Orthodoxy, eh?

My Local Bishop Stands up for Marriage

2006-08-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

I was happy to read that my local Bishop (Richard Smith, the Bishop of the Diocese of Pembroke, Ontario), told members of the Catholic Women's League (CWL) that Parliament's approval of same-sex marriage was a "terrible mistake." Story here. I've always been very impressed with this Bishop, who, when he was first appointed to the Pembroke Diocese, said that his favorite thing to talk about was the Eucharist. Always a good sign.

I'll comment later on Bush's morning-after pill disaster. For a good critique of "Plan B" go here. Please keep in your prayers those women and children who will be harmed/killed by this decision.

Hiatus is ending

2006-08-16T14:44:00.000-04:00

Hey all. Don't know if there is anyone left checking this blog, but I took a "little" break to study for law school exams and then the bar exam. I'm hoping to keep up with this over the next year, depending on work.

Hope all has been well.

GO IRISH!

Bishop D'Arcy responds to Jenkins

2006-04-27T16:37:00.000-04:00

Read here. I'll post a longer response later. Also, good letter in the Observer yesterday by a woman who is upset with the Jenkins decision. Why? Well, in a powerful and compelling statement, she says that as a woman who was raped, this play offends her dignity and isn't good for anyone. Read that letter here.

As one of my friends stated before, if the whole world was for me, but the people who dissented were Fr. Bill Miscamble, Fr. John Coughlin, Prof. Cavadini and a woman who was raped while she was a Notre Dame student, I would seriously question my decision.

Jenkins fails ND

2006-04-06T16:53:00.000-04:00

I have so much to say and not enough time to say it. Suffice it to say that Jenkins has made a huge error in judgment, and has thus exposed many to something that is truly evil and offensive in every way. I'm too sad to be angry. This just means more distortion and more lies about the Truth of the Catholic Church.

Story here. And here. Text of the final remarks here.

Our Lady, pray for us.

The Anniversary of JPII's Death

2006-04-02T15:49:00.000-04:00

Last year on this day, John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) passed from this world and probably into heaven, after bringing the Catholic Church into the 3rd millenium and changing the lives of countless people, including myself. I can safely say that he is the way that Christ chose to touch my heart and bring me back into the fold of orthodoxy. I think many can say this. John Paul the Great will forever be remembered as the Pontiff who gave us "Theology of the Body," a new hope in the young generation of the Church, and an example of extreme self-sacrifice and love. It is only fitting that today I'm working on a paper exploring his understanding of the human person and human sexuality as it relates to the Code of Canon Law.

Today we remember a man who truly gave us an image of what it means to be loved by Christ. What a joy it is to live in that love!

"Choose Life" License Plates

2006-03-21T20:05:00.000-05:00

Can I just say - I love these license plates. I used to love pointing them out and saying, "There's an unconstitutional license plate!" but now I think the tides are changing. A Tennessee federal court has ruled that these license plates do not violate the First Amendment, even though proceeds from the specialty plates go to pro-life groups or adoption agencies.

I like the license plate tactic because there's little the pro-choice side can do about it. They can argue that the State doesn't promote both sides of the issue, but what's the alternative? Planned Parenthood tried to get a "Choose Choice" plate past the legislature, but as you can imagine, it didn't quite fly. As my First Amendment professor once said, "What are they going to do - have 'Choose Death' plates?" Right. That'll be a big seller. It just goes to show that the slogan "Choose Life" is pretty neutral.

Hurricane Relief

2006-03-13T22:59:00.000-05:00

I'm back in Mississippi again with a group from Notre Dame. This time we're in Gulfport, one of the hardest hit cities. It's been a little surreal to see the destruction about 7 months after the hurricane hit. On the coast especially, there seems to be little progress. I think that's because the people on the coast just left everything behind and moved on. A little bit inland, and the houses were less damaged and people were more willing to stick around and try to make it work.

Anyway...we worked on a house today, preparing it for painting tomorrow. We haven't met the couple that owns it yet, but we should tomorrow. I'll post pictures once I return on Friday.

South Dakota Governor Signs Abortion-Banning Legislation

2006-03-07T18:16:00.000-05:00

The South Dakota Governor, Mike Rounds, made a clear pro-life statement as he signed the Bill that would eliminate most abortions in the state.

"In the history of the world, the true test of a civilization is how well people treat the most vulnerable and most helpless in their society. The sponsors and supporters of this bill believe that abortion is wrong because unborn children are the most vulnerable and most helpless persons in our society. I agree with them. "

Hopefully more states will pass similar laws before Planned Parenthood gets its grubby hands on them. They're expected to contest the law before it comes into effect in July.

To read the Governor's full statement, go here.

Ash Wednesday

2006-03-01T11:17:00.000-05:00

Here is Pope Benedict's Lenten address.

