to time questions have been raised about various alternative therapies that are often available in the United States. Bishops are sometimes asked, "What is the Church's position on such therapies?" The USCCB Committee on Doctrine has prepared this resource in order to assist bishops in their responses.

I. HEALING BY DIVINE GRACE AND HEALING BY NATURAL POWERS
2. The Church recognizes two kinds of healing: healing by divine grace and healing that utilizes the powers of nature. As for the first, we can point to the ministry of Christ, who performed many physical healings and who commissioned his disciples to carry on that work. In fidelity to this commission, from the time of the Apostles the Church has interceded on behalf of the sick through the invocation of the name of the Lord Jesus, asking for healing through the power of the Holy Spirit, whether in the form of the sacramental laying on of hands and anointing with oil or of simple prayers for healing, which often include an appeal to the saints for their aid. As for the second, the Church has never considered a plea for divine healing, which comes as a gift from God, to exclude recourse to natural means of healing through the practice of medicine.1

Alongside her sacrament of healing and various prayers for healing, the Church has a long history of caring for the sick through the use of natural means. The most obvious sign of this is the great number of Catholic hospitals that are found throughout our country.
3. The two kinds of healing are not mutually exclusive. Because it is possible to be healed by divine power does not mean that we should not use natural means at our disposal. It is not our decision whether or not God will heal someone by supernatural means. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church points out, the Holy Spirit sometimes gives to certain human beings "a special charism of healing so as to make manifest the power of the grace of the risen Lord."2
This power of healing is not at human disposal, however, for "even the most intense prayers do not always obtain the healing of all illnesses."3 Recourse to natural means of healing therefore remains entirely appropriate, as these are at human disposal. In fact, Christian charity demands that we not neglect natural means of healing people who are ill.

II. REIKI AND HEALING
A) The Origins and Basic Characteristics of Reiki
4. Reiki is a technique of healing that was invented in Japan in the late 1800s by Mikao Usui, who was studying Buddhist texts.4 According to Reiki teaching, illness is caused by some kind of disruption or imbalance in one's "life energy." A Reiki practitioner effects healing by placing his or her hands in certain positions on the patient's body in order to facilitate the flow of Reiki, the "universal life energy," from the Reiki practitioner to the patient. There are numerous designated hand positions for addressing different problems. Reiki proponents assert that the practitioner is not the source of the healing energy, but merely a channel for it.5 To become a Reiki practitioner, one must receive an "initiation" or "attunement" from a Reiki Master. This ceremony makes one "attuned" to the "universal life energy" and enables one to serve as a conduit for it. There are said to be three different levels of attunement (some teach that there are four). At the higher levels, one can allegedly channel Reiki energy and effect healings at a distance, without physical contact.
B) Reiki as a Natural Means of Healing
5. Although Reiki proponents seem to agree that Reiki does not represent a religion of its own, but a technique that may be utilized by people from many religious traditions, it does have several aspects of a religion. Reiki is frequently described as a "spiritual" kind of healing as opposed to the common medical procedures of healing using physical means. Much of the literature on Reiki is filled with references to God, the Goddess, the "divine healing power," and the "divine mind." The life force energy is described as being directed by God, the "Higher Intelligence," or the "divine consciousness." Likewise, the various "attunements" which the Reiki practitioner receives from a Reiki Master are accomplished through "sacred ceremonies" that involve the manifestation and contemplation of certain "sacred symbols" (which have traditionally been kept secret by Reiki Masters). Furthermore, Reiki is frequently described as a
"way of living," with a list of five "Reiki Precepts" stipulating proper ethical conduct.
6. Nevertheless, there are some Reiki practitioners, primarily nurses, who attempt to approach Reiki simply as a natural means of healing. Viewed as natural means of healing, however, Reiki becomes subject to the standards of natural science. It is true that there may be means of natural healing that have not yet been understood or recognized by science. The basic criteria for judging whether or not one should entrust oneself to any particular natural means of healing, however, remain those of science.
7. Judged according to these standards, Reiki lacks scientific credibility. It has not been accepted by the scientific and medical communities as an effective therapy. Reputable scientific studies attesting to the efficacy of Reiki are lacking, as is a plausible scientific explanation as to how it could possibly be efficacious. The explanation of the efficacy of Reiki depends entirely on a particular view of the world as permeated by this "universal life energy" (Reiki) that is subject to manipulation by human thought and will. Reiki practitioners claim that their training allows one to channel the "universal life energy" that is present in all things. This "universal life energy," however, is unknown to natural science. As the presence of such energy has not been observed by means of natural science, the justification for these therapies necessarily must come from something other than science.
C) Reiki and the Healing Power of Christ
8. Some people have attempted to identify Reiki with the divine healing known to Christians.6 They are mistaken. The radical difference can be immediately seen in the fact that for the Reiki practitioner the healing power is at human disposal. Some teachers want to avoid this implication and argue that it is not the Reiki practitioner personally who effects the healing, but the Reiki energy directed by the divine consciousness. Nevertheless, the fact remains that for Christians the access to divine healing is by prayer to Christ as Lord and Savior, while the essence of Reiki is not a prayer but a technique that is passed down from the "Reiki Master" to the pupil, a technique that once mastered will reliably produce the anticipated results.7 Some practitioners attempt to Christianize Reiki by adding a prayer to Christ, but this does not affect the essential nature of Reiki. For these reasons, Reiki and other similar therapeutic techniques cannot be identified with what Christians call healing by divine grace.
9. The difference between what Christians recognize as healing by divine grace and Reiki therapy is also evident in the basic terms used by Reiki proponents to describe what happens in Reiki therapy, particularly that of "universal life energy." Neither the Scriptures nor the Christian tradition as a whole speak of the natural world as based on "universal life energy" that is subject to manipulation by the natural human power of thought and will. In fact, this worldview has its origins in eastern religions and has a certain monist and pantheistic character, in that distinctions among self, world, and God tend to fall away.8 We have already seen that Reiki practitioners are unable to differentiate clearly between divine healing power and power that is at human disposal.

