The left sees an opportunity in the tragic death of Stephen Johns to score some political points. They are claiming that the suspect, 88 year old James von Brunn is a "right-wing religious whackjob" Why didn't they refer to Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad who killed Pvt. William Long in Arkansas as a "militant muslim jihadist"? Gotta wonder where their priorities lie.
Since the murder suspect of Stephen Johns was a WWII veteran, maybe DHS should add all of the surviving WWII vets to their latest watch list. I know I'd feel a whole lot safer.
Obama's New CEO of GM: "I don't know anything about cars. I do know about business and I know about big business. And, you know, employees and all that sort of thing."
Yesterday The Weekly Standard reported that our troops are are reading Miranda rights to suspected terrorists. Reading Miranda rights to non-American citizens. By the way, Sarah Palin told us this would happen last year: "Al-Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America, and he's worried that someone won't read 'em their rights."
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Forcing a Pro-Choice Crisis: What About Third Trimester Abortions?
Forcing a Pro-Choice Crisis: What About Third Trimester Abortions?
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
What do LeRoy Carhart, Warren Hern, and George Tiller have in common? They are among an unknown number who perform abortions in the third trimester of pregnancy (the third trimester being the seventh, eighth, and ninth month!)
For two decades I have been proclaiming from the pulpits of America that abortions happen in the third trimester. Many Americans find it hard to believe. Now, in the aftermath of the death of George Tiller, this fact is getting a bit more attention.
The Associated Press reported on June 2 in an article by Eric Olson that physician LeRoy Carhart of Nebraska wants to continue performing abortions at this late stage, but he, as well as Warren Hern, also want to make sure enough physicians are trained in how to do so.
How many are we talking about? The AP story reported, "Carhart said 75 to 100 of the "several thousand" abortions he performs annually are in the third trimester."
Stanley K. Henshaw, a senior fellow at the Guttmacher Institute, the research division of Planned Parenthood, and the best source of these statistics, is quoted in a June 5 Washington Post article as saying, "The information just isn't available...This is an area that we just don't know much about."
The Guttmacher Institute does report in its official statistics, however, that some 13,310 abortions each year are at 21 weeks or more of pregnancy (that is, 1.1% of the 1.21 million abortions per year). Of the 40 states that reported in 2005 to the Centers for Disease Control, 32 states reported abortions of babies 21 weeks or older.
This means that every day, 37 babies the size of a large banana are dismembered and decapitated - and these include healthy babies of healthy mothers...and it's happening legally.
These are babies that the mother can already feel moving. According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, these babies are storing fat on their bodies, their heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope, they can hear, they have eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails and toenails. Incidentally, MedlinePlus calls them "babies." (See www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/article/002398.htm ).
Many people wonder how they can get some traction in the seemingly intractable abortion debate. How can they get people to listen, or make pro-choice people believe that pro-life people have good reason to be against abortion?
My suggestion: start by discussing the facts I just mentioned.
It's morally legitimate to focus on late-term abortion; that doesn't deny that all abortion is wrong; it's simply a way to get the ball rolling, a pedagogical method of going from the most obvious to the less obvious, of starting with what people know and leading to what they don't know.
When people are astonished by these facts, as they will be, they are forced to re-evaluate just how much priority "privacy" and "choice" have over life. If they are "pro-choice," they are forced to figure out when in pregnancy the line is drawn - and why.
And now you're talking.
The text and audio of this column can be found online at www.priestsforlife.org/columns/columns2009/09-06-15-pro-choice-crisis.htm
Fr. Frank's columns are podcast. Click here for more information.
Comments on this Column?
Priests for Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Monday, June 8, 2009
Indian priests fill void
From the Citizen's Voice.
The Rev. Rayanna Narisetti did not eat for three days after he arrived at the Church of the Epiphany in Sayre in November 2006. Six months earlier, he had been instructed by his bishop in Southeast India to prepare to move to America. He left his role as the steward of a small Roman Catholic congregation and a 105-acre farm sown with sunflowers and black lentils.
In Sayre, he stared at a salad he was served in a restaurant.
“I said to myself, ‘Oh these leaves, I think the goat and sheep eat them in our country,’” he remembered. “I was longing, longing for the rice.”
One of 11 Indian priests currently working in the Diocese of Scranton, Narisetti had to adapt to an American diet, the Pennsylvania climate and a long distance from home even as he assumed responsibility for ministering to congregations facing a shortage of priests here.
For at least a decade, the Diocese of Scranton has partnered with the Diocese of Nellore to bring priests from two rural districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to serve in local parishes. Dozens of the Indian priests have worked in churches in the Scranton Diocese for periods of two to four years before returning to their home diocese.
