The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

Illinois Shows It's Hatred of Catholicism in the Name of Tolerance & Inclusiveness

Yes, I know that sounds a little bit harsh, but it is true. Because of a new law that goes into effect in Illinois tommorrow, the Rockford Diocese held a press conference last Thursday where it was announced that effective 1 June Catholic Charities would no longer offer state-funded adoption & foster care services. The new law, ironicly called the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, is actually taking away the religious freedom of the Catholic Church in Illinois. The law allows "unmarried cohabitating couples, whether same‐sex or opposite sex, to apply for adoptions and licenses to become foster parents." But the same law that gave them this right, does not exempt organizations like Catholic Charities from the requirement to accept these applications.

But, as Penny Wiegert, diocesan director of communication, explained, accepting those applications goes against "the mission, vision and teaching of the Catholic Church." She went on to add "As you may know, the Catholic Church does not condone same‐sex unions or unmarried cohabitation between individuals of the opposite sex. We believe in the natural order of marriage and the Sacrament of Matrimony between one man and one woman. We also believe and promote the optimal God‐given privilege of every child to be reared in a safe and loving family with a committed and loving male father and female mother whenever possible."

As a result over 100 years of providing help to children in need, beginning with orphanages to care for abandoned children to the current services, is now at an end. The state forced them to chose to compromise their faith or get out of providing those services. The diocese make the only decision they could.

As Ellen B. Lynch, general counsel for the Rockford Diocese, put it "Legally, albeit emotionally painful, we determined this was the right decision to make for the moral and financial future of the Diocese of Rockford.

The law of our land has always guaranteed its people freedom of religion. Denying this exemption to faith-based agencies leads one to believe that our lawmakers prefer laws that guarantee freedom from religion. We simply can not compromise the spirit that motivates us to deliver quality, professional services to families by letting our state define our religious teachings."

So Catholic Charities in no longer taking new applications. The process of closing out the foster care & adoption programs they currently operate, which includes transferring all cases to other agencies, is scheduled to end in August. As a result of the end of these programs 58 workers will lose their jobs. But, as was pointed out, for these people this is much more than just a job they are losing. "Our caseworkers do this work not just because it’s their job, but because it is their calling. The children and families they serve are just an extension of their commitment to our mission, which serving children is at its basic core, so it is a very grave loss for them as well as for everyone involved with charities."

This is just the latest example of subtle & not so subtle persecution of Catholics & other Christians who respect the God given right to life in a country that claims to allow free expression of religion. In February the Obama administration overturned some of the conscience protections the Bush administration put in place to protect pro-life medical workers who don’t want to be involved in certain medical procedures. & don't forget the debate during ObamaCare about whether it would force Catholic hospitals to do abortions or shut down, something that has still not been settled despite claims to the contrary by ObamaCare supporters.

This just shows how far we have come from the days of our Founding Fathers. As John Adams pointed out in a 28 June 1813 letter to Thomas Jefferson "The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence, were ... the general principles of Christianity, in which all those sects were united, and the general principles of English and American liberty, in which all those young men united, and which had united all parties in America, in majorities sufficient to assert and maintain her independence. Now I will avow, that I then believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God; and that those principles of liberty are as unalterable as human nature and our terrestrial, mundane system." (emphasis mine)

In a letter to to Zabdiel Adams on 21 June 21 1776 Adams wrote "[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue."

& on 11 October 1798 he said "[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

Now we see our government trying to force out the very foundation on which this nation was built. & if it suceeds in doing so, we will no longer be the "land of the free". Instead this country will either be a dictatorship or will no longer exist. What is going on in Illinois & elsewhere shows me that we are well down that road. But it is still not to late to turn back.

Those of us who are believers must pray. We must, like Daniel, repent for the sins of our nation. We must ask God for His Mercy. As it says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 "And my people, upon whom my name is called, being converted, shall make supplication to me, and seek out my face, and do penance for their most wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land." If ever there was a verse from the Bible that was a NOW word from God, this is it.

Thought for the Day - 31 May 2011

H/T: Patrick Archbold (Best Lawn Sign Evah!)

Papa Benedetto Continues His Call for Us to Evangelize

This follows up on what Cardinal Sarah said to Caritas International's gathering in Rome last week when he reminded them that all they do must have an evangelical demension. Later Papa Benedetto reminded those at the gathering that they must uphold the truth. That he is saying this should be no surprize. He has long spoken out against relativism & what results, a denial of the truth as well as a denial of the need to evangelize. While most people remember the talk he gave just before the Cardinals went into the conclave where they elected him as Pope, what he said then was not a new message. In 2002 he called relativism the new face of intolerance. He said we must know & proclaim the truth about Jesus. In a 2004 interview he again decried relativism & the way it attacked proclaiming the truth about Jesus.

While a lot of people today don't like it, there are some absolute truths out there. & they are only found in Jesus. He alone is the way, the truth & the life. & Papa Benedetto is doing what he can to ensure that message is getting out. Everything from what he says in his Wednesday audiences to his Angelus addresses, to the books on Jesus is aimed at letting us know there are those absolute truths. & that God entrusted the Catholic Church with the mission of proclaiming that truth. His openning the door for the Anglican ordinariate to his allowing greater use of the Traditional Latin Mass alongside the Novus Ordo Latin Mass (yes, the current Mass is Latin at its heart) are also a part of that getting the message out.

I could on pointing out how he has even started to go after Bishops who fail to uphold Catholic teaching. A prime recent example is the "progressive" Australian bishop of Toowoomba, Bishop William Morris, who has gone into early retirement for his promulgated views supporting female ordination. This came after a 5 year investigation by the Vatican. Then there is the looking into what the Leadership Council of Women Religious are promoting. It is going to take time, & the full fruit of Papa Benedetto's action won't be seen until after he is gone (hopefully not for many years). Remember, it took about 300 years to deal with the Arian heresy. But he is clearly doing what he can under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the time alotted to him to ensure that those enemies within do not win.

Several times I've talked about the Dream of St. John Bosco that is known as The Dream of the 2 Columns (or Pillars). On 1 column there is a stautue of Mary, on the other, taller 1, a huge Eucharistic host. The Pope is stearing a boat that represents the Church towards them. IMHO, the prophetic dream is at least partially finding its fulfillment in the papacies of Blessed John Paul & Papa Benedetto. There have been attacks & scandals that have done great damage to the Church, just like in the dream. But in the end, God will repair the damage. & it is clear Papa Benedetto is 1 of the main instruments He is using to do so.

I Have to Wonder

Is it about saving lives in Africa, or doing all they can to get rid of blacks? If it was about saving lives then more would be done to fight malaria rather than doing all they can to reduce the population in Africa.

See Project Real Need for more info.

Decoration Day

President Reagan - Memorial Day 1984

Sanctifying Christ In Our Hearts

Defund Klanned Parenthood

Papa Benedetto to Caritas International - You Must Hold Up Non-negotiable Catholic Values

On Friday Papa Benedetto addressed those assembled for the Caritas International gathering in Rome. In his talk he made it clear that there are certain values that absolutely MUST be upheld. Not only must they be upheld, they must be promoted. He said"(A)ll Catholics, and indeed all men and women, are called to act with purified consciences and generous hearts in resolutely promoting those values which I have often referred to as ‘non-negotiable’.”

Those values were mentioned in "Sacramentum Caritatis". There he said that those "non negotiable" values include "respect for human life, its defence from conception to natural death, the family built upon marriage between a man and a woman, the freedom to educate one’s children and the promotion of the common good in all its forms."

His address follows up on the one given by Cardinal Sarah that reminded those participating that what they do must bring people to Christ. In other words, they must evangelize as a part of their work.

