Notorious late-term abortionist, George Tiller, shot and killed

I have often prayed for the conversion of George Tiller and will continue to pray that he had time to repent before he died. Christians don't wish the destruction of anyone, no matter how evil his actions. We'll need to watch developments in this case. Here are some links to the latest news:

Suspect arrested

Press Conference from early this afternoon

Statements on Tiller's Death

AP report

Pentecost Sunday - Are you on fire?

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Do you want to light the fire of Christ's love on the earth? What one thing can you do today to become a burning furnace of charity as St. Teresa of Avila said? What one candle can you light to dispel the darkness. Remember that darkness is the absence of light. One candle pushes it back, 100 candles create an oasis of light. A million candles may be as bright as a sunny day. It all begins with the first candle, the first tongue of flame on an apostle's head.

If you feel like a spent match, put your hand in Christ's and ask him to remake you. The apostles in the upper room weren't exactly paragons of zeal. But once they were filled with the spirit, they lit a flame on the earth that still burns (even if sometimes dimly). You make a difference; the world needs your light. Don't hide it under a bushel basket.

Virginia Republican State Convention Today

Please pray for Virginia. We elect our Republican candidates for the November ballot today for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. We also choose the head of the state Republican committee. Pray that all those elected will be committed to the sanctity of human life and the restoration of our state to moral principles based on the law of God. When the land is governed by evil leaders "the people perish." That could not be more true than when we consider the least of God's little ones, the unborn. May all civil leaders be converted to the culture of life.

Socialized Medicine May Kill You! It Almost Killed Canadian Shona Holmes.

The Obama administration's plans for health care "reform" will make the United States like Canada where citizens wait months or years to see specialists even in life-threatening situations. That's the model in EVERY country that has socialized medicine - long lines for treatment. (In England abortions take precedence over other operations. Killing lives comes ahead of saving lives.) Do you think Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, and other "important" people will wait in line like the average Joe Nobody? If you're in the same social strata as those elitists you'll always be able to get treatment. If you're not, fight socialized medicine now before you find out you can't see a doctor for a brain tumor or cancer until six months after you're dead.

Sanctity of Human Life Panel at Catholic University

Doug Kmiec and Robert George crossed swords on Thursday in a panel discussion on the sanctity of human life held at Catholic University. Mary Ann Glendon introduced the professors and served as panel moderator. The one hour twenty minute discussion was not a debate but the ideas of Doug Kmiec and Robert George were in stark contrast. Kmiec began with an almost fawning description of the president. He made a number of misstatements, for example in his closing statement when he said Professor George's referring to blood and bones meant late-term pregnancies. That is simply innacurate since the baby's body is fully developed in the first trimester. Kmiec is either deliberately misleading or he is ignorant of facts. Biological truth and the Catholic position of the sanctity of human life was upheld by Robert George and undermined by Professor Kmiec. The discussion is worth listening to. Professor George defended the principles of justice, Professor Kmiec defended Obama.

Huh? If she paid an abortionist........

Ah, real life is stranger than fiction. A seven-months-pregnant Utah girl recently paid a man to beat her up to cause a miscarriage. (See article.) The hired "hit" man who also bit the girl is being charged with attempted murder. The girl is charged with solicitation to commit murder. The boyfriend who was behind the attempted murder is, as usual, off the hook.

But consider the lunacy of all this in our world of insanity.

Aborting the baby is no problem. If she had the money the 17-year-old could have gone to Kansas to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius' buddy George "Killer" Tiller. He would have gladly stabbed the baby in the neck and sucked out his brains. Granted the bill would have been just a bit higher than $150 what with air fare, several days at a hotel, the abortion, the "extras" like photos and baptism services, etc. So she chose a cheaper arternative.

She went to an illegal abortionist instead who used somewhat primitive means in the attempted abortion which failed. It seems that her accomplice should be charged with practicing medicine without a license. After all, killing the baby was legal, her choice in fact. Wasn't it? Well, actually, it was the boyfriend's choice. Hmmm...Now why isn't he being charged as an accomplice. He was the "driver," so to speak of the decision, like the getaway driver at a bank robbery. Seems like he ought to be considered an accessory at least. But no, he's apparently free and clear, at least until he faces the final judge.

Let's consider a typical abortion story. Guy and girl are fornicating. Girl thinks it's love; guy...well...you know. Anyway, guy gets girl pregnant. Girl is happy - temporarily - until guy makes it clear he ain't happy, in fact guy is downright mad. How could girl do this to him? Guy has his future to think about and isn't ready for the responsibility of kids. Wasn't girl taking pills? Girl wrings hands, grasps at guy, has abortion to keep him. Guy leaves anyway, very relieved, and gets new girlfriend. There are other scenarios as well. Guy threatens girl, or beats girl, or puts abortion drugs in girl's drink, or murders girl.

But women are so blessed to have "safe, legal, abortion" and boyfriends to support them and make sure they exercise their right to choose -- as long as they make the "right" choice. Statistics indicate that as many as 64% of abortions are coerced. So why do they call it "freedom?"

The Irish Report and the Murder of Innocence

As more and more revelations come out of Ireland about the systematic abuse of children, we see once more the devastating impact of homosexuals in the priesthood. The greatest abuse occurred in the boys' schools. Many victims were raped and beaten. The girls did not experience sexual abuse from the nuns, but were vulnerable to outside placements and from workers in the schools. Most of the children appeared to suffer from physical abuse, neglect, harshness, and deprivation. The report (and I only read the Executive Summary and selections from the 1,000+ pages) is a little shop of horrors - enough to petrify the heart.

Victims, however, have criticized a serious flaw in the report -- the failure to inquire into the courts that sentenced so many of these children to the homes -- in some cases because their mothers were unwed or their fathers were out of work and had difficulty making ends meet. If you want to get at least a small understanding into the complicity of the Irish court system, get the film Evelyn based on the real-life case of Desmond Doyle who lost his children after their mother abandoned the family and Doyle lost his job. It is a compelling story.

Pray for poor Holy Mother Church, betrayed, not only by the abusers, but even more by those in authority who put the institution above the well-being of the little ones. (See The Devil's Triple Play: Clericalism, Secrecy, and Dissent.)

Executive Summary of the Report

Irish abused "cheated of justice" video comments of victims' spokesman, John Kelly

Former mayor shocks Ireland with revelations

'Endemic' rape and abuse of Irish children in Catholic care, inquiry finds

Abuse report - a catalogue of horror

Church ignored sexual abuse

Obama Vatican Pick hailed by Soros-funded Groups

Well, Obama has named a Vatican ambassador, one welcomed by the cafeteria Catholics at Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, groups funded by anti-Catholic billionaire George Soros. Miguel Diaz, a lay liberation theologian is an unabashed Obama supporter with a number of books published by Orbis Books, the publishing arm of the leftwing Maryknoll order. He also signed the letter backing the Sebelius nomination.

Diaz is firmly in the Kmiec camp of Catholics for whom murdering the unborn is a minor problem, trumped by "social justice" issues that exclude the weakest and most vulnerable. This is one more nomination that undermines the sanctity of human life while elevating liberalism and socialism as utopian solutions to world problems.

But, as many are pointing out, it is one more shrewd move on the part of a president who knows how to manipulate the division between orthodox and heterodox Catholics to his own advantage. Catholics United calls Diaz a "devout Catholic," but cafeteria Catholics mean by that anyone willing to "dialogue" even over the dead bodies of children -- like the Romans who threw dice for Jesus' cloak while the innocent one hung dying above them.

For more on the new Vatican ambassador pick:

Obama Names Diaz

Obama names Vatican ambassador: Miguel H. Diaz

Obama picks Cuban Liberation theologian as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See

Obama names theology professor

Doug Kmiec is at it again!

Does Doug Kmiec's treachery never end? Now he's calling for the state to stop licensing marriage and substitute a "civil license" that could apply to anyone, sraight or gay. (Or perhaps a menage-a-trois with your pet?)

