The Catholic Spectator

  1. Seamless Garment Will Kill More Babies

    November 7, 2008 by Eugene Michael
    It is estimated that FOCA alone would result in 125,000 more abortions a year in the United States. That figure does not take into account other measures, such as Obama’s pledge not to renew the Mexico City Policy and to repeal the Hyde amendment. As a result of Obama’s victory, there will not only be hundreds of thousands of additional abortions, but American taxpayers will be paying for them…But regardless of the final statistics, it is clear that the Obama-Biden ticket received substantial help from Catholics working for parishes and chanceries, as well as a number of high-profile Catholic politicians and jurists. They successfully promoted the flaws of “Faithful Citizenship” to Catholics nationwide, neutralizing any advantage the Church’s pro-life and pro-marriage teachings might offer to McCain-Palin.

    Such is the sad legacy of the Catholic vote and the seamless garment bishops and priests in the United States.

  2. I Prefer the Word of God

    November 7, 2008 by Eugene Michael

    From the Catholic-Muslim Forum in Rome:

    Young people are the future of religious communities and of societies as a whole. Increasingly, they will be living in multicultural and multireligious societies. It is essential that they be well formed in their own religious traditions and well informed about other cultures and religions.

    From Matthew 28:19:

    Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

  3. Jill Stanek Gets It Right

    November 6, 2008 by Eugene Michael

    From Jill Stanek:

    Face it. It is the Christian church’s fault that legalized abortion in America – and now infanticide – exists and persists…The pro-life movement was actually born of necessity by a void in church teaching, and now the church is almost completely reliant on our para-church organizations and the government to handle the gravest human atrocity in all of history…The church must stop abdicating responsibility to stop abortion to the pro-life movement and politicians. (Full article)

  4. Bishop Aquila Issues Warning

    November 5, 2008 by Eugene Michael

    Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, ND, had this to say about Catholic voters:

    Because, yes, all of us will be judged by how we vote. And, yes, there are many Catholics with erroneous consciences who have made prudential judgments that are wrong and have consistently made prudential judgments that are wrong. Either they do not fully understand the teaching of the Church or they choose to ignore that teaching and they choose an evil, and an intrinsic evil.

  5. Obama’s First Priority

    November 5, 2008 by Eugene Michael

    Barack Obama to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007:

    The first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That’s the first thing I’d do.

    Well, now we’ll see if Obama lives up to his pledge. And now we’ll see if the same bishops who implicitly supported Obama will step up and try to stop his number one initiative.

  6. God Will Judge

    November 4, 2008 by Eugene Michael

    From Casti Connubi:

    67. Those who hold the reins of government should not forget that it is the duty of public authority by appropriate laws and sanctions to defend the lives of the innocent, and this all the more so since those whose lives are endangered and assailed cannot defend themselves. Among whom we must mention in the first place infants hidden in the mother’s womb. And if the public magistrates not only do not defend them, but by their laws and ordinances betray them to death at the hands of doctors or of others, let them remember that God is the Judge and Avenger of innocent blood which cried from earth to Heaven.

    Anti-life politicians, especially Catholic ones, would do well to reflect on this passage from Pope Pius XI’s encyclical. “Common good” Catholic voters may also want to consider this before they cast their ballots today.

  7. The Morally Confused Richard McBrien

    November 2, 2008 by Eugene Michael

    From Richard McBrien:

    Senator Obama also made clear that, while he is “pro-choice,” he is not “pro-abortion.” Too many in the anti-abortion movement do not see how this is possible. However, if one can agree that “pro-choice” is not primarily a moral stance but mainly a political and legal one, such a distinction, however controversial, does become possible. (Full column)

    So, according to Richard McBrien, one can be “pro-choice” on an issue without being in support of it. This “logic” would then allow one to be pro-choice on any number of issues.

    I wonder how Richard McBrien would feel about being pro-choice on the following: Homicide, slavery, adultery, racism, poverty, nuclear war, stealing, cluster bombs, genocide, torture, rape, etc., etc.

    Just what sort of moral universe does Richard McBrien inhabit, anyway? And why is his column still carried in the Catholic Courier?

  8. Another DOR Connection?

    November 1, 2008 by Eugene Michael

    Carolyn Portanova is the CEO of the Catholic Family Center in Rochester. In his campaign financial disclosure statement, pro-choice, pro-gay marriage Joe Morelle lists a $1,000 campaign contribution (July, ‘08) from a Carolyn Portanova.

    Perhaps Bishop Clark may want to question his CFC CEO about this donation. If it is her and no action is taken then does this mean it’s alright for Catholics to give financial support to advocates for abortion? Could we then infer that there are no constraints on who we may support politically no matter how egregious their agenda? For example, could we support racists or proponents of genocide?

    You can’t be much more “pro-choice” than Joe Morelle (100% NARAL rating). Unless of course you are Barack Obama. I wonder if a Carolyn Portanova has given any money to that campaign?