These 2 addresses come after some pre-Assembly actions that made it clear that it is time for Caritas & its affiliated groups like Development + Peace (D+P) in Canada & the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) in the USA to clean up their act. 1 of those 2 actions was the refusal by the Vatican to grant the current Caritas General Secretary, Lesley-Anne Knight, the “nihil obstat” (“nothing obstructs”) declaration required for candidates to be eligible for the office. Apparently part of the reason is a statement she made in an interview with the Non-Catholic Reporter. In it she suggested that the millions of dollars the organization receives from Western governments could be jeopardized if they become too explicitly Catholic. Not a good thing to say given the Vatican wants groups that call themselves Catholic to be truly Catholic.

In the interview she also asked “Does the Holy See actually know what Caritas is doing?” IMHO the answer is yes, they do. & they don't like what they see. 1 of those things they didn't like was 1 of the people invited to speak. The speaker was Fr. Timothy Radcliffe a former head of the Dominican order. He was set to deliver the keynote opening address last Monday. Before the document banning homosexuals in the priesthood came out, Fr. Radcliffe wrote an article for the London Times. In it he said “If it were to contain such a ban, which is highly unlikely, most Catholics, at least in the West, would find it unacceptable. Any deep-rooted prejudice against others, such as homophobia or misogyny, would be grounds for rejecting a candidate for the priesthood, but not their sexual orientation.” Any wonder the Vatican said "NO!" to his speaking to the assembly? If I were in charge at the Vatican I wouldn't want someone giving the keynote address who is working to undermine authentic Catholic teaching & Church discipline.

I am sure that behind the scenes there has been a lot of grumbling about what the Vatican is doing to make it clear that it is time to clean things up. & while most of what has been done has been indirect, it is clear the Vatican isn't going to sit back & let things go on as they have in the past. Either Caritas, D+P, CCHD & other groups clean up their act & become truly Catholic or they face direct intervention by the Vatican, & that may include their being shut down. Hopefully the Bishops' conferences will start getting the message. I'm not holding my breath however. The way I see it, it is going to take a major scandal that forces the Vatican to step in with some group that will force the other Bishops' conferences to do something before they are next.

In the meantime I would suggest that Caritas et al, go back & reread (or more likely actually read) Papa Benedetto's Caritas in veritate to get a clearer idea of how they should be operating.

You can read Papa Benedetto's complete address to the Caritas General Assembly here.

Pepsi Refuses to Cut Ties With Company Using Aborted Fetal Cells - Time for Boycott

At the end of March I shared the horror story with you about how several corporations were using a company that used aborted fetal cells to test products. (I Think I Just Lost My Appetitie ) After the news came out 1 of these corporations, Campbell's Soup, severed their ties. Unfortunately some of the others haven't. 1 of those is PepsiCo.

So now the call has gone out by a huge number of Pro-Life groups to boycott their products as well as contact Pepsi & let them know how you feel. When you write, make it clear that you know Pepsi isn't conducting the experiments themselves. But make it clear that you also do not apporve of the fact that the company they have hired to do so does use them & that you will boycott their products until they disassociate themselves with Senomyx.

There is a link below with a complete list of Pepsi products. PepsiCo's main divisions are Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Gatoraide, Tropicana & Quaker.

Most companies who do respond positively usually do so because of the negative reaction from those contacting them. That is why writing them is just as important as discontinuing the purchasing of their products. The contact info is in the story. An e-mail is OK, but a letter often has a greater effect.

NOTE: If you have any PepsiCo products at home there is no need to throw them out as they have already been purchased. All that will result is that you will be out of the money you spent on them & it doesn't hurt PepsiCo at all.

Pro-life groups call for Pepsi boycott over aborted fetal cell lines

LARGO, Florida, May 26, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Scores of prolife groups are calling for a public boycott of food giant, PepsiCo, due to its partnership with Senomyx, a biotech company that uses aborted fetal cells in the research and development of artificial flavor enhancers.
LifeSiteNews previously reported on Senomyx’s partnership with major food corporations, most notably PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, and Nestlé.
Pro-life watchdog group, Children of God for Life (CGL), is now joined by major pro-life organizations calling upon the public to target PepsiCo in a boycott.
Pepsi is funding the research and development, and paying royalties to Senomyx, which uses HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney cells) to produce flavor enhancers for Pepsi beverages.
“Using isolated human taste receptors we created proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems that provide a biochemical or electronic readout when a flavor ingredient interacts with the receptor,” says the Senomyx website.
“What they do not tell the public is that they are using HEK 293 – human embryonic kidney cells taken from an electively aborted baby to produce those receptors,” stated Debi Vinnedge, President for CGL, the watch dog group that has been monitoring the use of aborted fetal material in medical products and cosmetics for years.
The aborted fetal cells are not in the product itself. However, “there are many options PepsiCo could be using instead of aborted fetal cells,” noted Vinnedge.
The revelation about Senomyx’s research techniques motivated Campbell Soup to sever all relations with Senomyx.
However, PepsiCo continues their business relationship despite the abortion connection. They drew pubic ire earlier this year when they responded, saying, “our collaboration with Senomyx is strictly limited to creating lower-calorie, great-tasting beverages for consumers.”
When pressed further, PepsiCo sent out a form letter response saying they had been accused of conducting aborted fetal tissue research.
Bradley Mattes, executive director of Life Issues Institute, said, “While aborted fetal cells aren’t actually in the product itself, the close relationship is enough to repulse most consumers. To our knowledge, this is the first time a food product has been publicly associated with abortion.”
The pro-life groups noted that additional companies collaborating with Senomyx will be targeted for boycott next.
The pro-life organizations are asking the public to boycott all Pepsi drink products and encourage consumers to contact Pepsi management requesting that they sever all ties with Senomyx.
For a list of Pepsi Beverages included in the boycott:

http://pepsico.com/Brands/Pepsi_Cola-Brands.html
To Contact PepsiCo:
Jamie Caulfield, Sr. VP

PepsiCo, Inc.

700 Anderson Hill Road

Purchase, NY 10577

(914) 253-2000

Email form.
Pro-life groups joining CGL in the boycott to date are: Life Issues Institute, American Life League, Colorado Right to Life, American Right to Life, Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute, ALL Arizona, Central Nebraskans for Life, Pro-Life Waco, Houston Coalition for Life, Mother and Unborn Baby Fox Valley, Womankind, Billboards for Life, Movement for a Better America, Defenders of the Unborn, Focus Pregnancy Help Center, Idaho Chooses Life, EMC Frontline Pregnancy Centers of NY, Four Seasons for Life, CREDO, Life Choices, STOPP Dallas, CA Right To Life, Human Life Alliance, International Right to Life Federation, Operation Rescue, Pro-Life Nation, LifeNews.com, and Mary’s Outreach for Women.

Cardinal Robert Sarah - Charity Without Evangelization Isn't True Charity

This isn't going to sit too well with those who have tried to ignore the fact that the Catholic Church exists to evangelize & that all her activies must be aimed at doing just that. Pope Paul VI made it clear in his post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiani. It has been repeated time & time again by both Blessed John Paul the Great & Papa Benedetto.

Throughout history we have seen that lived out by those saints who founded hospitals, started schools, provided for the poor, etc. At the heart of their efforts was bringing Jesus to those whom they ministered to.

Unfortunately, over the past 40 years that idea has been tossed out by those who saw relativism as the guiding light, not authentic Catholic doctrine. & that is why we have seen so many of the scandals involving Development + Peace (D+P) in Canada & the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) in the USAamong others.