Princeton University law professor Robert George disagrees. "The idea that the state would abandon its concern for the institution of marriage, that it would treat marriage as a purely religious matter, is I think a very bad one.... [Marriage] has profound social significance, public significance; it’s a pre-political institution. It exists even apart from religion, even apart from polities. It’s the coming together of a husband and wife, creating the institution of family in which children are nurtured....The family is the original and best Department of Health, Education and Welfare....No government agency can ever surpass it, ever has surpassed it. Governments and economies and systems of law all rely upon the family to produce something they need, but that they themselves cannot produce, and that is, basically honest, decent, law abiding people of goodwill--citizens--who can take their rightful place in society.... Family is built on marriage, and government--the state--has a profound interest in the integrity and well-being of marriage, and to write it off as if it were a purely a religiously significant action and not an institution and action that has a profound public significance, would be a terrible mistake." Read more....

Isn't it time Kmiec's bishop took action against this man's pretense to be Catholic? His statements become ever more scandalous as he shills for liberalism. Meanwhile he postures as a Catholic helping to undermine the faith and put people on the "primrose path of dalliance." Kmiec is working hard with other cafeteria Catholics from Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to separate true morality from government while they endorse socialism. If they are successful, when America is under the jackboot of institutionalized immorality (we're already there in many areas), who will be able to withstand the tyrant's rod?

North Korea and Mars Attacks!

Did anyone notice yesterday that North Korea exploded a nuclear bomb almost as powerful as the ones that leveled Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Is this a harbinger of the "period of peace" promised at Fatima if we follow Our Lady's requests?

While I browsed some of the articles about the test and the tough talk-talk-talk coming from the fearless leaders of the free world, I couldn't help thinking of the movie spoof, Mars Attacks!. If you've never seen it, I heartily recommend you do. It seems to me to be a timely metaphor for our day and age.

The Martians land and travel around the world greeting world leaders with the mantra, "We come in peace." That's the precursor to their massive firepower of annhilation. Michael J. Fox plays a journalist who gets fried early on when the Martians first arrive. The film has plenty of politicians like Neville Chamberlain trying to placate the invaders. Quite a few don't make it to the end of the film.

But not to worry -- in real life, President Obama is in charge and says the world won't take it lying down, but will "stand up to this behavior." He's working on it with the U.N. which should make everyone feel secure - especially after North Korea's long-range missile launch last month. The London Guardian reported that a senior North Korean diplomat warned that Pyongyang will retaliate with "strong steps" if the UN security council takes action against its rocket launch, which was a peaceful satellite and not a missile.

("We come in peace! It was a satellite!")

The diplomat went on to say that if the Security Council "take any kind of steps whatever, we'll consider this is [infringement] upon the sovereignty of our country, and next option will be ours. We necessarily have the strong steps will be follow that." Exactly what kind of steps North Korea is willing to take we can only guess. (Watch Mars Attacks!)

The North Korean diplomat spoke to reporters at the U.N., where the five Security Council nations with permanent veto power (China, Britain, Russia, France, and the U.S.) with Japan were planning to meet for a third session to discuss possible action against North Korea, but the Guardian said the meeting was "suddenly cancelled." No doubt President Obama was planning to sit down with the North Koreans who would come to recognize that we are friendly and welcome them. ("Anyone who comes in peace is a friend of ours. Welcome!)

Keep in mind that this isn't just about North Korea getting the bomb and developing a missile with the power to deliver it, but about to whom they will sell the technology. There's speculation that Iran had observers at the bomb test. Pleasant thought.

Where's Ronald Reagan when you need him? The liberals liked to call him a warmonger, but it was Reagan and Pope John Paul II who brought down the Berlin Wall without a shot. Does anyone really believe that Barack Obama who said he'd willingly sit down with the despots of the world without pre-conditions is up to the job of negotiating world peace? How can he when he champions war against the unborn at home?

My simple, but profound, conclusion is WE'RE IN A MESS! And we need a surefire defensive weapon and I don't mean Star Wars (although I'd feel a lot safer if we had a defensive missile shield). No, the defensive weapon every family needs to use every day is to pray the rosary for world peace. And watch Mars Attacks! to discover the aliens' vulnerability. (No it's not a bacteria - that was War of the Worlds.)

For more on North Korea's test and the reaction see these articles:

North Korea tests nuclear weapon 'as powerful as Hiroshima bomb'

Obama says North Korea nuclear test a "grave concern"

North Korea's bomb test seen as troubling progress

Obama Urges World to 'Stand Up' to North Korea, After Nuclear Test

North Korean diplomat warns of 'strong steps' against UN security council

Does Academic Freedom Exist at Notre Dame?

We constantly hear those at so-called Catholic colleges demanding the "academic freedom" to feature the enemies of the Church on campus. These champions of "free speech" like to demonize those who dare to suggest that Catholic schools shouldn't give a podium to those who advocate killing the unborn, advancing same-sex marriage, and espouse views totally at odds with the Catholic faith.

But do these apostles of liberalism follow their own pious statements? Not if Notre Dame is typical which seems likely. Check out Were Views of Pro-Life Notre Dame Officials, Professors Suppressed on Obama? There appears to be an "atmosphere of intimidation" on the campus according to anonymous staff and professors who fear retaliation if they speak out. The article's author asks the question, "If this is happening at Notre Dame, then at what other Catholic universities and colleges is this also occurring? And isn’t this just the sort of pressure to conform that mars many secular universities, leading one to wonder: what is now distinctive about the intellectual atmosphere at University of Notre Dame, or any number of other Catholic schools?"

Good question, which is why new, small orthodox schools are popping up around the country. See the Cardinal Newman Society for information on solid Catholic colleges.

Sotomayor Reversed 60% of the Time

Sixty percent of circuit judge Sonia Sotomayor's decisions have been reversed by the Supreme Court on appeal. See the article. This is the new Washington where a 60% reversal rate gets a judge nominated to the high court, where serving as a community organizer and voting "present" in the state senate qualifies a man to be president, where dodging income taxes is no impediment to being treasury secretary, where sending dead fish to your opponents qualifies a man to be White House chief of staff. (Need I go on?)

I think we're living in a Kafka novel or maybe in a matrix gone bad. Hey, maybe it's a pilot for a new reality TV series. Well, whatever it is, keep your sense of humor. In many ways today's reality is so ridiculous you just have to laugh about it --- but say your rosary first.

Obama takes over GM

Remember the old joke about the horse designed by a committee that turned out to be a camel? Well, what do you think a car designed by Washington will look like? Government taking control of some of the largest industries in the U.S. is not a good sign for our sagging economy. How long can Obama and the Democratic majority continue to blame the sad state of things on the Republican Party. True conservatives need to fight these socialistic economic policies. Government is the problem, not the solution.

From the Washington Times today:

"Within two months, the U.S. and Canadian governments together under the plan would own nearly 70 percent of the storied Detroit company, which is considered the backbone of the U.S. auto and manufacturing sectors, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Canada would receive a small share in exchange for assisting GM, but the sources declined to be more specific.

"The overwhelming share of the company the government is giving itself much exceeds the 50 percent share originally reported last month and angered bondholders who feel that the government should have offered more to investors in light of the union's agreement to halve its earlier reported 39 percent share." Read the rest...

What's up with L'Osservatore Romano?

Catholic Culture raises the question and I echo it here. In his weekly Insights column, Jeff Mirus says, "The editor of L'Osservatore Romano seems to be in love with Barrack Obama. The result is predictable: 'L'Osservatore è cieco'--the observer is blind." Check out Jeff's comments here.

Author Michael O'Brien on Modesty

Modesty is the guardian of chastity. Is it any wonder that, in a society fixated on sex, modesty, even among Christians, is so rare? Ironically, even those ostensibly trying to fight impurity in the culture tend toward vulgar and crude language. Michael O'Brien as an artist and author has some interesting insights on the problem.

"Semi-nudity has become commonplace on magazine covers, advertisements, at swimming pools and beaches. Total nudity is becoming more frequent in media such as television and film, and is rampant in the vastly more popular 'private' cultural consumption of the internet. Juxtapose with these near-universal phenomena the fact that more than sixty percent of marriages now end in divorce or separation, that self-denial and sacrifice have become widely discredited concepts, and that the pursuit of happiness through the avenues of sensual satisfaction have produced a profoundly disordered society. No people in history has been so richly rewarded with pleasures, and no people in history has ever been so unhappy....