III. CONCLUSION
10. Reiki therapy finds no support either in the findings of natural science or in Christian belief. For a Catholic to believe in Reiki therapy presents insoluble problems. In terms of caring for one's physical health or the physical health of others, to employ a technique that has no scientific support (or even plausibility) is generally not prudent.
11. In terms of caring for one's spiritual health, there are important dangers. To use Reiki one would have to accept at least in an implicit way central elements of the worldview that undergirds Reiki theory, elements that belong neither to Christian faith nor to natural science. Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, however, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's-land that is neither faith nor science.9 Superstition corrupts one's worship of God by turning one's religious feeling and practice in a false direction.10 While sometimes people fall into superstition through ignorance, it is the responsibility of all who teach in the name of the Church to eliminate such ignorance as much as possible.
12. Since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy.
Most Rev. William E. Lori (Chairman)

Bishop of Bridgeport

Most Rev. John C. Nienstedt
Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Most Rev. Leonard P. Blair

Bishop of Toledo

Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli

Bishop of Paterson
Most Rev. José H. Gomez

Archbishop of San Antonio

Most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron
Bishop of Oakland
Most Rev. Robert J. McManus

Bishop of Worcester

Most Rev. Donald W. Wuerl
Archbishop of Washington

1 See Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction on Prayers for Healing (14 September 2000), I, 3:
"Obviously, recourse to prayer does not exclude, but rather encourages the use of effective natural means for
preserving and restoring health, as well as leading the Church's sons and daughters to care for the sick, to assist them
in body and spirit, and to seek to cure disease."
2 Catechism, no. 1508.
3 Catechism, no. 1508.
4 It has also been claimed that he merely rediscovered an ancient Tibetan technique, but evidence for this claim is
lacking.
5 As we shall see below, however, distinctions between self, world, and God tend to collapse in Reiki thought.
Some Reiki teachers explain that one eventually reaches the realization that the self and the "universal life energy"
are one, "that we are universal life force and that everything is energy, including ourselves" (Libby Barnett and
Maggie Chambers with Susan Davidson, Reiki Energy Medicine: Bringing Healing
Hospice [Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts Press, 1996], p. 48; see also p. 102).
6 For example, see "Reiki and Christianity" at http://iarp.org/articles/