I am sure this speech of the Cardinal's didn't sit well with those in attendance who want to maintain relativism as the guiding light of their charitable deeds. But they had better realize that the Vatican is getting serious about what is being done in the name of the Catholic Church. It MUST uphold Catholic identity as well as Catholic teaching, including issues like abortion. Both CCHD & D+P are affiliated with Caritas International. & representatives from the group attending this Assembly. Whether they got the message remains to be seen. (Although as this LifeSiteNews opinion piece points out, D+P is still playing the same old games.) For now, I suspect the Vatican is giving the US & Canadian Bishops a chance to clean things up. But it is clear that the Vatican isn't going to sit still forever. & if something substanstitive isn't done, then the Vatican will likely take some more direct steps to ensure things are cleaned up.

Vatican Cardinal warns of ‘silent apostasy’; says Catholic charities must evangelize

ROME, May 25, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In an address to the General Assembly of Caritas International today, Cardinal Robert Sarah, who heads the Vatican dicastery dealing with the church’s charitable institutions, stressed that the main mission of all Church groups, charitable groups included, was to bring people to Christ. “Today, dear Friends, the tragedy of modern mankind is not lacking clothing and housing. The most tragic hunger and the most terrible anguish is not lack of food,” he said. “It’s much more about the absence of God and the lack of true love, the love that was revealed to us on the Cross.”

Cardinal Robert Sarah
The assembly comes at a time of major restructuring for Catholic charities which especially in the West have been beset by loss of Catholic identity. Funding of questionable groups by the charitable arms of the Canadian, American, British, French and Austrian Catholic Bishops conferences have had many Catholics calling for change. While Bishops in these nations have been working toward reform, the Vatican is working to reform the umbrella group for them all - Caritas Internationalis. LifeSiteNews reported in February that the General Secretary of Caritas was not permitted to stand for a second term in office due to concerns about ‘Catholic identity’ among other issues.
Cardinal Sarah added, “Regarding coordination with the charitable organisations of the Church … it is not merely philanthropic and humanitarian assistance aimed at relieving a certain kind of distress, but also and above all it entails giving back to human persons all their dignity as children of God, and promoting an anthropology that also encompasses the religious dimension of human persons, namely their encounter with God.”
Cardinal Sarah quoted both Popes John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI decrying the “religious indifference, secularisation and atheism” of the West.
“Together with enormous material, scientific and technological progress, the West is now experiencing a serious moral regression and a gradual “silent apostasy”, he said.
“Undoubtedly, since the beginning of his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI has considered this ‘religious indifference’ and ‘silent apostasy’ as the major challenge the Church has to take up today in her relations with the modern world. Therefore, he is more determined than ever to make our minds more aware and our faith more visible and more active, in order to show the world that the Church’s mission is deeply rooted in faith in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
While some in Catholic development agencies have argued for a hands-off approach of fostering good works undertaken even by agencies at odds with the Catholic Church to end the structures of poverty and oppression, the Cardinal took a different approach. “I believe it is important to understand that our charitable organisations are located within the Church and not alongside her,” he said. “A Caritas that wasn’t an ecclesial expression would have no meaning or existence. The Church cannot be considered as a partner of Catholic organisations. They are the organisations that take part in her mission.”
A recent debate over whether or not groups in the developing world should have the approval of local bishops prior to their receiving funding from Catholic charities in the West seems also to have been answered by the Cardinal. “So it is necessary that charitable organisations are really able to work in full communion and deep connection with the local bishop,” he said, “and in accordance with pastoral guidelines, in order to be fully integrated within the mission of the Church. “
See the full address here

No Wonder This Was Ignored, It Undermines Planned Parenthood's Sex Ed Agenda

Planned Parenthood & other pro-aborts have long derided abstinance based sex ed as a failure. Not because it was, but because it undermined their goal to increase sexual activity, thus increasing the number of unplanned prgnancies. & in the end, bringing more people in to their sites so they can provide the abortions & get rich off of killing more unborn babies.

It is not surprizing this study hasn't gotten the air time it deserves. It undermines the whole agenda of the abortion industry & their buddies in the federal government.

& as is pointed out, this study also undermines a lot of the push for gay marriage, gay rights etc as well.

Kids can do abstinence, data shows
Carolyn Moynihan
Those who insist on “safer sex” education for adolescents seem to assume two things: first, that nearly all teens will become sexually active, and second, that it doesn’t matter (they have a right to) so long as they take precautions against disease and pregnancy. Therefore, all teens should be subjected to the same sexual propaganda.
But a report from the US government that I missed back in March indicates that these assumptions are faulty. Researchers from the Centres for Disease Control gathered data on sexual behaviour, attraction and identity through the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth -- a household survey -- and compared it with the 2002 NSFG survey and other national surveys. The aim was to improve programmes to prevent the spread of STIs and unintended pregnancy.
The survey had a high response rate (75 per cent) and involved interviews (using laptops for maximum privacy) with more than 13,000 people aged 15 to 44.
The responses showed that among young adults aged 15 to 24, 29 per cent of women and 27 per cent of men had not had any sexual contact with the opposite sex. This was a sharp increase from 2002 when about 23 per cent of young adults had never had sex.
Furthermore, in the 15- to 19-year-old age group, 43 per cent of males and 48 per cent of females reported never having an opposite-sex partner. In the same age group a small percentage (7 per cent of females and 9 per cent of males) had had oral sex with an opposite-sex partner, but no intercourse.
These figures suggest that, rather than bombarding all high school kids with contraceptive information (not to mention perverse alternatives to sexual intercourse) abstinence or chastity education is an appropriate option. Indeed, it seems reasonable to infer that official encouragement of abstinence education in the 1990s and up to 2008 has been effective.
Among those aged 25 and older there was a lot of unpleasant stuff going on. However, same-sex activity was less than one might have supposed from the amount of political attention such relationships get. Some 5.8 per cent of males said they had ever had same-sex contact and 12 per cent of females. The percentages reporting their sexual identity as homosexual was even lower: 1.1 per cent of women (bisexual 3.5), and 1.7 per cent of men (1.1 bisexual).
Sexual Behaviour, Sexual Attraction, and Sexual Identity in the United States:

Data From the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr036.pdf)

H/T: Secular Heritic (Chastity education more appropriate for our teens than "Safe Sex" contraceptive propaganda )

Meet the Girls Blowing the Lid Off About the Relationship Between Planned Parenthood & the Girl Scouts

Speak Now Girl Scouts

I Knew It Was Only A Matter of Time

Last December when I posted on the merger of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland & Planned Parenthood of East Entral Iowa I made the following comment: "This is only the latest of several mergers involving PPH. & I suspect it won't be the last. There is still 1 PP site in Iowa that is not a part of PPH, yet. Burlington-based Planned Parenthood of Southeast Iowa is still a seperate affiliate. But for how long?" Well, yesterday we got the answer. 30 June 2011.

The announcement was made on Monday. Of course they are spinning it as all about expanding health care. & not about abortions. Additionally there are the usual lies by Jill June, PPH CEO downplaying the huge role abortion plays in what they do. Probably her most egregious lie was in response to the comment below by Steve Brody. She said "You would think opponents of abortion would be the strongest supporters of Planned Parenthood as we do more to prevent abortions than any other organization.” She knows they do absolutely nothing to reduce abortions. & what they do that they say is to reduce them, promote birth control & sex ed, actually increases the likelyhood that a woman will get pregnant & return to them for an abortion.