"I am convinced that the modern harping on the supposed repressiveness of the past is really no more than a symptom of our current obsession with sex. If we were to plunge back a century or two, I think we would find that while our ancestors' manner of dress was indeed more formal, and at times even constricting, most people still wed and had children and made happy marriages with startling frequency - and with an enviable rate of success. Compare that to our own dismal, liberated era, in which the image of the cavorting human body is thrust at us a thousand times a day from the pages of the tabloids at the supermarket check-out counter, from chewing gum commercials on television, home computer screens, and from what is being worn on the beach and at church. Modesty has gone out of style....

"The times are very ill, indeed they are nearly sick unto death. "The culture of death," the Holy Father calls it. And by this he means far more than the death of the body. Within the short space of a century, Western society has degenerated from a Christian culture to a despiritualized one, and from there it has further degenerated into a dehumanized one. The next stage is the diabolization of culture, a process which has already begun. At this moment in the great war between good and evil, we must turn with renewed confidence to Our Lady, asking her for the particular graces of wisdom, prudence, and modesty for our young people. Daily we should invoke her protection against the spirit of the world and the spirit of our ancient adversary. If we do, she will help us see the areas of our lives where we have been deceived. She will help us find a better way, if we respond to her outpouring of graces. Then our children will learn to love more fully. And they will be loved for who they truly are."

Read the entire essay...

Obama names sexist judicial activist to Supreme Court

Well, it's official -- Obama has named Latina judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. The controversial appeals court judge has made some pretty weird statements that ought to raise eyebrows. Consider the uproar if a white male judge made the following statement about a woman or a black:

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life,” (Statement made in 2001 at the annual Judge Mario G. Olmos Law and Cultural Diversity Lecture at the University of California, Berkeley)

She also waved her judicial activist flag in 2005 (on video) speaking to Duke University Law students saying, “court of appeals is where policy is made...." Do we really need another member of the court who makes law by finding rights in the "penumbra" of the Constitution like Harry Blackmun with Roe v. Wade? Judges are supposed to interpret the law, not make it up according to their life experiences and gender identity.

Pope 2 You

The Pope's on-line with a new website. I like the YouTube bit myself with the opportunity to see clips of papal liturgies and visits to other countries. Fans can get this via I-phone, Facebook, etc. Now who says the Church is stuck in the Middle Ages?

Collaboration with the enemies of life

If a band of killers shoots up a bank and kills a bunch of people in the process, the guys who cased the joint and drove the getaway cars are collaborators who are also subjected to the same sentence as the gunmen. Abortion is the same. It isn't just the butchers of Planned Parenthood who deserve approbation from the community but those who willingly assist and enable the killing.

The Collaborator's Project goes after those who assist the killers. Notre Dame is a collaborator who is likely to be designated a "permanent collaborator" over the Obama graduation debacle. They would join the only other "permanent collaborator," the Weitz Construction Company for their unflagging commitment to helping the child killers. Weitz built Denver's massive Planned Parenthood facility.

Visit the Collaborators' website and pray for their success. Let Weitz know what you think of their commitment to the death-peddlars.

More on the Christopher West Theology of the Body Controversy

Christopher West Controversy Fuels Debate about the Problem of Modesty

It is easier for a rich man to pass through the needle's eye than to enter the kingdom of heaven!

Love of money is the root of all evils. One of its greatest temptations is to make men think they can act like little gods. Rich elitists often feel contempt for the poor and an obligation to control their numbers and thus make the world a better place for people like themselves. So are you surprised to hear that, when the richest people on earth met recently and shared their passionate concerns, population control was a popular cause? A major focus of these billionaires (who included Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Oprah Windrey, Ted Turner, George Soros, Ted Turner, David Rockefeller, and others) is reducing the number of people on the planet. Planned Parenthood is a big recipient of "charity" from these folks. Ted Turner is a fan of China's forced abortion policies and, as many who read the Les Femmes newsletter know, George Soros champions abortion and funds groups that attack and undermine the Catholic Church like Catholics for a Free Choice, Catholics United, and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

Pray for these modern day Herods who live in luxury while they support the murder of the poor through population control, contraception, and abortion. Pray for their conversion.

Fr. Jenkins' Abortion Connections

For those who missed the Washington Times editorial that included Fr. Jenkins' abortion connection here it is, from Booing Notre Dame. (No wonder Fr. Jenkins "refused comment."):

The Rev. John I. Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, remains defiant about honoring Mr. Obama and said last month, "We're just so proud to have him." The priest's own associations place him further at odds with his church. Father Jenkins is a member of the board of directors of Millennium Promise, an organization ostensibly organized to fight poverty. A closer look exposes a darker agenda. One of Millennium Promise's major initiatives is Millennium Villages, a joint project with the United Nations Development Program and Columbia University's Earth Institute that promotes "reproductive rights" as a solution to poverty in the Third World, especially in Africa.

In a chapter on "Maternal and Child Health" in the June 2008 Millennium Villages Handbook, one of the organization's "core interventions" is listed as "abortion services." The handbook states: "In countries where abortion is legal, safe abortion services in controlled settings by skilled practitioners should be established." To make abortion more accessible in remote areas, the action plan advises that abortion services need to be expanded to the village level. In a subsection of the handbook titled "Quick Impact Initiatives for Gender," one of the "strategic priorities" is to "expand access to family planning and contraceptive information and services." Father Jenkins refused to comment to The Washington Times, but surely he knows that abortion and artificial contraceptives are prohibited by the Catholic Church.

American Idol, Eat Your Heart Out!

This elderly couple shows exactly what it means to grow old gracefully. They are a great argument against health care rationing that cuts off medical assistance for those considered too old to be worth it!

The Surprising Link -- Why are they lying to women?

So you believe the folks who are saying there's no link between breast cancer and abortion? Watch this video series. Women are paying a heavy price for their "freedom to choose" and politics is hiding the truth from them.

The American Cancer Society won't talk about it, but "people are catching on." Watch this series and share it, especially with young women. Help them realize the risk they take when they choose "safe" and legal abortion. Abortion doesn't only kill babies. Abortion politics is killing women. Expose the truth. When they say "the right to choose" they mean the right of the abortion industry to exploit women's ignorance by hiding the truth. Women have a right to know the risks they face. Pass this link on.

A New Film on Fatima - Check it Out!

The 13th Day opens this month in the UK and Portugal. Looks like a powerful film. Pray for its wide release in the United States. Remember the Blessed Mother's promise if her requests are carried out: "My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will Consecrate Russia to Me, which will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to mankind."

We obviously are not experiencing "a period of peace" which lends credence to the belief of those who say the consecration of the world to Mary by Pope John Paul II did not fulfill the Blessed Mother's request. Pray the rosary daily for peace. And on this Memorial Day, pray especially for the repose of the souls of those who died in the wars of this country, our living veterans, and for those on active military duty, especially those posted to hot spots around the world. Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for them.

Saruman at Notre Dame

A Commentary by Thaddeus J. Kozinski,

"Those who listened unwarily to that voice could seldom report the words that they heard; and if they did, they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to seem wise themselves. When others spoke they seemed harsh and uncouth by contrast; and if they gainsaid the voice, anger was kindled in the hearts of those under the spell. For some the spell lasted only while the voice spoke to them, and when it spake to another they smiled, as men do who see through a juggler’s trick while others gape at it. For many the sound of the voice alone was enough to hold them enthralled; but for those whom it conquered the spell endured when they were far away, and ever they heard that soft voice whispering and urging them. But none were unmoved; none rejected its pleas and its commands without an effort of mind and will, so long as its master had control of it." ~ “The Speech of Saruman,”

J.R.R.Tolkien, The Two Towers

Memories of World War II for Memorial Day

My dad graduated from the Naval Academy, class of 1940. He married my mom in September of 1941 and they both travelled to his duty station at Pearl Harbor. On that fateful morning in December when the Japanese attacked, Daddy was asleep in the forward area of the U.S.S. Detroit, a light cruiser. But I'll let him describe what happened. This is taken from an article in the Baltimore News American, December 6, 1981, Pearl Harbor 40 years ago: They were there :

'I was firing a rifle at the planes'

Ray Schneider, 64, lives in Elkridge now; he has 10 children and 23 grandchildren ("too much shore duty"). He retired from the Navy in 1975 as a rear admiral, his last assignment being commander of all naval electronics systems. He was graduated sixth in the 1940 class at the U.S. Naval Academy, and later earned a masters degree in aeronautical engineering. His wife is a substitute teacher; he is a gunsmith and gun dealer, and travels, reads and writes.