The program is part of a larger trend in American Catholic dioceses of recruiting priests from other countries to make up for a dearth of homegrown pastors. According to the 2006 study “International Priests in America,” one in six priests serving in American parishes, or about 5,500 priests, are foreign-born. Between 380 and 400 international priests enter the country each year and only about 100 of those return to their home dioceses.
The Scranton program, which was initiated by former Bishop James Timlin, began as an experiment to help mitigate the declining number of priestly vocations locally while giving the growing number of Nellore priests exposure to the world church. The bishop of Nellore at the time would make an annual visit to the diocese to ask for donations and he and Timlin began to discuss the idea of a temporary exchange.
“We didn’t have enough priests here and he had a superabundance of priests over in Nellore,” Bishop Timlin said. Read more
The Rev. Rayanna Narisetti did not eat for three days after he arrived at the Church of the Epiphany in Sayre in November 2006. Six months earlier, he had been instructed by his bishop in Southeast India to prepare to move to America. He left his role as the steward of a small Roman Catholic congregation and a 105-acre farm sown with sunflowers and black lentils.
In Sayre, he stared at a salad he was served in a restaurant.
“I said to myself, ‘Oh these leaves, I think the goat and sheep eat them in our country,’” he remembered. “I was longing, longing for the rice.”
One of 11 Indian priests currently working in the Diocese of Scranton, Narisetti had to adapt to an American diet, the Pennsylvania climate and a long distance from home even as he assumed responsibility for ministering to congregations facing a shortage of priests here.
For at least a decade, the Diocese of Scranton has partnered with the Diocese of Nellore to bring priests from two rural districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to serve in local parishes. Dozens of the Indian priests have worked in churches in the Scranton Diocese for periods of two to four years before returning to their home diocese.
The program is part of a larger trend in American Catholic dioceses of recruiting priests from other countries to make up for a dearth of homegrown pastors. According to the 2006 study “International Priests in America,” one in six priests serving in American parishes, or about 5,500 priests, are foreign-born. Between 380 and 400 international priests enter the country each year and only about 100 of those return to their home dioceses.
The Scranton program, which was initiated by former Bishop James Timlin, began as an experiment to help mitigate the declining number of priestly vocations locally while giving the growing number of Nellore priests exposure to the world church. The bishop of Nellore at the time would make an annual visit to the diocese to ask for donations and he and Timlin began to discuss the idea of a temporary exchange.
“We didn’t have enough priests here and he had a superabundance of priests over in Nellore,” Bishop Timlin said. Read more
Sunday, June 7, 2009
A question
Why the rush to beatify JPII just a few years after his death, when Pius XII who died in 1958 sits unbeatified?
I'm just askin'...
I'm just askin'...
Congratulations!
Congratulations are in order to my friend and fellow blogger Dan over at the Mass of the Ages.
He has been accepted at the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.
Go pay him a visit and wish him well. Also some prayers for this future traditional priest are certainly in order.
Deus, Qui ad maiestatis tuae gloriam et generis humani salutem, Unigenitum Tuum summum atque aeternum constituisti Sacerdotem: praesta, ut quos ministros et Mysteriorum suorum dispensatores elegit, in accepto ministerio adimplendo fideles inveniantur. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
O God, Who hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son to be the eternal High Priest for the glory of Thy Majesty and the salvation of mankind; grant that they whom He hath chosen to be His ministers and the stewards of His Mysteries, may be found faithful in the fulfillment of the ministry which they have received. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
He has been accepted at the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.
Go pay him a visit and wish him well. Also some prayers for this future traditional priest are certainly in order.
Deus, Qui ad maiestatis tuae gloriam et generis humani salutem, Unigenitum Tuum summum atque aeternum constituisti Sacerdotem: praesta, ut quos ministros et Mysteriorum suorum dispensatores elegit, in accepto ministerio adimplendo fideles inveniantur. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
O God, Who hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son to be the eternal High Priest for the glory of Thy Majesty and the salvation of mankind; grant that they whom He hath chosen to be His ministers and the stewards of His Mysteries, may be found faithful in the fulfillment of the ministry which they have received. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
What's in a language?
On June 28th, Saint Nicholas in Wilkes-Barre will have a bi-lingual Mass (English and Spanish) as they welcome their new Hispanic parishioners.
The new parishioners are coming to St. Nicholas as their current parish Holy Rosary is closing. They will bring the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue with them from the closing church.
That's nice.
But my question is this, how open would Saint Nick's be to having the Latin Mass?
If they can have a bi-lingual Mass, which must be followed by a Mass in Spanish like they did at Holy Rosary, why not Latin?
Go on, say it. "But Traddy, they speak Spanish. That's their language."
True says I.
But Latin is the language of the Church.
Why must we be sensitive to the Spanish, but not sensitive to our own traditions?
Feel free to chime in.
The new parishioners are coming to St. Nicholas as their current parish Holy Rosary is closing. They will bring the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue with them from the closing church.