In response to the announcement Steve Brody, executive director of DBQ Co Right to Life issued the following statement: "“Regardless of the spin that Planned Parenthood may issue, mergers are typically caused by affiliates not meeting financial goals and benchmarks. The smaller affiliates will be absorbed by the larger affiliates in order to keep facilities afloat.
“Furthermore, this would indicate that Planned Parenthood is following its established pattern of phasing out affiliates that do not commit abortions and are therefore not profitable, in order to pour its resources into its lucrative abortion business. The five locations (Burlington, Ft. Madison, Keokuk, Mount Pleasant, Washington) were all abortion referral locations only.
“Planned Parenthood of the Heartland will now be in a position to engage in telemed abortions throughout the entire state of Iowa. Planned Parenthood will attempt to streamline their operations and increase revenue at the same time, by introducing abortion services and only needing a doctor in Des Moines to serve their affiliates via webcam.
“The State of Nebraska has banned late-term abortions, and is now about to join Arizona in banning telemed abortions. It is time for the Iowa legislature to stop playing politics and protect the women of Iowa by enacting meaningful legislation to prevent our state from becoming the abortion capital of the Midwest."

Steve is absolutely right. This is about expanding abortion in Iowa, especially telemed abortions. June talks about how this will, like last year's merger help PP to take "advantage of the economies of scale." That statment is probably about as close to the truth as she will get. That is because the more sites open to provide telemed abortions with only 1 doctor, the more profit that PP will make from murdering babies.

God have mercy on Iowa. Please pray. As I have said before, we are fast becoming the abortion capital of the midwest. & that is something this Iowa boy does NOT want to see happen. & by the grace of God I can guarentee you we will fight it to keep it from happenning using every political & spiritual weapon we can, especially that of prayer.

Sources: Nebraska and Iowa Planned Parenthood Abortion Businesses Merge

Iowa Planned Parenthood merger boosts ‘lucrative abortion biz,’ Dubuque group claims

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland Strikes Again

Fargo Diocese Bringing In Heavy Guns to Fight Abortion

The Diocese of Fargo, ND has announced that on 1 June 2011, they will open a prayer chapel near the location of the state's only abortion clinic. The chapel has as its special intention: "prayer in reparation for the sin of abortion and the conversion of those who participate in abortion."

The chapel has been named The Visitation Chapel after the story in Luke where Mary goes to visit he cousin Elizabeth when Mary & Elizabeth were both with child. As the article from New Earth, the diocesan paper, explains: "While meditating upon the Scripture passage of the visitation between Mary and her cousin, Elizabeth, one can easily draw parallels between their condition and our present day crisis with abortion.
Both Mary and Elizabeth unexpectedly found themselves with child. Yet, rather than despairing over Mary being seen as an unwed mother, or Elizabeth being a woman who was
beyond her years to have children and, as we so often hear today, that because of her age there was fear that the child she carried might be disabled in some way, both women turned to God with confidence in his will for them. They recognized that the life within them is willed by their heavenly Father and that every life has a particular meaning and purpose within God’s plan for salvation."

The chapel will be located on the 3rd floor of the Gibb Building located at 502 First Ave. N. in Fargo. Every Wednesday, the day that abortions are performed in Fargo, there will be a Mass at 8 a.m., followed by Eucharistic Adoration at 8:30 a.m., which will continue until 3:45 p.m. when Benediction will take place. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be recited at the Hour of Mercy, 3 p.m. Other prayer in the Chapel is intended for private devotion.

Prayer at the chapel "will also be for all women who find themselves faced with an unplanned pregnancy — that they may have the opportunity to visit with those who can show them sincere care and concern; that their lives will be touched by the presence of Christ in their midst, who can resolve the difficulties or struggles that may be causing them to consider an abortion."

The idea for the chapel was 1st presented to Bishop Samuel Aquila in March of 2010. A letter was sent to him by Kyle & Tara Newman, parishioners of Holy Cross Church in West Fargo. wrote to the Bishop asking him to consider establishing a chapel for the celebration & exposition of the Eucharist in a building adjacent to the state’s only abortion facility. Taking the suggestion to prayer as well as discussing & researching the issue, Bishop Aquila gave his permission.

In explaining why the need for the chapel the article said: "Abortion has become the crucial social justice issue of our day since the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalized this crime against life in our nation. Since this decision, we find ourselves engaged in a spiritual battle for the lives of our country’s unborn children that demands of us as church to be at the center of the human misery and sin that is caused by abortion.
We have at our disposal in this spiritual battle the greatest of all resources, that of prayer. By offering Mass and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in close proximity to the abortion facility, we make Christ present to all those who are caught in the lie of abortion. Christ is present to the unborn child whose right to life is being oppressed. He is attentive to the
woman entering the abortion facility under the weight of human frailty. And he is calling all those who advocate and provide for abortions in downtown Fargo to be set free from the bondage the Evil One has on them.
We carry out one of the church’s spiritual works of mercy by being present in the Visitation Chapel, with hearts engaged in prayer as we affirm the dignity of every human person by our faithful witness to the sanctity of human life."

1 of the blessing of the location of the chapel is that it will enable more people to gather in prayer who, for various reasons like age, are unable to pray outside the clinic.

I have always said that prayer is our most important weapon in battling abortion. Bringing in the Real Presence through Eucharistic Adoration will bring the power of prayer into focus in a very special & powerful way.

Bravo to Bishop Aquila for his bold move to ensure the end of abortion in his diocese. He is truly showing what it means to be a shepherd of the flock.

Of course the abortion clinic is trying to downplay the opening of the chapel. Tammi Kromenaker of the Red River Women’s Clinic said the abortion facility is a “safe haven” for pregnant women. “It doesn’t matter who moves in next door, across the street or down the block. We are a safe haven for women to consider what they need to do with this pregnancy and for their lives.”

What she fails to mention is that last year it was revealed that the center used 2 abortion practitioners who had expired medical licenses. Under North Dakota law it is a Class B Felony to commit abortions in that state without a valid North Dakota medical license. So much for being a safe haven for women, not that it ever was for the unborn.

But with the new chapel opening, I firmly believe God will work powerfully & soon the abortion clinic will be a thing of the past in Fargo.

See also: Chapel to open opposite North Dakota’s only abortion clinic: devoted to prayer to end abortion

Prayer Chapel Opens Next to North Dakota Abortion Business

Not That I Am Happy, But I Was Right About What Happenned in the Iowa Senate Last Week

I am refering to my post on the vote last week in the Iowa Senate to offer a replacement for HF 657 that would have banned late term abortions. As I said in the title of the post, You Can be Sure This Is All A Ploy by Gronstal to Make It Look Like He Is Trying to Stop Carhart. Well I was right, it was a ploy. An e-mail by Iowa Senator Kent Sorenson pretty much confirms how I saw it going down. I said " Gronstal assigned the responsibilty for dealing with it (HF 657) to Sen. Joe Bolkcom. Making Bolkcom the floor manager of House File 657 was done, not to bring it up, but to ensure it got gutted. & what replaced it would only look like it would ban Carhart from Council Bluffs so he wouldn't face the wrath of his constituants next year.

Bolkcom was the perfect person to give this assignment to because of his ties to the abortion industry. His wife, Karen Kubby, is the former director of the Emma Goldman abortion clinic in Iowa City. & of course Planned Parenthood has been a contributor to Balkcom's campaigns. FYI, PP has gone on record as opposing HF 657. (Note: I was note aware that Bolkcom & his wife were divorced, not that, as you will see it mattered. She still was a part of why he got the job.)

The new bill, (SF 534) which passed the Iowa Senate on a straight party vote (26 Dems aye, 23 Republicans, Nay) would do nothing to ban late term abortions. Yes, it would technically ban Carhart from openning a clinic in Council Bluffs, but it would still allow him or anyone else to open a place in 4 other cities in Iowa, including Iowa City/Johnson County where Bolkcom is from.". . . .

"Gronstal knows that this bill has absolutely no chance of being passed in the Iowa House or being signed by Governor Branstad. & therein lies the real reason for his switch tactics. Gronstal knew he was in a no-win situation with HF 657. If he voted for it, he would have gotten PP & the rest of the Iowa abortion industry POed at him for taking away a lucrative part of their operations. But if he voted against it, he would have faced certain defeat next year when he came up for reelection. Now Gronstal can go back to Council Bluffs & claim he tried to stop Carhart, but the Republicans are the ones who didn't let him suceed. Sadly, there will probably be enough people convinced unless the right candidate runs against him who keeps hammering him on it & the rest of his failed promises on HF 657.