That Sunday morning in 1941, Ensign Ray Schneider's ship was tied up at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor. After a nap, Schneider planned to go to Honolulu. There, he would meet his wife, whom he had married that September, and together they would go to mass. "I was supposed to have watch until 8 a.m., but about 6 a.m. I asked a bright, young ensign, who was clean and sober, if he'd finish my watch for me. He accepted and I went to my sack. The next thing I knew I heard this awful explosion, and I jumped up, still in my under wear. There was no time to dress. I ran up on deck and the entire area was being swarmed upon; the boat behind us was burning. I could see the Utah going upside down. The two airfields were full of flame and smoke. You got the impression all was not well.

"I was in my Skivvies, barefoot, and the first thing I had to do was cut down the canvas awnings that were blocking the guns. I sent a sailor down to the butcher shop and we cut the canvas down with cutlery, but that cleared out nine antiaircraft guns. Someone blew the lock off the ammunition storage locker with a .45, the ammo came up, but we couldn't find the fuse setters. Finally, we started the guns and we must have thrown a thousand shells into the air and didn't hit a thing. I was chastised for being a little wasteful. But I'm convinced there never was a bombing of Honolulu, it was our antiaircraft fire.

"The scene was such I was firing a rifle at the planes, still in my skivvies. Hardly a dramatic impression, but that's the way it was. I stepped on a hot shell during the attack and ran to my room for my shoes. After that I went to bed, oh, six months with my shoes on. I didn't want to go into combat again in my bare feet.

"It's very strange, the things that happen. There were two torpedoes fired at us, but they went in the mud. But they were headed for the forward area, where I was sleeping. If they would have hit, I would have been gone. Before we cast off, the gunnery officer told me I wasn't wearing my tin hat. Now here I was, nothing but my underwear and shoes with a rifle, and he's asking about my following regulations. We steamed out and chased Japs for a while. Later, I was on the thin edge of. the battle of Midway, then they sent me to Alaska.

"I'm a member of this Pearl Harbor survivors gang, but I'm going to be in Ohio Monday to take care of some personal business. Of course I'll notice it. I'm an old-fashioned military professional. I didn't like war; what's so glamorous about fighting in your underwear? But that's how I earned my pay. In retrospect, all the young officers of the fleet were absolutely convinced we were going into conflict with Japan. I studied Japan at the academy, and I was of the opinion sitting on my 22-year-old-cruiser at Pearl, the Japanese were superior to us. I wasn't surprised at first when we didn't win so well. Once I got out of the Pacific, we started to win."

All I can say is it's a good thing those torpedoes missed the ship that day. My mom was pregnant with the first child, my oldest brother Ray, and had the torpedo connected, the other nine of us would have been aborted before conception. Thank you, Daddy, for your faithfulness to your country and to your family. On this Memorial Day please pray for my dad who died in 1985 and for my mom who followed him in 2002. They're buried at the Naval Academy. They and all our veterans and their families deserve our sincere thanks, especially those like our Vietnam vets who were so unjustly treated when they returned so physically and emotionally wounded from the horrors of war. God forgive us if we fail to show gratitude to those willing to lay down their lives for others.

Christopher West and Theology of the Body

If you saw the Nightline interview with Christopher West speaking on Theology of the Body, you may have been surprised to see him compare Pope John Paul II with Hugh Hefner. Not only was I surprised (shocked might be more accurate), but I was thoroughly disgusted. Watching another video elaborating on what he meant didn't help. West read from Hefner's biography that blamed his parents, particularly his mom, because she didn't hug him enough when he was a child. (She probably did a bad job toilet training as well.)

Don't get me wrong. I admire the zeal of Christopher West. I believe he sincerely loves the Church and wants to promote John Paul II's Theology of the Body accurately. But somehow, he's gotten off track and that's a problem. If you're going to Philadelphia and the train is on the track heading to Harrisburg, no matter how sincere the engineer is, you won't end up at your destination.

A number of people have criticized West's approach and I'm going to summarize the opinion of one. David L. Schindler is Provost/Dean and Gagnon Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at Catholic University. He knows both John Paul's theology and Christopher West's presentation of it. In his article, Christopher West's Theology of the Body, he points out some serious problems:

West’s work has involved suggesting that a man and woman bless their genitals before making love; blessing the ovaries of women in his classes; advising young men in college and the seminary to look at their naked bodies in the mirror daily in order to overcome shame; using phallic symbolism to describe the Easter candle; criticizing “flat-chested” images of Mary in art while encouraging Catholics to “rediscover Mary’s ... abundant breasts” (Crisis, March 2002); referring to the “bloodied membrane” of the placenta as a "tabernacle" (Colorado Catholic Herald, 12/22/06); stating that, while “there are some important health and aesthetic considerations that can’t be overlooked,” “there's nothing inherently wrong with anal penetration as foreplay to normal intercourse," (Good News About Sex and Marriage, 1st ed., emphasis in original), though qualifying this in the revised edition and stressing the subjective dangers of lust in such activity; and, on Nightline, praising Hugh Hefner for helping rescue sex from prudish Victorian attitudes, saying that there are “very profound historical connections between Hefner and John Paul II,” while emphasizing that John Paul II took the sexual revolution further and in the right direction.

I offer these examples not merely because they are vulgar and in bad taste, not to mention sometimes bordering on the just plain silly, but because they indicate a disordered approach to human sexuality. An objective distortion in approaching sexuality does not cease to be such simply because it is theologized. West to be sure will point toward the “orthodox” intentions and context of the examples, but my criticism bears on the substance of his preoccupation as reflected in the examples. (As a Thomist friend of mine used to say: pay attention to a man's subjects, not his predicates.)

Specific criticisms include:

1. West ignores the reality and validity of concupiscence as though it can be overcome by intentions toward holiness

2. His analogy between God's love and sex is too simplistic and puts a "disproportianate emphasis" on sex.

3. His treatment of shame and reverence is "too male," i.e., "not only too much maleness but distorted maleness." In other words he doesn't recognize a modesty that is not mere prudishness. Schindler attributes this to his work not being well-formed in "Mary’s archetypal feminine-human sensibility." Mary, of course, is the model of modesty and prudence, the woman who "ponders all things in her heart."

4. West's teaching style which becomes part of his theology treats disagreement as resistance to the Holy Spirit. Schindler says, "Well-balanced persons have spoken of how West makes them feel a sense of guilt, of resistance to the Holy Spirit, if they experience uneasiness about what he is saying."

Schindler summarizes by saying:

West presents a problem for the Church, not because he lacks orthodox intentions, but because his unquestionably orthodox intentions render his theology, a priori, all the more credible. His work often deflects people from the beauty and depth of what is the authentic meaning of John Paul II's anthropology of love, and thus of what was wrought in and through the Second Vatican Council. It is scarcely the first time in the history of the Church that abundant good will did not suffice to make one's theology and vision of reality altogether true.

Pray for Christopher West. He has the capacity to do great good for the Church. He also has the capacity to create much confusion.

Sexual Liberation and the Expoitation of Women

Women's liberation -- it made women equal to men didn't it? Now they could put childbearing behind them and still enjoy the pleasures of the sexual revolution. The pill, abortion -- they empowered women to choose when and if they'd get preganant and, even if pregnant, whether they would carry the child to term. Contraception and abortion gave women power over life and death - they could be like unto God.