That's nice.
But my question is this, how open would Saint Nick's be to having the Latin Mass?
If they can have a bi-lingual Mass, which must be followed by a Mass in Spanish like they did at Holy Rosary, why not Latin?
Go on, say it. "But Traddy, they speak Spanish. That's their language."
True says I.
But Latin is the language of the Church.
Why must we be sensitive to the Spanish, but not sensitive to our own traditions?
Feel free to chime in.
My thoughts
I was away from blogging while that piece of shit baby killer Tiller was gunned down.
I found it interesting that when Obama was asked duirng the election about abortion he said it was "above my paygrade."
But when a scumbag who murders children FOR A LIVING is shot dead Obama is "shocked and outraged".
BHO, you are a sad little man.
And as far as Tiller is concerned, there is this little saying you reap what you sow. I fear there's a whole lotta reapin' going on...
I found it interesting that when Obama was asked duirng the election about abortion he said it was "above my paygrade."
But when a scumbag who murders children FOR A LIVING is shot dead Obama is "shocked and outraged".
BHO, you are a sad little man.
And as far as Tiller is concerned, there is this little saying you reap what you sow. I fear there's a whole lotta reapin' going on...
State of the Mass Report
6/7/2009: St Nicholas, Wilkes-Barre.
I should have known as I entered St. Nick's, when I was greeted by a "communion babe" handing out bulletins, I was in for a rough morning. Then when I glanced through the bulletin, I noticed a reference to the "Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier". God is all those things to be sure, but that particular misnomer is used today in certain circles wishing to remove the masculine from God. He is not the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That shows us he is a man, and certain folks can't stand the fact that God could ever be a man. Go figure. They prefer an "earth mother" type who wears a wreath of fresh flowers on her head and skips lazily through the flowery fields Marty Haugen dreams about.
Well to continue, as I knelt in prayer before the start of Mass I noticed not many people were in attendance at what was once a grand Church, before the Vatican II people stripped her of her high altar, moving the Eucharist to the side, replaced by the "presider's chairs".
Then something caught my eye, a young girl in a mini skirt and heels made her way down the aisle towards the piano. She was to be our cantor. I would think one of the priests in residence would take the initiative and speak with the parishioners about the modesty of dress in the hotter months of the year. Especially at Holy Mass.
I felt as I do when I take my yearly vacation to Rehoboth Beach, the whole thing felt very laissez faire, people just strolling in at every conceivable point once Mass had begun. Some people came in during the Gospel, and most looked as though they were headed straight for the picnic table or beach afterwards.
Today being the Feast of the Holy Trinity, I expected a nice sermon about the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We would receive an explanation I thought perhaps, about the Blessed Trinity, something not often touched upon in the modern era of the Church. And it certainly wasn't going to be brought up at St. Nick's either, I learned.
Instead we heard about how people strive to belong to something. Monsignor Rauscher mentioned sports teams, a talking frog, and getting along with other people. All important topics to be sure, but lacking any true Catholic sensibilities, as do most sermons in this Diocese.
During the Prayer of the Faithful, there were no prayers with any substance, but they did make sure to pray that the United States would lead the fight against "Global Climate Change", and they asked God to make sure our children enjoyed their summer.
No really. That's what they prayed for.
And one of my pet peeves is the use of the golden communion bowls instead of the beautiful ciboriums real priests use. Of course, they had the golden communion bowl. *sigh*
The highlight of the Mass was the "20 foot dash" of the communion babes to see who could get to the altar first. That was entertaining.
The only liturgical dance in sight today was my 18 month old who was bopping her head to "How Great Thou Art".
All in all, it wasn't a total disaster, but if this is the typical state of the Mass in the diocese, it is no wonder people are leaving.
But I don't think people are really leaving for a lack of orthodoxy, that's not a ceoncern for them. The Church has become for most people a true mystery. They don't know what she teaches, and when they discover the Church doesn't believe what they do, they go. Or they stay and try to change things from the inside, doing much damage because for some reason priests seem powerless to stop them.
As for Saint Nick's?
I certainly hope that the incoming "Hispanic Ministry" can bring some true Catholicism over there. Theyseem to need a booster shot.
I should have known as I entered St. Nick's, when I was greeted by a "communion babe" handing out bulletins, I was in for a rough morning. Then when I glanced through the bulletin, I noticed a reference to the "Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier". God is all those things to be sure, but that particular misnomer is used today in certain circles wishing to remove the masculine from God. He is not the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That shows us he is a man, and certain folks can't stand the fact that God could ever be a man. Go figure. They prefer an "earth mother" type who wears a wreath of fresh flowers on her head and skips lazily through the flowery fields Marty Haugen dreams about.
