More News Highlights

More recent news highlights...

* Pope Benedict has reportedly been "put on the shortlist for Classical Brit Awards" for the recently released album featuring his voice

* The plane crash which killed "much of [Poland's] political and military elite", including the country's president, also claimed the life of Bishop Tadeusz Ploski

* The Diocese of Sacramento has announced that it will stop publishing its diocesan newspaper due to financial reasons. The paper had been in operation for 102 years. The diocese plans to start publishing a bimonthly magazine and will "step up its online presence"

* Cardinal Bertone recently stated that "many psychologists and psychiatrists have demonstrated that there is no relation between celibacy and pedophilia" but says "there is a relation between homosexuality and pedophilia" [Related: Why Priestly Celibacy?]

* Heartbreaking: According to a new report commissioned by the Church in Germany, children were "sadistically tormented" and abused for decades at a Catholic monastery in Bavaria

* Pope Benedict is willing to meet more abuse victims, according to a Vatican spokesman. The Holy Father has previously met with abuse victims both at the Vatican and on trips

* Ridiculous: Notre Dame has issued a new "institutional pro-life statement" despite the fact that they refuse to drop the charges against the pro-lifers arrested for peacefully demonstrating last year on the Catholic campus. The pro-lifers still face jail time and financial penalties

* In a recent interview, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco said that "Proven cases of mismanagement, underestimation of the facts, if not outright cover-up [of abuse cases], will have to be rigorously prosecuted within and outside the Church and, as has already happened in some cases, will have to result in the removal and dismissal of the people involved."

* European hotlines are apparently being "deluged" with calls reporting abuse by priests. The hotline set up by bishops in Germany reportedly received 2,700 calls in the first three days. Many, but not all, calls involve new abuse allegations. One psychotherapist who takes calls reports that victims "often" report feeling "relieved" after utilizing the church-sponsored hotline service

* Double standard: Although a woman has the supposed "legal right" to kill her unborn child via abortion, a California court has sentenced a man to 50 years in prison for killing his unborn child. Pro-lifers note that the mother could have "legally" paid an abortionist to kill the child and neither she nor the abortionist would suffer a penalty - yet the father (justly) must spend most of his life in prison for killing the same child [Related: Threats to Life: Abortion]

* Not good: Despite the many encouraging facts about the recently named future Archbishop of Los Angeles, Archbishop Jose Gomez, TIA reports that the future leader has (regrettably) previously assisted in a Jewish ceremony inside the Catholic Cathedral of San Fernando in commemoration of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah

* A letter written by a Canadian bishop demonstrates that a Canadian priest who was accused of abuse was promoted to secretary-general of the Vatican's Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the early 1990's. The letter also discusses "how to keep the scandal from becoming public." The accused priest - who is in prison & has since been defrocked - was a friend of Pope John Paul II. He was reportedly promoted even though Canadian Church officials already had knowledge of at least one abuse allegation

* Way to go: Bishop Tobin told the head of the CHA, Sr. Carol Keehan, that he was "very disappointed that the Catholic Health Association, under your leadership, publicly endorsed the recent health care legislation that was passed and signed into law" and said that the CHA leader's "enthusiastic support of the legislation, in contradiction to the position of the Bishops of the United States, provided an excuse for members of Congress, misled the public and cause serious scandal for many members of the Church." He further requested that "St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island, sponsored by the Diocese of Providence, be removed from the membership list and mailing list of the Catholic Health Association." Sister Carol Keehan was recently "awarded" one of the 21 pens used by President Obama to sign the abortion-expanding healthcare bill for her 'key role' in the legislation

[4/13]

One of the ND88 dies of cancer

With the legal matter still unresolved, one of those arrested for peacefully protesting on the Notre Dame campus last year has died of cancer. Special council for the pro-lifers noted that the ND 88 have had their lives "turned upside down simply for bearing witness to the truth at a Catholic university that all human life is sacred. For almost a year, these men and women have been forced to live lives with this heavy and undue burden hanging over them."

Please pray for the ND88.

[3/5]

Fr. Jenkins would do it again

Despite the scandal, public protests, graduates' boycotts, criticism from bishops, and the flagrant disregard for the 2004 USCCB statement ("The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions"), Fr. Jenkins has told an interviewer that he would do it all again. The Notre Dame president - who has refused to seek leniency for pro-lifers who were arrested while peacefully protesting on his campus - said that if he had it to do all over again, he would again invite pro-abortion President Obama to speak at commencement and would again award him an honorary law degree. Regarding the pro-homosexual, pro-abortion President, Fr. Jenkins says "It was an honor for us to welcome him to campus." Too bad he wasn't so "honored" by the presence of the pro-lifers (including an elderly priest) who were carted off to jail and still face fines and jail time for peacefully protesting the scandal on Our Lady's campus.

Note: For more regarding the ND-Obama scandal, click here and see the news archives for 2009

[12/28]

Can you say...gullible?

A couple recent news items have set off a "gullibility alert." Wonder how many will be taken in?

» Apparently Catholics are now supposed to believe that Fr. Jenkins of Notre Dame is a pro-life champion. On one hand, he has announced a new task force to "support the sanctity of life" and he plans to attend a march for life next January, on the other hand he invites the "most pro-abortion president in history" to his Catholic campus & awards him with an honorary law degree while peaceful pro-lifers on his campus - including an elderly priest - are carted off to jail. These pro-lifers now face fines and additional jail time since Fr. Jenkins has essentially ignored requests to drop charges or seek leniency. Now there's a great pro-lifer, huh?

» Catholics in Samoa are holding vigils at a building where a "mysterious" image has supposedly appeared. Some believe the image "represents" the Blessed Virgin Mary holding Rosary beads. News reports say the "image" is caused by "weathering" outside the building and by "patches of damp in the tropical climate." One believer said that "it's quite a lot of excitement for us to have something like this", while a spokesman for the Archbishop says of the image, "This is something people should look deeply into." Some observers say the image looks like a "Coca-Cola bottle" while others claim it looks "more like Christ." And where do you think the image appears? One guess... On a building owned by a Protestant (heretical!) 'church'. Yes, that's just got to be the Blessed Virgin. No wait, maybe it's Coke.

[9/17]

Your chance to help pro-lifers

It is being reported that Notre Dame's president is refusing to drop charges or ask for leniency in the case of pro-life protesters who were arrested earlier this year over their peaceful efforts on the Catholic campus. These protesters may now face a fine of $5,000 and up to 1 year in jail. Why not help your fellow pro-lifers by calling the university on their behalf and voicing your opposition to this injustice?

Phone: (574) 631-3903

[9/5]

Putting her faith first

Rather than putting her own interests first, Mary Ann Glendon, a former ambassador to the Vatican, has declined a prestigious honor from Notre Dame due to their honoring of Obama at their upcoming commencement. In her letter to ND's president she states, "as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions 'should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles' and that such persons 'should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.' That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it." Her letter was released to the public in order "to avoid the inevitable speculation about the reasons for my decision". Way to go, Mary! [4/27]