But everything has a price. The articles below show the heavy price women have paid for liberation from their own natures. Women are now: 1) The ultimate, recyclable sex objects, 2) Free prostitutes, 3) A profitable commodity - a) with eggs available to sell to infertile couples for big bucks that end up in the pockets of fertility specialists; and b) aborted babies' bodies sold for body parts by abortion mills which reap the profit. Women "controlling their bodies" also makes millions for organizations like Planned Parenthood.

What about the devastating consequences to women's health and well being? That, friends, is collateral damage in the abortion wars, just too bad.

Woman X: My Story as an Egg Donor Egg donation has been presented as a "safe" alternative for women. Not-so-safe for one woman who bought the lie and paid the price.

The Abortion-Breast Cancer Link: How Politics Trumped Science and Informed Consent - While many in the medical community continue to downplay the abortion-breast cancer link, a growing body of studies shows that women who abort, particularly those who abort their first pregnancy, risk early and aggessive breast cancer.

Pro-Abortion Violence Against Women Women not only face medical risks from unscrupulous abortionists, but more and more stories are surfacing of men murdering and endangering the lives of girlfriends who refuse to abort and parents dragging their unwilling daughters into the abortion mills.

Forced Abortion in America - A 22-page special report documenting cases of forced abortion.

The Abortion-Suicide Connection

And nary a word of protest from the feminists and Planned Parenthood, the enabler of child rape by adult male predators.

Remind us again -- whose choice is it?

St. Rita, Patronness of the Impossible

Most Catholics are familiar with St. Jude as the patron saint of impossible causes. But today's saint, Rita of Cascia, also has that reputation. One feature of St. Rita's life is particularly appropriate to this week when we saw Catholics deeply divided over President Obama speaking at Notre Dame because she was known as a reconciler who brought peace. Let us ask her intercession to bring about a true reconciliation of all Catholics to the truths of the faith. There can be no reconciliation between good and evil, but love for our enemies can become like a magnet drawing them to Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.

St. Rita was born near about three miles outside the village of Cascia, Italy. Although she wished to be a nun, her parents arranged a marriage when she was twelve. St. Rita's husband, Paolo, was a contentious and abusive man who was unfaithful to his young wife and feuded with other families in the city. He also associated with some very unsavory characters. St. Rita bore him two sons who grew up imitating their father. Fearful of the bad environment, St. Rita finally persuaded Paolo to move to a smaller town where life would be quieter. Unfortunately, because of his past associations, Paolo was brutally murdered. Before he died, he begged St. Rita for forgiveness and was reconciled to God.

St. Rita's two sons were determined to take revenge on their father's murderer. When she couldn't convince them to abandon the idea, she prayed that the Lord would take them both before they could commit such a grave sin. Within a year both died of natural causes. What a mother who cared so much more about the eternal salvation of her children than their physical lives.

Despite so many difficulties, St. Rita was able to bring about peace among the feuding families and to finally achieve her tremendous desire to live a consecrated life.

Read more about St. Rita here.

Bishop D'Arcy's surprise attendance at ND Response Alternate Commencement

Bishop D'Arcy Joins Notre Dame Prayer Protest


The two faces of Notre Dame's commencement:
Betrayal and Fidelity (Thanks to Brian for the photos.)



"While the millstone of Notre Dame is placed around President Obortion's neck and 12,000 at Notre Dame stand giving a thunderous ovation, all heaven stood to honor an 80 year old priest as he received heaven's high honor for peacefully taking a stand for life and the plight of the unborn. You can see the video of Father Norman Weslin's arrest here."

Is Catholic News Service Catholic?

In a fawning article on President Obama's appearance at Notre Dame (ND), Catholic News Service (CNS) portrayed him through his own words, those of ND President John Jenkins, and co-speaker John Noonan as the eminently reasonable one calling on his adversaries to engage in "dialogue" and finding "common ground." The extensive article by Gene Stowe which appeared in many Catholic diocesan newspapers around the country provided only ONE SENTENCE on the vigil for life held at the Lourdes Grotto by the student group ND Response. Despite being attended by over three dozen seniors in caps and gowns who skipped the main ceremony and about three thousand others (including the bishop of Fort Wayne, John D'Arcy) that event merited no coverage. A search on the CNS website revealed not one article, not one photo of the alternative event where Priests for Life founder Fr. Frank Pavone was the featured speaker. This shutout by a so-called "Catholic" news service was shameful.

Orthodox Catholics have long noted that CNS shows the same liberal bias as the mainstream media. That bias was front and center last Sunday when they joined Notre Dame in giving honor and cover to the most pro-abortion politician in history. It's especially telling that CNS mentioned Obama's praise for two figures of the American Catholic Church who contributed so much to the destruction of the faith. Former ND president Theoldore Hesburgh was a primary architect of the Land o' Lakes statement in 1967 that essentially severed Catholic colleges from Catholic doctrine under the guise of "academic freedom." Cardinal Bernardin undermined the pro-life movement with his seamless garment sham that enabled so many Catholic politicians to claim pro-life status while supporting the murder of the unborn.

Shame on CNS and shame on the Catholic bishops who allow this liberal mouthpiece to continue to do so much damage to the Church in the United States.

The face of pro-life "right-wing extremists"

There's a lot of slander about "violent" and "raging" pro-lifers with faces distorted by the "snarl of hatred" as Trinity President, Patricia McGuire, said recently. Fact is, pro-lifers are as likely to be standing quietly praying the rosary and letting pictures of the dismembered babies tell the story. But that's what the pro-abortionists can't stand because the babies' broken bodies show the moral corruption of their position.

I want to publicly thank all the courageous pro-lifers who witnessed at Notre Dame and especially those who faced arrest for their convictions. May God richly reward them all. I know the little aborted ones are begging the Blessed Mother to pray for them.

Sonny Torres Statement on Karen's Arrest at Notre Dame

Because in the statement below Sonny brought up the situation of his son Jason, his wife Susan, and little Suzie Ann I think I need to preface this with their story. In 2005 Susan Torres who was 17 weeks pregnant collapsed due to a stroke from the recurrence of a melanoma she had when she was 17. It had invaded her brain. The Torres family made the decision to keep Susan alive to give her growing baby, a little girl they named Susan Catherine Ann (after her mother and great-grandmother), a chance at life. Susan clung to life much longer than any of the doctor's believed possible with her cancer.

The baby was delivered by C-section at about 27 weeks and lived for a little over a month before complications from a perforated intestine overcame her tiny body's ability to resist. Susan and Jason's story made international headlines as their little one fought for life. Karen, who was arrested last Sunday, told me the day after the baby died, "I saw her will to live and her ability to love. She just wanted to live. All these people who talk so cavalierly about abortion need to know these babies want to live. We've got to stop killing them."

The night Susan collapsed Sonny and Jason both had the same dream at about the same time in the wee hours of the morning. Each heard a voice saying, "You and others will tell the world of a fight to save a precious life, not to change hardened hearts, but to give hope to those who believe, so that they know that there is more than what they see and hear. Let them come and see for themselves.”

That's what all those pro-lifers were doing at Notre Dame last Sunday - witnessing to the world know how important it is to save one precious life. And that's why Karen and Sonny were there to stand with them.

SONNY'S STATEMENT

I feel Karen and my rights were walked on by the Sheriff's department of South Bend, but that is not what disturbs me the most. I love my Catholic faith and the Catholic church and I truly believe in the sanctity of life. That is why we drove 11 hours to witness to those views.

I cannot speak for Karen, but I am starting to wonder if the Church truly believes in what it preaches. I sit and listen to priests tell us that the flock should stand up for life. We are told to give our time and money to protect life at all costs, but where were they at Notre Dame?

Several times during the approximately 6 hours we were at the gates of Notre Dame my heart would soar when a man in a Roman collar would walk up the street, only to continue walking past the protesters and through the gates. Most wore a look of disinterest, some blatant disgust on their faces. One of them, after being asked by a woman, “Don’t you think it is hypocritical to be part of this heresy?” told her to “Get a life!"