Reiki_and_Christianity.htm and "Christian
Reiki" at http://areikihealer.tripod.com/christianreiki.html

and the website www.christianreiki.org.
7 Reiki Masters offer courses of training with various levels of advancement, services for which the teachers require
significant financial remuneration. The pupil has the expectation and the Reiki Master gives the assurance that one's
investment of time and money will allow one to master a technique that will predictably produce results.
8 While this seems implicit in Reiki teaching, some proponents state explicitly that there is ultimately no distinction
between and the self and Reiki. "Alignment with your Self and being Reiki is an ongoing process. Willingness to
continuously engage in this process furthers your evolution and can lead to the sustained recognition and ultimate
experience that you are universal life force" (The Reiki Healing Connection [Libby Barnett, M.S.W.],
http://reikienergy.com/classes.htm, accessed 2/6/2008 [emphasis in original]). Diane Stein summarizes the meaning
of some of the "sacred symbols" used in Reiki attunements as: "The Goddess in me salutes the Goddess in you";
"Man and God becoming one" (Essential Reiki Teaching Manual: A Companion Guide for Reiki Healers [Berkeley,
Cal.: Crossing Press, 2007], pp. 129-31). Anne Charlish and Angela Robertshaw explain that the highest Reiki
attunement "marks a shift from the ego and self to a feeling of oneness with the universal life-force energy" (Secrets
of Reiki [New York, N.Y.: DK Publishing, 2001], p. 84).
9 Some forms of Reiki teach of a need to appeal for the assistance of angelic beings or "Reiki spirit guides." This
introduces the further danger of exposure to malevolent forces or powers.
10 See Catechism, no. 2111; St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae II-II, q. 92, a. 1.

Obama: "Who Will Rid Me of This Meddlesome Priest?"

OK, I'm not sure if Obama has actually said this, but I suspect he has been thinking it with all that Archbishop Burke has been saying lately. & I am sure some of his underlings definitely have thought it.

According to Austin Ruse: "A reliable source tells me that someone representing the Obama administration is about to put pressure on the papal nuncio to the United States to get Archbishop Raymond Burke to be quiet. The Obama complaint is that Archbishop Burke, who is now head of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome, has supported another bishop in his chastisement of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for her support of abortion."

As he goes on to point out: "You can see why the Obama administration might get upset about this. They played footsie with pet Catholics of left and right last year and thought they had this kind of problem covered, since some of them have already offered cover for Sebelius. Two groups created to offer such services, Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance, started a petition drive saying Sebelius was really pro-life."

So what it boils down to is that their fraud is being unmasked. & they don't like it.

& while this reaction is in response to a recent interview that Archbishop Burke gave to the San Diego-based organization Catholic Action for Faith and Family, I am sure that the more recen interview with Randall Terry didn't calm the waters at the White House. & these are only a couple of the recent statements made.

& while Archbishop Burke is leading the way, a few other Bishops like Martino have also been vocal lately. But, given Burke's high position & visibility, it is no surprize that he might be drawing the most fire. I say might because nothing definite has happenned yet. But, I highly suspect that the Obama administration will attempt some move.

They are unhappy at Burke's pointing out her unfitness to head HHS. "But it’s not just questioning her fitness for office that offends Obama and his Catholics. They are also offended about Burke questioning Sebelius’s fidelity to the Catholic Church, for this strikes at the heart of their appeal to Catholics in the pews. Catholics who believe the Democratic answer to health care is more important than the murder of a million children a year desperately need the fiction that someone like Sebelius is a Catholic in good standing. Burke gives the lie to that assertion."

Remember, they are doing this in the face of what her own Bishop has said. But they know that they can downplay what Archbishop Joseph Naumann has said because there are plenty of American Bishops who have disagreed. But when a top Vatican official says something, it makes things all the more difficult. Esp since, in the past, they have used statements by other Vatican officials to attack President Bush's policies. I guess it is OK for a Vatican VIP to speak out & make it look like the Vatican is on their side when it upholds their positions, but when 1 points out what is wrong with what they want. . . Suddenly they are finding out that the knife cuts both ways & they don't like it.