& regardless of the outcome, Gronstal & Bolkcom have kept their buddies in the Iowa abortion industry happy by ensuring that, either way, late term abortions will continue to be legal in Iowa & they are free to keep killing as many unborn babies as they want."

Here is what Sorenson said about what went down in the Iowa Senate (emphasis mine): "You see, Gronstal orchestrates everything to come together to give himself and the weak and vulnerable members of his caucus the cover they need to go back home and avoid paying the political price they should be required to pay.
Ridiculous as it may seem, they actually have the gall to blame the fact that they use rules and procedure to kill legislation ON THE RULES AND PROCEDURE! “It didn’t make it through committee,” or “it didn’t have enough support,” is just a false way of saying “we used our numerical advantage in committee to kill the bill and retain political cover,” or “we pretend we are concerned about this issue, but we’ll use the rules that we wrote to keep the bill from coming to a vote, thus giving us political cover.”
In this instance, they want political cover for allowing baby butchering slaughterhouse operator Leroy Carhart to set up shop in Iowa.
Gronstal says that he “reels at the thought of abortion.” But does he tell the rest of the story to the public and that it’s his SOLE prerogative to either call up HF 657 (fetal pain bill) for debate or kill it?
NO! Instead, he shoves it in our face and lays out a new plan to let Carhart set up a death factory at his leisure and from multiple locations across the state!
So here’s what happens. Gronstal puts Senator Joe Bolkcom on point (Bolkcom’s ex-wife is the former director of the Emma Goldman baby slaughterhouse in Iowa City). He anoints Bolkcom as floor manager of the fetal pain bill, HF 657. This way he can say that he’s doing his part and going through the motions following “procedure.” Bolkcom, in return, doesn’t pressure Gronstal to bring it up for debate.
So now “process” is to blame, Bolkcom takes the heat (Bolkcom is safe in his district), and Gronstal issues his sound-bites to the media back home saying how he tried to protect the health of women and children, but Republicans voted it down.
The bill dies.
Bolkcom, in turn, introduces the bill intended to give them political cover, SF 534, which allows Carhartt to set up his infanticide center as long as it’s near a hospital that’s able to handle late-term-abortions-gone-wrong.
This bill was scheduled for debate last Thursday, but as was my right as a Senator, I refused unanimous consent to call it up. That forced them to come back on Monday to debate their “political cover” pro-abortion bill.
On Monday before Gronstal could be recognized to call up the bill, I invoked Rule 19. Rule 19 of the Senate Rules allows any senator to make a motion that the Senate go to “committee of the whole” to consider a bill (in this case HF 657), take a roll-call vote on what action the “committee of the whole” recommends the Senate pursue regarding a bill and have that vote recorded in the Senate Journal. This is a procedural vote designed solely to identify who stands for life and who stands for murdering the innocent.
At first, the majority leadership ignored my “point of order.” I actually had to raise my voice to an elevated level to force the thugs in charge to recognize me for my perfectly legitimate request!
In the end, we got a vote on the fetal pain bill and it failed, 26-23 (one Republican was excused for the day). But I was able to accomplish my mission of separating the wheat from the chaff."

As you can see, he didn't get all the cover he had hoped for thanks to Sen Sorenson. In fact Sorenson has given whoever runs against him some more ammo so that the person can, as I said, keep "hammering him (Gronstal) on it & the rest of his failed promises on HF 657." I agree with Sorenson when he says "when the election season comes around, show them no mercy, and give them no quarter. They don’t. I can personally say that in the political arena, they sure don’t. And the babies who pay with their precious lives are an eternal testament to that fact.
Go to their forums and call them to the carpet for their lies.
Tell them you know they hide behind the cover of procedure to prey on the lives of innocent babies.
Talk about what they’ve done at your local coffee shop.
Donate to the principled fighters who decide to run for office against them.
Get your friends to do the same.
Pound the pavement for them.
Knock on doors. Go to town hall meetings.
Go to civic events and talk about it with your family and friends.
Work a few hours extra at and donate that income to your local incumbent-removal campaign.
Folks, I can’t tell you how much we need everyone to stand up right now and start fighting. If now isn’t the time, when will it be?"

Hopefully a candidate will spring up to hammer Gronstal so we can get rid of him. Or at the least take away Democratic control from the Senate while keeping the House in control of pro-life friendly Republicans.

I have to add that the tactics Gronstal used have been Standard Operating Proceedure in the Iowa Legislature for years. Until he lost power when the Republicans gained control, & nearly lost his own re-election (unfortunately he did barely win), then Speaker Pat Murphy ran things pretty much the same way in the House, dirty tricks, manipulating the rules, lying, etc.

Sadly, Murphy's near loss hasn't taught him a thing. He is still as arrogant as ever. I say that in an e-mail from him about voting to support the amendment to the Iowa Constitution that would define marriage as only between a man & a woman. Like Gronstal in this instance, back when he was speaker, he made all kinds of promises to bring it up if the Iowa Supreme Court allowed gay marriage. But when they did, he refused. & it nearly cost him the election.

Hopefully next year will see Gronstal & Murphy not only out of power, but out of a job & Iowa can begin passing laws to protect the unborn.

Our Lady Help of Christians

Our Lady of Zose (She Shan)

Today is the feast of Our Lady of She-Shan, aka the Holy Mother in China. It is also known as the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians.

Last Wednesday as he spoke at general audience, Papa Benedetto made the following request:

Tuesday, 24 May, is dedicated to the liturgical memorial of Our Lady, Help of Christians, who is venerated with great devotion at the Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai: the whole Church joins in prayer with the Church in China. There, as elsewhere, Christ is living out his passion. While the number of those who accept him as their Lord is increasing, there are others who reject Christ, who ignore him or persecute him: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). The Church in China, especially at this time, needs the prayers of the universal Church. In the first place, therefore, I invite all Chinese Catholics to continue and to deepen their own prayers, especially to Mary, the powerful Virgin. At the same time all Catholics throughout the world have a duty to pray for the Church in China: those members of the faithful have a right to our prayers, they need our prayers.
We know from the Acts of the Apostles that when Peter was in prison, everyone prayed fervently, and as a result, an angel came to free him. Let us do likewise: let us all pray together intensely for this Church, trusting that by our prayers we can do something very real for her.
Chinese Catholics, as they have said many times, want unity with the universal Church, with the Supreme Pastor, with the Successor of Peter. By our prayers we can obtain for the Church in China that it remain one, holy and Catholic, faithful and steadfast in doctrine and in ecclesial discipline. She deserves all our affection.
We know that among our brother Bishops there are some who suffer and find themselves under pressure in the exercise of their episcopal ministry. To them, to the priests and to all the Catholics who encounter difficulties in the free profession of faith, we express our closeness. By our prayers we can help them to find the path to keep their faith alive, to keep their hope strong, to keep their love for all people ardent, and to maintain in its integrity the ecclesiology that we have received from the Lord and the Apostles, which has been faithfully transmitted to us right down to the present day. By our prayers we can obtain that their wish to remain in the one universal Church will prove stronger than the temptation to follow a path independent of Peter. Prayer can obtain, for them and for us, the joy and the strength to proclaim and to bear witness, with complete candour and without impediment, Jesus Christ crucified and risen, the New Man, the conqueror of sin and death.
With all of you I ask Mary to intercede that all of them may be ever more closely conformed to Christ and may give themselves ever more generously to their brethren. I ask Mary to enlighten those who are in doubt, to call back the straying, to console the afflicted, to strengthen those who are ensnared by the allure of opportunism. Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, Our Lady of Sheshan, pray for us!