Only one little old priest, who had to walk a gauntlet of anti-Catholic monsters who yelled questions like, “How many little boy’s have you had in your life?” And being told he was going to hell with the pope, was holy enough to stay and protest! After the graduation ceremonies, several priests and a group of nuns left holding balloons with the new messiah’s picture on them!

At my parish pro-life issues are rarely mentioned and usually when they are, it is done by the Knights Of Columbus! We get more sermons on social issues and are constantly being asked to “examine our conscience” to see if we are giving enough to the new church fund or the Bishops Lenten Appeal. I know several Bishops “spoke out” against Notre Dame and Father Jenkins, but what more did they do? Most just disappeared after they spoke out.

Several years ago God gave me one of the most blessed events I have ever witnessed. I got to see how much a little life wants to survive, and I saw first hand the love of a mother and father. I feel Notre Dame and Father Jenkins have spit in the face of my son Jason, daughter-in-law Susan, and granddaughter Suzie Ann. In my opinion the Catholic Church, through Notre Dame and Father Jenkins, had all those people arrested - people who were doing what The shepherd’s of the Church should have been doing.

Please, I ask the leaders of The Catholic Church to start acting more like Christ, so I can answer the question with: “Yes, I Am Catholic,” and with my head held high!

Sonny Torres

_____________________________________________________

For more about the Torres' story see the links below:

Strange Happening on Night of Susan's Tragic Collapse

Family Struggles to Keep “Brain Dead” Woman Alive for her Unborn Child

In the Wake of Obama at Notre Dame

Sunday, May 17, 2009, fifteen members of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society (CPLS) were arrested when they entered the parking lot of the Joyce Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame where the commencement took place. Twenty-five CPLS members actually entered the parking lot of the Joyce Center, carrying photographs of victims of abortion. These were aborted babies who bodies were retrieved from trash dumpsters behind two Michigan abortion clinics in 2008. Read more here...

Fr. Jenkins, Notre Dame betrayed true goal of Catholic education, archbishop Chaput says "We also have the duty to oppose him when he’s wrong on foundational issues like abortion, embryonic stem cell research and similar matters. And we also have the duty to avoid prostituting our Catholic identity by appeals to phony dialogue that mask an abdication of our moral witness. Notre Dame did not merely invite the president to speak at its commencement. It also conferred an unnecessary and unearned honorary law degree on a man committed to upholding one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in our nation’s history."

Obama Scored Big at Notre Dame (Wall Street Journal) "We cannot blame the president for this one. During his campaign for president, Mr. Obama spoke honestly about the aggressive pro-choice agenda he intended to pursue -- as he assured Planned Parenthood, he was 'about playing offense,' not defense -- and his actions have been consistent with that pledge. If only our nation's premier Catholic university were as forthright in advancing its principles as Mr. Obama has been for his."

Dr. Obama of Notre Dame: ‘Irreconcilable Views’ call for a New Catholic Action

ND rally celebrates graduates, praises 'sanctity of life'

Bishop Finn Interviewed on Notre Dame Commencement "We’re fighting for our lives – literally. We are attempting to protect real unborn children by the thousands. We’re fighting for the right to exercise a rightly-formed conscientious difference with public policy. We shouldn’t underestimate the danger of dragging our feet in this effort, or taking a “wait and see” approach. If we are not ready to make a frontal attack on the protection of conscience rights, the overturning of Roe v’ Wade, and the primacy of authentic marriage, we will lose in these areas. I think the rug is already being pulled out from under us. If we sit back and allow ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of peace and cooperation in regards to these things, then we will lose these battles and, later, wonder why."

The Clash between Catholic Culture and Catholic Colleges "If Notre Dame is shaky--if the most identifiably Catholic place in America doesn't seem Catholic--then the old connection between Catholic culture and Catholic institutions and the Catholic Church really is broken beyond repair."

Holy Cross Fr. Wilson Miscamble Speaks to the Graduates at Notre Dame Response Alternative Commencement

NOTRE DAME, HOW FAR YOU'VE FALLEN. Pray for the intercession of the school's founder, Fr. Edward Sorin, and for Our Blessed Mother's in whose name she stands.


True friends of Notre Dame --I thank you for your presence.

I want to thank especially our treasured students in ND Response for inviting me to be with you. It is a great privilege and honor. As I look out on the good and decent people gathered here, I know one thing: There is no place I would rather be.

I have been a teacher at Notre Dame for more than two decades. But today I come before you primarily as a Holy Cross priest – a member of the Religious Order that founded Notre Dame more than a century and half ago.

On November 26, 1842, an extraordinary French priest named Edward Sorin and a small band of Holy Cross brothers arrived at this site – a place where French missionaries had once ministered to the Potawatomi Indians. Fr. Sorin christened the place Notre Dame du Lac. He and his Holy Cross confreres began the work of building a college with a small log chapel as their point of departure. They aimed to serve Christ here. And they sought to evangelize in His name under the patronage of the Blessed Mother. When the young priest wrote home to his superior – Fr. Basil Moreau, the founder of the Holy Cross Order – he put it this way: Here in northern Indiana, he said, he hoped to establish “one of the most powerful means for good in this country.” Since then, the university has prospered....

Now friends, jump ahead to today. The formal leadership of the University still proclaims its fidelity to this vision.

--University leaders assert that Notre Dame is and will be different, so that it can make a difference;

--University leaders assure the parents of incoming freshmen that Notre Dame won’t be like those ‘other’ schools that merely associate themselves with a Catholic or Jesuit ‘tradition’. NO! – to the contrary – here at Notre Dame, their children will find an institution unashamedly Catholic and willing to embrace all the tenets of our faith. Notre Dame will instruct its students in the Church’s moral truths and in its foundational beliefs and principles.

Of late, that rhetoric seems to ring rather hollow. The words have not been matched by deeds. Instead of fostering the moral development of its students Notre Dame’s leaders have planted the damaging seeds of moral confusion.

By honoring President Obama, the Notre Dame Administration has let the students and their parents down. And it has betrayed the loyal and faith-filled alumni who rely on Notre Dame to stand firm on matters of fundamental Catholic teaching – and so to affirm the sanctity of life....

Friends, just ask yourselves whether anyone – regardless of their other accomplishments

– would be honored here at ND if they held racist or anti-Semitic sentiments. They would not – and rightly so! Yet Notre Dame honors at this Commencement a politician who readily proclaims his support for the Freedom of Choice Act, and who is clearly the most radically pro-abortion president in this great nation’s history.

As you know well, Notre Dame undertook this sad action in the face of the 2004 instruction of the U.S. Catholic Bishops that “Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles.” In so doing, the administration has distanced the University from the Church that is its lifeblood – the ultimate source of its identity.

A number of my fellow Holy Cross priests and I believe that such a “distancing puts at risk the true soul of Notre Dame.” Regrettably, this distancing also puts Notre Dame in the service of those who seek to damage the teaching authority of our Bishops. What a sad circumstance for an institution that should stand at the very heart of the Church.

Read Father's complete address.

Another Catholic College President Spouts Hypocrisy

Patricia McGuire, President of Trinity University in Washington, D.C., is embarrassed by the "ugly spectacle" of "Catholic vigilantes" threatening "a half-century of progress for Catholic education" and taking us back to "those insular, parochial pre-Vatican II days" when "academic freedom was not valued within the Catholic Church." Her rant accuses those who protested Obama being honored at Notre Dame of having faces "distorted in the snarl of hatred."

Is Free Speech Dead in South Bend?

I just spoke by phone with a friend, Sonny Torres, who went to Notre Dame this weekend with his wife Karen to protest the university giving Obama an honorary degree and a platform for promoting his policies which include murdering unborn children. Neither of my friends had any intention of getting arrested, but the Lord apparently had other plans.

After six hours of joining in the protests off campus, Karen and Sonny left to begin their long ride back to Virginia. But they got turned around and pulled into the parking lot of a credit union bordering the university campus to get their bearings. As they did, they noticed a group of police cars gathering and officers putting up barricades which appeared to mark the route of the Obama motorcade. So Karen and Sonny got out and Karen pulled out her sign, a half posterboard sheet, that read, "Shame on Notre Dame!"