"By trying to stop a bishop from commenting on internal Church matters, the Obama administration wades into dangerous waters. Archbishop Burke is the head of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican office that is charged with interpreting the Code of Canon Law. The proper reception of Communion is proper to the Code of Canon Law, and therefore proper to any bishop, and especially to Archbishop Burke." & that is what makes Archbishop Burke's comments all the more dangerous, his position in the Vatican.

"The pressure won't work, of course. Burke is just too smart, and tough. But Obama and his representatives are coming dangerously close to interfering in internal Church matters. More than anything else, the free exercise clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution was intended precisely to protect religious bodies from meddling by the state, even covert meddling by the White House like this. Obama and his pet Catholics should back off – and fast."

Of course, given the track record of this administration, I doubt that upholding the Constitution is high on their list of priorities. (Something that the Bush & previous administrations helped set a dangerous precidence for.) But, I think that Obama & the so called "Catholics" (quislings really) working for him might do well to learn a lesson from what happenned when King Henry II tried to silence Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop is now a martyr & saint & Henry II has gone down in history as a villian. & while I doubt that anyone in the Obama gang has any plans to assasinate Archbishop Burke, he might do well to watch his back while following St. Thomas' lead in continuing to speak out fearlessly.

Source: Hey, Obama: Hands Off Burke

"I'm only a poor corrupt official." - Captain Renault

& then there is Sen. Dodd:

Patriot Post

Show Papa Benedetto You Support Him

Human Life International has begun an initiative in support of Pope Benedict, in particular in support of his courage in speaking the truth about how condoms are not the answer to the spread of AIDS in Africa and around the world. It is an outrage that he is being villified despite the truth of his remarks, and we believe it is time to let him know that he has the love and support of faithful Catholics around the world.
Please take one minute and click on http://hli.org/papal_visit_support.html and sign our letter of support for the Holy Father, forward this link to fellow journalists and bloggers, and help us get the word out. This campaign will go through Divine Mercy Sunday, April 19, after which we will send the letter and all "signatures" to the Holy See.

HERE IS THE TEXT OF THE LETTER:

Dear Holy Father,

Please accept our heartfelt love and admiration for your prophetic and courageous proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in season and out of season. We are in deep solidarity with you against the terrible distortions and attacks by condom-promoters in the press and, even more shamefully, in governments.

The Vicar of Christ will always be a sign of contradiction to those blinded by ideology. Your words of compassion and common sense are to be praised highly. Thank you for your witness of hope and love to a world that is increasingly hostile to the truth, especially if it calls into question the foundations of the "Sexual Revolution."

With gratitude,

Update on Pastor Walter Hoye

Some time ago I told you about Pastor Hoye's battle for free speech so that he could get the message out at abortion clinics about God's love & the alternatives that are out there. I also mentioned how he was convicted despite the fact that he obeyed the law & those at the clinic were bending the regs to suit their nefarious purposes.

Last Friday Pastor Hoye began serving his 30 day sentance. This despite the fact that the conviction is being appealed.

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life had this to say: Rev. Hoye "has just begun serving a sentence which is blatantly unjust. Rev. Hoye did no violence, but rather attempted to stop violence by his prayerful presence at an abortion mill in Oakland.

He was right to refuse to promise not to approach the abortion facility. By intervening for these children, he simply seeks to fulfill the command, 'Do to others what you would have them do to you.' No government can put a cap on peaceful efforts to save children from violence."

Pastor Hoye spent the 40 days leading up to his incarceration in prayer & fasting.

For those of you who may not remember what the abortionists find so objectionable in his message, here is what he has on the picket he carries: “Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help.” Hardly the threatening message the abortionists claim it is. The only threat is to their attempts to make money off of murdering innocent children.

The law that he was convicted under only forbids those opposed to abortion to approach those going into the abortion clinic in order to offer alternatives. If you have a pamphlet encouraging abortion, it is OK to approach. The law was clearly passed to silence free speech.

Keep Pastor Hoye in your prayers & pray that this attempt to undermine his free expression of religion & free speech rights under the 1st Amendment is defeated.

Sources: Pro-Life Pastor Walter Hoye Begins Serving 30-Day Abortion-Related Jail Sentence

African American Pastor Sent to Jail for Offering Abortion Alternatives on Public Sidewalk