About the shrine: The shrine is the Basilica of Our Lady of She Shan. It is located on the western peak of She Shan Hill, in Songjiang District, to the west of Shanghai's metropolitan area. The original Church was build by Jesuit missionaries in 1863 & a small pavilion was built containing a statue of the Madonna. In 1870 the Church was burned down in the unrest in the area. The Jesuits, praying at the pavbillion promised to build a Church in Mary's honor in return for her protection. In 1925 because it was too small, the Church was torn down & a new Church was built. It was finished in 1935. In 1942 Pope Pius XII declared it a minor basilica. In 1946, the statue of Our Lady of Zose located at the apex of the tower was crowned by the Holy See.

During the Cultural Revolution the Basilica was heavily damaged. The stained glass windows of the church, carvings along the Via Dolorosa, the statue atop the bell tower, & various other works of iconography were destroyed. Over the years the Basilica has been restored. The statue was replaced in 2000. Unfortunately, the Basilica is still under the control of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association & the Bishops not recognized by the Vatican.

In 1874 Pope Pius IX declared that pilgrims who visited the Shrine in May could receive a plenary indulgence. To this day, & despite the takeover by the Communists, the Shrine remains a pilgimage site.

Papa Benedetto 1st asked for special prayers by the whole Church for the Catholics in China every year on 24 May. It was a part of his letter to the Catholic Church in China. In 2008 he composed a special Prayer to Our Lady of She Shan for use on this day.

Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother, venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title 'Help of Christians,' the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection. We come before you today to implore your protection. Look upon the People of God and, with a mother's care, guide them along the paths of truth and love, so that they may always be a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens.
When you obediently said 'Yes' in the house of Nazareth, you allowed God's eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption. You willingly and generously co-operated in that work, allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul, until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary, standing beside your Son, Who died that we might live.
From that moment, you became, in a new way, the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith and choose to follow in His footsteps by taking up His Cross. Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter. Grant that your children may discern at all times, even those that are darkest, the signs of God's loving presence.
Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China, who, amid their daily trails, continue to believe, to hope, to love. May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world, and of the world to Jesus. In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high, offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love. Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love, ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built. Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever. Amen!

A Bishop Says If You Don't Uphold Catholic Teaching Then You Can't Receive Eucharist

Unfortunately this isn't an American Bishop. In this case it is Maltese bishop Mario Grech who is laying down the law. & while the immediate issue is divorce, he is making it clear that a Catholic cannot pick & choose what teachings to accept or reject. In other words, a "cafeteria Catholic" is NOT a Catholic. The person is a wolf in sheep's clothing instead & is being decietful by claiming to be Catholic.

A few US Bishops have told certain politicians not to receive Communion. For example Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Fred Naumann asked that Kathleen Sebelius not receive Communion when she was governor. Additionally, in early March 2009, then Archbishop (now Cardinal) Raymond F. Burke prefect for the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican's highest court, declared that Sebelius should not approach the altar for Communion in the United States. He also noted that, "after pastoral admonition, she obstinately persists in serious sin" In 2007 Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin instructed US Congressman Patrick Kennedy to refrain from Communion because of his pro-abortion political position.

Unfortunately some of the more notorius ones, like the late Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden & Nancy Pelosi weren't corrected. Not only was Pelosi not corrected, she basicly snubbed her Archbishop Niederauer who told her he wanted to meet with her. & since he let her get away with it, some of the blame lies with him as well.

Hopefully however, Bishop Grech is a sign of what lies ahead, even here in the USA.

No communion for those who reject Church teachings warns Malta bishop
by Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

VALLETTA, Malta, May 20, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Maltese bishop Mario Grech is warning Catholics of “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who wish to introduce divorce to the island nation, and noting that those who reject the teachings of Christ cannot receive holy communion in the Catholic Church.
“Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. And the wolf is now saying he is Catholic. This is a falsity, this is deceit,” Grech told the faithful in a sermon last Sunday.
“I am ready to dialogue with everyone but do not be false, do not lie. You cannot not be loyal to Christ and say you are a Christian or a Catholic. If you are not in communion with Christ’s teachings, you are not in communion with the Church and you cannot receive communion… we cannot pretend to be in communion with the Eucharist, so that everybody can understand me.”
Grech also warned that “to be politically correct and not tell things as they are will lead us to be sorry. There are the brigands among us who are utilizing every means possible to lead the flock astray. They are going after marriage and then other things will follow.”
However, the prelate also recognized that the failure of marriage was partially the fault of Catholics themselves, noting that “we should be more responsible in the way we administer the sacrament of marriage.”
The bishop, who presides over the diocese of Gozo, made his comments as Malta prepares for a nationwide referendum on the legalization of divorce. It is only one of two countries in the world, along with the Philippines, which continues to prohibit divorce. Malta, a nation of approximately 412,000 people, is 95% Catholic.
The referendum, which is scheduled to be held on May 28. Although the “yes” vote was winning in polls, its supporters have fallen in numbers in recent days and the vote is now too close to call.

I Am the Very Model of a Catholic Saint

using the music from Gilbert & Sullivan's I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major-General (The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty) in the style used by Tom Lehrer for The Element Song.

The Real Reason for Global Warming & the Floods

Source: Reaganite's Sunday Funnies

To Boldly Go Where No Pope Has Gone Before

During his conversation with the crew of the International Space Station yesterday, Papa Benedetto made a surprize announcement of historical importance. He revealed that he would be making a pastoral visit to the station in 2012.

Seriously, Papa Benedetto did make history yesterday when he talked to the crew of the ISS. He is the 1st Pope to talk to astronauts during their time in orbit. Here is a video of that conversation.


More of the story here.

& who knows, if we finally colonize the Moon, maybe someday we will see a Pope go where no Pope has gone before.

Whoever Called This a Fail Missed the Point

The location of the sign put up by the Catholic Church isn't the fail.

It is there to remind you that Jesus always knows what you are doing. So, don't go into the Adult Video Store. Watching porn is a huge sin & you can't hide the sin from God. So the only fail is those who opt to sin by selling or watching the porn. While it is true that we can confess our sin & be forgiven this sign also reminds us that it is another sin, that of presumption, to say I am going to use that as an excuse to continue in my sin.

So go home, get out your copy of The Passion of the Christ, or The 10 Commandments or Ben Hur & watch that instead. Better yet, go to Church & make a Holy Hour instead.

Source: Rapture FAILS

Che Miracolo!!!!!!! 1st back to No Meat on Fridays, Now This. . .

Papa Benedetto's trip to England seems to be bearing much fruit, maybe his declaring as a Blessed, John Henry Newman combined with Summorum Pontificum/Universae Ecclesiae & the huge influx of Anglicans as a result of Anglicanorum Coetibus has put the Bishops of England on notice that it is time to shape up. Whatever the reason behind it, it is a step in the right direction of restoring the unique identity of the Catholic faith. Maybe the USCCB will start paying a little attention & follow their lead.

English bishops may transfer Ascension, Epiphany back to traditional days

The bishops of England and Wales will decide at their November meeting whether to reverse a 2006 decision and transfer the celebration of the Epiphany and the Ascension from Sunday back to their traditional days. If the transfer is approved, January 6 and Ascension Thursday will again become holy days of obligation.
“The Epiphany and the Ascension are still part of the rhythm of many people’s lives in this country, and so we are weighing up how we stand,” said Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster. “Bishops have gone away [from their May meeting] ready to listen to their priests and their people as to what is to be best gained, either by marking those two days in the rhythm of the calendar or with the advantages of an easier and fuller liturgical celebration of them on a Sunday,”
At their May meeting, the English and Welsh bishops restored the discipline of mandatory abstinence from meat on Fridays.
Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.
Bishops consider reinstating some Holy Days (Catholic Herald)
English bishops reestablish meatless Fridays (CWN, 5/16)

If Today Is Judgement Day Then. . .