A few minutes later a police officer came over and told them they'd have to move back 50 feet from the road which they did even though several others were standing closer. As they walked back with the officer, they objected to being singled out and asked why those walking on the sidewalk weren't being moved back. The officer spoke into his phone and a minute later they were surrounded by cops and Karen was summarily arrested, handcuffed, hauled off, and charged with criminal trespass.

In the meantime Sonny, still in the credit union parking lot, watched as a growing crowd gathered along the route, one person carrying a sign that read, "We're proud of Notre Dame" and another with a sign praising Notre Dame president, Fr. Jenkins. Sonny went over to the officer who spoke to them originally and asked why Karen was arrested and these people weren't. The officer claimed Karen "was belligerant" (if you dare to ask a question, you're "belligerant") and then threatened Sonny with arrest as well.

Sonny stayed in the parking lot another fifteen minutes or so and watched the officer sit in his car twenty feet from a group of about 80 people not 50 feet from the street, not ten feet, but actually sitting and standing on the curb practically in the street itself. Apparently none of those who came to worship at the feet of the abortion president was trespassing even though they gathered in the same place, even closer to the street, on ground forbidden to my friends because of Karen's sign, an unwelcome form of speech.

After talking to Sonny, I called the jail and spoke to Deputy Vawastowski (Is she a polish Catholic?) who told me Karen was charged with criminal trespass and her bail was set at $250. She could not give me the statute under which Karen had been charged and said she had no other information, but it would be on the arresting officer's charge sheet.

Now, let's recap this and make everything perfectly clear. Approximately 100 people ended up milling around in the same area as my friends, some much closer to the street within the forbidden 50 foot zone. But the only individual singled out for arrest FOR TRESPASSING was a woman holding a sign that said, "Shame on Notre Dame!" Those bearing signs of approval were unmolested. If this isn't a first amendment violation and a case of false arrest I don't know what is.

The Department of Homeland Security may have pulled their "right-wing extremist" report, but it's clear that pro-lifers are in the sites of law enforcement who will use any pretext to shut them up and make sure the abortion president won't be embarrassed by their signs. The deputies in this case acted like little brownshirts I'm sad to say. (My brother is a retired police officer and one of my heroes. It pains me when I have to criticize law enforcement officers who abuse their authority.)

I hope when you read this you're as angry as I am and will call the jail and protest the false arrest of my friend Karen Torres. The number at the South Bend jail is 574-245-6518. Ask them why they didn't arrest any of the other 50-100 people in the same area who were obviously trespassing as well if my friend was. If you call, please be polite, but express your concern that Karen's was singled out, a clear violation of her right to free speech.

Nancy, Nancy, your nose is starting to look like a flagpole

It's getting clear as the nose on your face that Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and her staff knew about torture, including waterboarding, and didn't object until it became a political hot potato. These days she needs to carry around a flour canister to powder her nose which grows longer by the minute. But who could be surprised? Nancy already threw out the fifth commandment, Thou shalt not kill, and the eighth commandment only forbids lying. Besides, she's the Speaker and rules are for others, especially the opposition.

But who can blame poor Nancy? When the laws of God conflict with the laws of politics, what's a gal (even a devout Catholic gal like Nancy who knows more about the faith than the pope) to do? It was such an opportunity to bash the opposition!

There's plenty to criticize on the torture issue on both sides of the political spectrum, but the charade that Nancy et al occupy the moral high ground is rapidly disintegrating. Nancy on her high horse is plunging down the mudslide into the swamp with the people she's been criticizing. She concurred in the techniques by her silence and now she's lying about it.

Read more about poor Nancy's dilemma:

Pelosi admits waterboard briefing

PRUDEN: Lady's got ants in her pants

CURL: The Speaker misspeaks

EDITORIAL: Pelosi smears the CIA

CIA Says Pelosi Was Briefed on Use of 'Enhanced Interrogations'

Michael Voris to Fr. John Jenkins: "If your light is darkness, how deep will the darkness be."

This program is from RealCatholicTV.com

Notre Dame's Honorary Doctorate, a Breathtaking Hypocrisy!

On Sunday Notre Dame confers on President Obama an honorary Doctor of Law degree. The degree reads as follows with my comments in parens:

At the 164th Commencement The May Exercises The University of Notre Dame Confers the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, on the 44th president of the United States, whose historic election opened a new era of hope in a country long divided by its history of slavery and racism.

[Actually the election opened a new era of despair for the unborn and other weak and vulnerable Americans. Obama has expanded abortion both here and abroad, has advanced the movement to create and cannabalize babies for their stem cells, and is promoting health care rationing that will devalue the lives of the sick and the elderly. The "new era of hope" is a myth. The country is more divided than ever according to a Pew Research Survey. The administration is also, through its economic actions, creating a country of wage slaves that include not only current generations of workers, but several generations yet unborn who will inherit the monumental debt which Obama has tripled in only a few months in office. Obama has united one group, the mainstream media who slaver over the first couple. As far as American citizens are concerned the country is more polarized than in the past 40 years.]

A community organizer who honed his advocacy for the poor, the marginalized and the worker in the streets of Chicago, he now organizes a larger community, bringing to the world stage a renewed American dedication to diplomacy and dialogue with all nations and religions committed to human rights and the global common good.

[There is no doubt that Obama honed his political skills in the corrupt Chicago political machine. As for defending "human rights"...the first human right is the right to life. Abortion preys on the "poor" and "marginalized" who are targeted by organizations like Planned Parenthood. Obama's "dialogue" with foreign leaders has primarily been a sacrifice of American interests while the media focuses on Michelle's wardrobe. And what exactly has the president done to advance the "global common good?" Notre Dame's hyperbolic rhetoric is just that. President Obama has yet to illustrate any contributions to the country or the world which is why Arizona State University had the sense not to give him an honorary doctorate.]

Through his willingness to engage with those who disagree with him and encourage people of faith to bring their beliefs to the public debate, he is inspiring this nation to heal its divisions of religion, culture, race and politics in the audacious hope for a brighter tomorrow. On Barack H. Obama, Washington, District of Columbia

[This is pure rubbish. As Cardinal George pointed out after his meeting with the president, Obama verbally agrees with you while standing for precisely the opposite of your position. He has created the impression of a divided Catholic Church by using the enemies within, like Doug Kmiec and other Catholic quislings, to give the impression he has Catholic support. Among the orthodox who stand for the doctrines of the Church he has little, if any. As Michael Voris of Real Catholic TV says, he wants to neutralize the Church which is the only real opponent standing against his anti-life agenda.]

Notre Dame's actions are reprehensible. The words of their honorary doctorate are so patently dishonest and hypocritical they're breathtaking. God bless the seniors who will skip their own graduation and participate in the alternative on campus this Sunday. Please join them spiritually in praying the rosary for the restoration of a once great school dedicated to the Mother of God.

Catholic Campaign for Human Development Announces Cardinal Bernardin Award

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has announced an annual award to engage young people 18-30 in working against poverty.

The CCHD announcement reads in part:

The Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award is given to a young adult age 18-30 who has demonstrated leadership against the causes of poverty and injustice in the U.S. The award aims to promote young people as leaders, honor their work in their parishes/organizations and strengthen the Catholic community’s participation in CCHD’s anti-poverty mission.

The timing couldn't be more perfect to name an award after Cardinal Joseph Bernardin considering one of "Bernardin's boys" is in the news. Rembert Weakland, former Archbishop of Milwaukee, out of the closet homosexual, may be the perfect "leader" to bestow the first award. His leadership skills are undeniable: leader in destroying the faith in Milwaukee, leader in destroying the historic cathedral, leader in promoting dissent, leader in scandal even in retirement. The man is inexhaustible.

But this award is named for Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. Who can deny that Bernardin had tremendous influence on the Church? An expert at doublespeak, the cardinal could begin a sentence defending a doctrine and undermine it before he reached the period at the end without even taking a breath. His "seamless garment" teaching on the life issues gave cover to countless pro-abortion politicians who claimed their opposition to the death penalty negated their support for killing the unborn.