Well to continue, as I knelt in prayer before the start of Mass I noticed not many people were in attendance at what was once a grand Church, before the Vatican II people stripped her of her high altar, moving the Eucharist to the side, replaced by the "presider's chairs".
Then something caught my eye, a young girl in a mini skirt and heels made her way down the aisle towards the piano. She was to be our cantor. I would think one of the priests in residence would take the initiative and speak with the parishioners about the modesty of dress in the hotter months of the year. Especially at Holy Mass.
I felt as I do when I take my yearly vacation to Rehoboth Beach, the whole thing felt very laissez faire, people just strolling in at every conceivable point once Mass had begun. Some people came in during the Gospel, and most looked as though they were headed straight for the picnic table or beach afterwards.
Today being the Feast of the Holy Trinity, I expected a nice sermon about the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We would receive an explanation I thought perhaps, about the Blessed Trinity, something not often touched upon in the modern era of the Church. And it certainly wasn't going to be brought up at St. Nick's either, I learned.
Instead we heard about how people strive to belong to something. Monsignor Rauscher mentioned sports teams, a talking frog, and getting along with other people. All important topics to be sure, but lacking any true Catholic sensibilities, as do most sermons in this Diocese.
During the Prayer of the Faithful, there were no prayers with any substance, but they did make sure to pray that the United States would lead the fight against "Global Climate Change", and they asked God to make sure our children enjoyed their summer.
No really. That's what they prayed for.
And one of my pet peeves is the use of the golden communion bowls instead of the beautiful ciboriums real priests use. Of course, they had the golden communion bowl. *sigh*
The highlight of the Mass was the "20 foot dash" of the communion babes to see who could get to the altar first. That was entertaining.
The only liturgical dance in sight today was my 18 month old who was bopping her head to "How Great Thou Art".
All in all, it wasn't a total disaster, but if this is the typical state of the Mass in the diocese, it is no wonder people are leaving.
But I don't think people are really leaving for a lack of orthodoxy, that's not a ceoncern for them. The Church has become for most people a true mystery. They don't know what she teaches, and when they discover the Church doesn't believe what they do, they go. Or they stay and try to change things from the inside, doing much damage because for some reason priests seem powerless to stop them.
As for Saint Nick's?
I certainly hope that the incoming "Hispanic Ministry" can bring some true Catholicism over there. Theyseem to need a booster shot.
Friday, June 5, 2009
From Michael Steele
Thirty-eight years ago, the federal government nationalized passenger rail lines, creating the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak.
At the time, it was expected to be profitable within three years. Almost 4 decades later, the original $340 million investment of public funds has grown to $30 billion, with no profitability in sight.
On Monday, General Motors was forced to declare bankruptcy.
No matter how much the President spins GM's bankruptcy as good for the economy, it is nothing more than another government grab of a private company and another handout to the union cronies who helped bankroll his presidential campaign.
President Obama will now own 60 percent of GM, and his union buddies will own almost 20 percent. And what do we -- the American taxpayers --get? We're stuck with up to a $50 billion tab for the taxpayer dollars Obama is using to pay for his takeover of GM.
General Motors needed restructuring, and it has been clear for months that bankruptcy was inevitable. But instead of letting the company cut its losses, the Obama Administration has strung the process along, politicizing it at every step.
With an Administration with almost no business background and with zero experience in the auto industry calling the shots, Obama has seized the opportunity to feather his UAW supporters' nests and dictate the type of cars GM will now build -- not consumer desired, profitable vehicles, but tiny, "eco-friendly" cars whose lack of safety will endanger Americans' lives.
Now, instead of emerging leaner and meaner, GM has fallen into the same trap as Amtrak -- all to benefit the Big Labor bosses who helped Obama into the White House with union workers' dues.
Since when does the American government choose the market's winners and losers? Since when does the White House decide what model of car Americans must buy?
Britain nationalized its automotive industry in the 1970s to disastrous result -- the government-run, union-saddled companies were finally sold off again under Margaret Thatcher after years of dismal performance.
But Barack Obama and his henchmen have no desire to learn from the past -- they are too eager to get government control of America's means of industrial production -- regardless of the consequences. Were Karl Marx alive today, he couldn't be prouder.
First it was the mortgage and banking industry, then automobile manufacturing. Next up are health care providers and energy producers. What's next? Whose businesses will they takeover next? Where does it end? The Democrats want to control every facet of your life.
Americans shouldn't be fooled. This is the real 'change' President Obama has in mind for America -- government ownership of our economy financed with irresponsible and reckless government spending and debt and no jobs to show for it.
This is a very sad day for the autoworkers and their families whose financial well-being will be directly affected by this clear act of an overreaching UAW and overbearing government.
That is why I'm again asking you to continue your support of the Republican Party. We are determined to resist the Obama Democrats' socialist takeover of our free markets and erosion of our economic liberties.
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