It's the End of the World As We Know It (REM)



For those who are doubters of Harold Camping, I sure he would say: don't they know, it The End of the World (Skeeter Davis)



I repeat, it's The End (The Doors)



However the only ones who will be saved & raptured will be those of whom Harold Camping will be able to point to & say that they did it My Way (Frank Sinatra & Luciano Pavarotti)



For those who did it Harold Camping's way they will be walking up the Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)



& while Harold Camping may be claiming it is judgment day & thus The End (The Beatles)

those of us who know better know that it isn't. Despite his attempts at twisting it to make it sound like he wasn't who Jesus was refering to in Acts 1:7, he doesn't really know it any more this time than he did the last time back in 1994 when he said the rapture would take place on 6 September.
Anyhow, I think it is more likely that I will be, under the sea, in an Octopus Garden (The Beatles) in the shade than that the 2nd Coming will happen today.



It will be interesting to see how he explains his being wrong on Sunday. Whatever it is, you can be sure that it will not be his fault he was wrong. & when Jesus does finally return, which He will, like Lucy he will have some "s'plaining to do" & he won't be able to use taking too much Vitameatavegamin as an excuse.

America's Catholic Bishops* Could Learn a Lesson From Poland's

The poster below is 1 of 14 huge posters put up in the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace in Wloclawek, Poland.

The exhibition was opened on Wednesday, 18 May 2011 by Bishop Wieslaw Mering. The display is courtesy of the Polish branch of the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform. It has been traveling arround Poland. Naturally, it has drawn its share of controversy. & vandalism as well.

While abortion isn't completely outlawed in Poland, it was changed in 1993 from the communist law allowing abortion on demand. Of course, there are those who are pushing for the law to be changed back. So, there is an urgent need for this information to get out there & be seen by the public.

& it serves to remind us here in the USA that we should be just as willing to get this info out. I really wish we didn't have to, but at this point there is no other option. This seems to be the only way we will wake many people up to the truth.

That is why Operation Rescue has their Truth Truck that travels across the US. That is why Pro-Life Action League has their Face the Trurh Tours. Priests for Life has a campaign called America Will Not Reject AbortionUntil America Sees Abortion! (FYI Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life is on the board of the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform.) These are just a few of the programs out there.

These campaigns strive not merely to shock but to wake people up to the truth about abortion. These pictures, along with ultrasounds are helping to educate people about abortion just like Uncle Tom's Cabin played a role in galvanizing abolitionists in pre-civil war America. That book showed the evil & immorality of slavery just like these pictures show the evil & immorality of abortion.

* & a few in Canada as well. I refer to the fact that the Alberta Bishops pulled out of the 2011 Canadian March for Life because they objected to the presence of graphic abortion images. Others like Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa were willing to allow the displays even if personally uncomfortable with them.

Source: Jill Stanek (Poland: Bishop opens graphic abortion exhibition at shrine)

Oops, How Did This Happen

A humor article in The Onion about Planned Parenthood was actually more truthful about how Planned Parenthood operates than anything Planned Parenthood itself puts out.

The piece talks about a fictional Planned Parenthood abortionplex grand opening in Topeka, KS. & while the idea of killing unborn babies isn't really a proper subject for humor, the story does unwittingly reveal the reveal the real face of both Planned Parenthood & its CEO Cecille Richards.

The article has Richards saying the following: "'Although we've traditionally dedicated 97 percent of our resources to other important services such as contraception distribution, cancer screening, and STD testing, this new complex allows us to devote our full attention to what has always been our true passion: abortion,' said Richards, standing under a banner emblazoned with Planned Parenthood's new slogan, 'No Life Is Sacred.' 'And since Congress voted to retain our federal funding, it's going to be that much easier for us to maximize the number of tiny, beating hearts we stop every day."'

'The Abortionplex's high-tech machinery is capable of terminating one pregnancy every three seconds," Richards added. "That's almost a million abortions every month. We're so thrilled!'"

The satire piece calls this a reinvention of "the group's long-standing mission and values." An unintentional revelation of them is more accurate.

From start to finish, the piece shows the true face of Planned Parenthood's real agenda to kill more & more unborn children as quickly & efficiently as possible while getting rich at doing so. It also reminds us of Planned Parenthood's willingness to give underage girls abortions as well as abetting the sex trade.

I often say the best humor is grounded in truth. In this case, what is trying to be humor is actually uncovering the truth in a way that puts the real news media to shame for failing to do their job.

No, I do not approve of the lighthearted joke the piece makes of getting an abortion. On the other hand, I do approve of it showing the true face of Planned Parenthood. Unfortunately, not enough people will realize the truth behind what is supposed to be a joke.

H/T: Thomas Peters (Truth as Strange as Fiction? On The Onion’s Satire: “Planned Parenthood Opens $8Billion Abortionplex” )

A Tale of 2 Catholic Kansas Governors

3 Years ago the governor of Kansas was Kathleen Sebelius. While claiming to be Catholic she never met a pro-life law that she wouldn't veto. She was in bed with the abortion industry. Planned Parenthood not only endorsed her, they held fundraisers for her. She was especially a good buddy of the late term abortionist George Tiller. Because of her pro-abortion stance she was told be her Archbishop, Joseph Naumann, that as long as she was pro-abort she should no longer take communion. In 2009 Cardinal Burke said that Sebelius should not approach the altar for Communion in the United States. He explained why by pointing out that "after pastoral admonition, she obstinately persists in serious sin"

Now move forward to 2011. Once again Kansas has a Catholic governor. This time it is Sam Brownback. However that is where the similarities end. Brownback has shown the difference between someone who claims to be Catholic & a Catholic who upholds Catholic teacing on the Life issues. As you can see from this article, Planned Parenthood may be longing for, what was for them, the good old days. For the unborn, the opposite is true, these days they have a much better chance to live than they ever did under Sibelius.

In fact, with a few exceptions like the Iowa Senate & the White House, it seems that the momentum is swinging away from Planned Parenthood. Too many things have come out showing the ugly truth about how they really operate. Even so, we can't count them out yet. Rather, the direction things are heading should encourage us to double our efforts.

Overhaul: Gov. Brownback tightens abortion clinic regs, readies to gut Planned Parenthood funding