Like so many of his proteges, Bernardin was accused of homosexual liaisons, most well-known being his relationship with Steven Cook. Here's an excerpt from a 2002 article:

In 1993, an admittedly active homosexual, Stephen Cook, accused Bernardin of sexually abusing him when he was a seminarian in Cincinnati. Although Cook subsequently dropped his suit against Bernardin, stating that he could "no longer trust his memory," Cook nevertheless did not recant his allegations.

Nine months before his death in September 1994 from AIDS, Cook was visited by Bernardin, who wrote about the meeting in the Chicago archdiocese newspaper, the New World. He took the highly unusual step of giving Cook – a man Bernardin earlier claimed he had never met – the chalice with which he said Mass. The gift was especially odd in that Cook never renounced his homosexual activities. At one point, Cook declared that "the Church will change before I will."

Cook, a man who couldn't rub two nickles together left a large estate estimated in the range of a cool $3 million. The out-of-court settlement was sealed, but apparently Cook's "apology" to Cardinal Bernardin and his statement that he couldn't depend on his memories was purchased by the diocese for a seven-digit payout.

Randy Engel in her monumental work, The Rite of Sodomy, devoted an entire chapter to Cardinal Bernardin and the "boys' club" in Chicago. Paul Likoudis in Amchurch Comes Out also documented Bernardin's influence in creating a pro-gay hierarchy. Had Bernardin, who died in 1996, lived until the sex-abuse revelations exploded, his role in covering up and moving around abusers would have rivaled Cardinal Law's. Bernardin's auxiliary bishop from his Cincinnati years,
Daniel Pilarczyk, was "found guilty of failing to report sexual abuse cases invovlving minors from 1978 to 1982 when he worked under Archbishop Bernardin." (Engel, p. 901)

That CCHD would implement this award in the name of one of the most scandalous cardinals in the U.S. Church is no surprise. It's a scandalous organization itself with a history of funding pro-abortion and pro-homosexual groups as well as Alinskyite organizations like ACORN that help elect radical politicians including our abortion president.

Grieve for our poor Church.

Department of Homeland Security Backs Down, Pulls Report

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has egg on its face. This morning the Washington Times reported that the "right-wing extremism" report has been pulled. The document labeled pro-lifers, veterans, those who oppose illegal immigration, and others as potential domestic terrorists. No evidence, mind you, just bigoted stereotyping of those who subscribe to conservative principles of government. A liberal administration that considers "profiling" anathema when it comes to Muslim men in turbans, had no problem profiling those who respect the lives of unborn children.

While this action is welcomed, it would be naive to think that deep-sixing a report based on bigotry will change the mindsets of liberals who demonize their opponents. Recall that DHS head Janet Napolitano originally defended the report and refused to apologize. The tiger may be pretending to be a pussycat at present, but those who love liberty better maintain their vigilance.

A big thank you to the American Center for Law and Justice, one of the groups actively protesting this assault on the free speech rights of American citizens.

Anniversary of the First Apparition at Fatima

Today is the 92nd anniversary of the Blessed Mother's first apparition to three little shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal in 1917. These apparitions, I believe, are crucial to the welfare of the world today. The Blessed Mother promised that if mankind listened to her warnings and did what she asked the world would have peace. The Blessed Mother is no liar, and it is hard to imagine her promising a peace that would come only several generations down the road, therefore, one can only conclude that what she asked for has not been fulfilled. Let us pray that her wishes will be carried out and the era of peace she promised will finally take place.

Read Fatima, in Lucia's Own Words

Here is Lucia's description of the first apparition:

High up on the slope in the Cova da Iria, I was playing with Jacinta and Francisco at building a little stone wall aound a clump of furze. Suddensly we saw what seemed to be a flash of lighting.

"We'd better go home," I said to my cousins, "that's lightning; we may have a thunderstorm."

"Yes, indeed!" they answered.

We began to go down the slope, hurrying the sheep along towards the road. We were more or less half-way down the slope, and almost level with a large holmoak tree that stood there, when we saw another flash of lightning. We had only gone a few steps further when, there before us on a small holmoak, we beheld a Lady all dressed in white. She was more brilliant than the sun, and radiated a light more clear and intense than a crystal glass filled with sparkling water, when the rays of the burning sun shine throuth it.

We stopped, astounded, before the Apparition. We were so close, just a few feet from her, that we were bathed in the light which surrounded her, or rather, which radiated from her. Then Our Lady spoke to us:

"Do not be afraid. I will do you no harm."

"Where are you from?"

"I am from heaven."

"What do you want of me?"

"I have come to ask you to come here for six months in succession, on the 13th day, at the same hour. Later on, I will tell you who I am and what I want. Afterwards, I will return here yet a seventh time."

"Shall I go to heaven too?"

"Yes, you will."

"And Jacinta?"

"She will go also."

"And Francisco?"

"He will go there too, but he must say many Rosaries."

Then I remembered to ask about two girls who had died recently. They were friends of mine and used to come to my home to learn weaving with my eldests stister.

"Is Maria das Neves in heaven?"

"Yes, she is." (I think she was about 16 years old).

"And Amelia?"

"She will be in purgatory until the end of the world." (It seems to me that she was between 18 and 20 years of age.).

"Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and of supplication for the conversion of sinners?"

"Yes, we are willing."

"Then you are going to have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort."

As she pronounced these last words "...the grace of God will be your comfort", Our Lady opened her hands for the first time, communicating to us a light so intesne that, as it streamed from her hands, its rays penetrated our hearts and the innermost depths of our souls, making us see ourselves in God, Who was that light, more clearly than we see ourselves in the best of mirrors. Then, moved by an interior impulse that was also communicated to us, we fell on our knees, repeating in our hearrts:

"O most Holy Trinity, I adore You! My God, my God, I love You in the most Blessed Sacrament!"

After a few moments, Our Lady spoke again:

"Pray the Rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the world, and the end of the war."

Then she began to rise serenely, going up towards the east, until she disappeared in the immensity of space. The light that surrounded her seemed to open up a path before her in the firmament, and for this reason we sometimes said we saw heaven opening.

Pray the rosary daily as the Blessed Mother asked for the conversion of the world.

Archbishop Weakland Comes Out - Surprise!

Did anyone do more than yawn with the big announcement? We all knew it already. See my post at Bishop Loverde, Where is Fr. James Haley?

Notre Dame Debacle this Weekend - Join the Prayer Protest

If you want to see the direct confrontation between good and evil, Notre Dame is the place to be this weekend. Pro-lifers are coming in from around the country. Fr. Frank Pavone will be featured at an alternative graduation event. An open air Mass will take place on campus during the graduation itself. All this along with truth trucks and airplanes travelling around South Bend revealing the murderous reality of abortion. President Obama will find himself in the eye of a hurricane.

Real Catholic TV promises there is something big afoot and is asking for daily recitation of the twenty decade rosary, preferably before the Blessed Sacrament, for Pope Benedict and Archbishop Raymond Burke.

Here is a sampling of relevant articles. Pray that this event is the beginning of the restoration of real Catholic education at universities around the country.

Notre Dame Board of trustees have links to Obama

Prayer request from Michael Voris of Real Catholic TV

Notre Dame Scandal

What do you get for your investment in parenthood?

The Price of Children has been circulating the internet. It starts by repeating government estimates for how much it costs to raise a child to age 18 which groups like Planned Parenthood and Zero Population Growth use to scare folks into childlessness. But this post explains exactly what you get for your money beginning with Naming rights. First, middle, and last!, Glimpses of God every day., Giggles under the covers every night., and More love than your heart can hold.

If you're a parent who needs a lift read it. Even if you're going through tough times with your kids, know that the love and commitment you make will bear fruit in the end. Remember the proverb: "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he won't depart from it."

I personally had a great illustration of the return parents receive for all their love and hard work when my oldest posted a mother's day tribute yesterday on her blog. It was worth a million dollars. But the biggest return of all is grandchildren.

Happy Mothers Day!

Whether you are a new mother, an old mother, a grandmother, a godmother, an adoptive mother, or a spiritual mother -- Les Femmes wishes you a holy and happy Mothers Day.