TOPEKA, Kansas, May 17, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The once-ironclad Kansas abortion industry is being shaken up by more clinic regulations, a pro-life health insurance law, and a budget that would gut Planned Parenthood’s funding, all part of a seismic shift in the state’s abortion politics that followed the November elections.
On Thursday, the Kansas state legislature wrapped up the legislative session by passing a budget depriving Planned Parenthood of $334,000 in federal family planning funds. The budget cut was proposed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, who on Monday also signed a bill that calls for more oversight of abortion clinic practices, requires ultrasounds, and bans so-called “telemed” abortions.
The budget cut, once signed by Brownback, will make Kansas the second state in the nation to deprive Planned Parenthood of public funds based on its involvement in the abortion business.
Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri has said it would consider suing the state over the new budget, which CEO Peter Brownlie complained would “undermine women’s health” by defunding the abortion giant.
The bill signed on Monday, SB 36, will require that state abortion clinics be inspected at least twice a year, and will hand a wealth of additional oversight powers over abortion clinics to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
SB 36 also requires abortionists to be physically present to dispense the abortion drug RU-486, thereby banning the dangerous “telemed” abortion procedure spearheaded by Planned Parenthood, and ensures the right of women to view their ultrasounds before an abortion.
Also passed on Thursday was a bill that bans health insurance packages from incorporating abortion coverage; it allows the coverage in a separate insurance rider, however. Brownlie has also threatened to challenge the health insurance restriction, saying that a possible technicality during passage could bring down the bill.
The Kansas legislature has passed five pro-life bills this year - a situation that Kansas-based pro-life leader Troy Newman of Operation Rescue called “night and day” from that under the deeply pro-abortion administration of former Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius, now Obama’s Health and Human Services Secretary.
“You go from radically sold-out abortion supporters who would cover up abortion, to all of a sudden one that is willing to sign pro-life legislation,” said Newman in a telephone interview with LifeSiteNews.com Tuesday.
Newman said that previously not only the administration, but the “entire government apparatus” was radically pro-abortion, including the state health department, the Kansas Board of Healing Arts, and the Attorney General’s office. This, he said, made it impossible for years to prosecute abortionists breaking the law, including slain late-term abortionist George Tiller.
“I’ve yet to find an abortion mill that doesn’t violate the law,” said Newman, whose organization is dedicated to exposing corrupt practices among abortionists in the United States. He said that if the government actually prosecuted according to the new laws, it “will close two abortion mills right off the bat” in the state.
The pro-life leader credited the recent victories to the November elections, when Kansans and the rest of the country took to the polls to vent their anger against the radically liberal policies of the Obama administration, particularly the health care law.
“People are waking up and saying, doggone it, now I’ve got to get involved to right the wrong,” said Newman. “Obama has been one of the greatest gifts to the pro-life movement, because he shows the antithesis of what we are as Americans.”
Related Stories
Kansas Gov. Brownback moves to strip Planned Parenthood funds
Kansas abortion rates nosedive

My Mind's Made Up Don't Confuse Me With Facts, They're Lies Anyway

A short look into how the mind of a pro-abort operates when confronted with the facts.
GoAnimate.com: Kat. by p7446


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

H/T: Jill Stanek (Animated pro-life conversation with abortion proponent Kat)

In Indiana: Unborn Babies 2 - Planned Parenthood 0

In the last few days Planned Parenthood has been handed several setbacks in their attempts to be the the biggest killer of unborn babies on our dime. In particular I am talking about events in Indiana.

Recently the Indiana Legislature passed & Governor Mitch Daniels signed House Bill 1210. The bill contains provisions to end all state-directed funding for businesses that do abortions, to protect pain-capable unborn children beginning at 20 weeks, to opt-out of abortion coverage in any state health exchanges required under the new federal health law, to require that women considering abortion be given full, factual information in writing, & to require doctors who do abortions, or their designees, to maintain local hospital admitting privileges in order to streamline access to emergency care for women injured by abortion.

Of course Planned Parenthood of Indiana was not happy. They stand to loose between $2-3 million dollars of our tax money at the least as a result. So on Tuesday afternoon their buddies at the ACLU of Indiana filed for an injunction & temporary restraining order in U.S. District Court on behalf of Parenthood of Indiana (PPIN) & its patients. Of course they had to claim it was for the patients & not for the real reason, that PPIN stands to loose all that blood money.

Well, according to the Indianapolis Star, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt has declined to issue the injunction while she takes more time to analyze the legal issues involved in the lawsuit. That means that the millions in cuts takes effect immediately. Also that the abortion provisions would take effect July 1. Judge Pratt indicated that she did not think Indiana officials had enough time to respond to the lawsuit. She also said Planned Parenthood did not show it would suffer irreparable harm without a temporary restraining order.

As I pointed out, the lawsuit was alledgedly on behalf of the patients. PPIN is making the usual claims about how this will deny women health care. In a statement about the ruling PPIN President & CEO Betty Cockrum said that the law affected "Hoosiers seeking preventive, reproductive health care.” “The ruling means that Hoosiers who rely on federal funding have lost access to their crucial and lifesaving preventive health care at Planned Parenthood of Indiana.” She went on to add that “The court’s ruling today means that 9,300 Medicaid patients at our 28 locations have lost services from their preferred provider.”

Of course, the facts aren't quite what PPIN claims they are. While it means that PPIN is no longer an option on the table, women in Indiana still have plenty of options, despite PPIN's scare tactics to the contrary.

Last month Daniels issued a statement about why he planned to sign the bill into law that answered all PPIN's objections.
“I will sign HEA 1210 when it reaches my desk a week or so from now. I supported this bill from the outset, and the recent addition of language guarding against the spending of tax dollars to support abortions creates no reason to alter my position,” Daniels said. “The principle involved commands the support of an overwhelming majority of Hoosiers, as reflected in greater than 2:1 bipartisan votes in both legislative chambers.”
Daniels also said that he “commissioned a careful review of access to services across the state and can confirm that all non-abortion services, whether family planning or basic women’s health, will remain readily available in every one of our 92 counties. In addition, I have ordered the Family and Social Services Administration to see that Medicaid recipients receive prompt notice of nearby care options. We will take any actions necessary to ensure that vital medical care is, if anything, more widely available than before.”

PPIN is running scared. & rightly so. Previous changes in how Federal Title XX funds were distributed resulted in PPIN loosing over a million dollars. The happy result was that they had to close 6 sites. Of course in talking about it we see another example of PP's creative math. In the 2010 annual report Cockrum claims that they had to make almost $2 million in cuts to finish in the black. But this is after the claim that the reason for the closings, layoffs restructuring etc was the loss of of $1 million+. So why the extra cuts unless the funds were actually being used to insure profitability.

According to that same report their profits, what they call an increase in assets, for FY2010 (unaudited) was $471,847. They describe that as 3% increase in their assets. But there is no mention anywhere of what those total assets are. & how much of it is cash salted away.

But you can see why they are unhappy. If they loose even 1/2 a million dollars they apparently will go in the red. Given how their report isn't exactly crystal clear, it is hard to know exactly where the government money is going. They list under income $2,008,760 from government grants & contracts & $10,955,985 in revenue from patient services. They claim that expenses for patient services were $12,284,674. Since they don't list expenses seperately for the abortion & nonabortion services you can be sure that many of the things that they call expenses, like rent, utilities & payroll, cover them both indiscriminately. & that federal funds didn't just go to the nonabortion portion of expenses. I could go on about how convoluted their annual report figures are, but I have talked about they was PP does things like this many times before. & probably will again.

I do have to comment on 1 other thing in the report though that I see as a complete joke. PPIN is bragging about how it just had an accredidation visit by Planned Parenthood Federation of America. They bragged that they had "once again met the organization’s standards of clinical and organizational excellence, earning it full accreditation status." Given the investigations into Planned Parenthood by Live Action & others over the years showing that PP's standards include covering up rape, incest & illegal prostitution (A PPIN site was 1 of those shown to be willing to cover up statuatory rape), those standards aren't exactly that impressive. & if things are so great, why did they experience "significant improvements since the last visit in 2005, reducing the number of corrections needed by half"? If they met the standards, why the need for any corrections?

PPIN is running scared. & rightly so. But then PP as a whole is scared. With all the recent revelations of how they actually operate, people are less willing than ever to let them have a slice of our tax dollars. & so that is why they are screaming about how this supposedly hurts women's health when they know it doesn't. Fortunately for the unborn, people are seeing through that ploy. & thus their scare tactics aren't working. & with the way these laws are crafted for defunding PP, reducing funds, & putting more limits on abortions, it is getting less likely that the courts will overturn them. PP knows that they are on the run. They deserve to be for the evils they have done. & that is a good thing for all of us, especially the unborn.

Sources: Indiana Gov. Daniels Signs Bill De-Funding Planned Parenthood

BREAKING: Indiana first state to cut off Planned Parenthood funding as Gov. signs bill

Judge Doesn’t Block Indiana Law De-funding Planned Parenthood