Lent is always bittersweet for me. I almost dread the sacrifices, but at the same time I know that these 40 days hold so much grace. It has seriously turned into my favorite liturgical season. When I was a kid, it was just about giving up something material, but now, the spiritual aspect of it takes precedence. Within the fasting, repentance needs to be the focus, and what comes of repentance is only joy.

Have a blessed Lenten season everyone!

Pro-Lifers win 19-Year Litigation Battle

2006-02-28T23:45:00.000-05:00

The SC unanimously decided that RICO (racketeering statute) does not apply to pro-life advocates who protest at abortion clinics. Story here. NOW must have some money to spare to litigate something so frivolous. Which lawyer was it that came up with the idea that pro-life protesters could be prosecuted under an organized crime statute?

Supreme Court to examine Partial Birth Abortion Law

2006-02-21T23:26:00.000-05:00

Looks like the SC is going to take up the Partial Birth Abortion issue. Story here. If I were Planned Parenthood, I would be very afraid. Chip, chip, chip away...

For those of you not familiar with this gruesome procedure, let me fill you in. A partial-birth abortion occurs when an abortionist punctures the skull of the baby (often sucking the brains out in order to make the head collapse), while the rest of the body (torso, arms, legs) is already, well, born. Besides being a disgusting, makes-me-think-of-the-Holocaust type procedure, the legality of it is absurd. If the doctor pulls the baby's head out of the cervix and punctures the skull, he would be guilty of first-degree murder. If he punctures the skull while the baby's head remains in the birth canal, he performs a medical procedure. Wrap your heads around that one folks.

AllianceND is determined...

2006-02-07T23:46:00.000-05:00

The unofficial and unrecognized group, "AllianceND" has made a call for students to wear their "Gay? Fine By Me" shirts on Thursday, February 9th, in support of the formerly named "Queer Film Festival" on ND's campus. Fox News is apparently coming on Thursday, so they're hoping to glean some media attention. *Sigh*

A member ponders an often-asked question, "What do United For Free Speech, the Vagina Monologues, AllianceND, OutreachND and the Queer Film Festival have in common?" My answer? Distortion.

Thank you again, Fr. Jenkins, for speaking out against this nonsense. Should we have a group of students praying beside the petition drive, just so Fox News knows what a majority of students are actually about at ND?

NY Times Op Ed on Deus Caritas Est

2006-02-03T10:52:00.000-05:00

Monsignor Lorenzo Albecete has commented on the Pope's new encyclical in the New York Times. I like the emphasis on having no fear of a God who is Love. Non-believers seem to fear God because his Truth stretches to all people, but indeed, Truth and Love are intimately connected. It is because Love and Truth are inseparable that the Church reaches out in charity to all. There is nothing to fear from a God who shows us the meaning of our lives through his love.

Albecete is a part of "Communion and Liberation," a movement within the Catholic Church founded by Luigi Guissani.

Alito Confirmed

2006-01-31T12:05:00.000-05:00

Yay for a Catholic majority on the Supreme Court. :)

Great Monologue Article in the Tribune

2006-01-27T10:25:00.000-05:00

Today's South Bend Tribune has a great article about the Monologue controversy on campus, along with a history of the Monologues' and Queer Film Festival's presence at ND and St. Mary's. I'm happy that those who oppose the Monologues being performed at ND finally got a voice.

I wrote my thank you and response to Fr. Jenkins last night. I encourage other students to do the same. Email your responses and suggestions to studrsvp@nd.edu.

Deus Caritas Est

2006-01-26T16:12:00.000-05:00

I haven't been able to read more than the first page of the first encyclical issued by Pope Benedict the XVI, but so far it's very good.

I love how the NYT manages to twist even those things that defy being corrupted. The headline of the piece on the encyclical is this: Benedict's First Encyclical Shuns Strictures of Orthodoxy. Hmmm...does anyone else see the problem here? The NYT lauds Benedict for not mentioning aboriton, euthanasia, contraception - issues that divide Catholics. What they don't realize is the call to love like God loves us through the gift of his Son Jesus, INCLUDES the rejection of these things. LOVE IS ORTHODOXY! It is because we follow Benedict's call to love in this encyclical, that we don't abort, contracept or euthanize. Love is the beginning and the end of all the doctrines of the Church. It is because Christ loves us that he commands us never to destroy married love by contracepting. And it is because of our love for him in return that we order our marriages (and our lives) according to the Church's teaching.

This is the reason Benedict starts with Deus Caritas Est. God or love is the alpha and the omega. True love is orthodoxy.

Alito Gets Past Senate Judiciary Committee

2006-01-24T19:14:00.000-05:00

With all the fuss on campus, I forgot to mention that Alito was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee today. The vote was 10-8, and apparently it was divided along party lines. Unfortunate for those Democrats, I guess, that they can't see what a stellar candidate Alito really is. Oh well - soon it's not going to matter. On to confirmation! Story here.

Why this Result is Perfect

2006-01-24T16:40:00.000-05:00

The genius of Fr. Jenkins' response to the Monologues controversy is apparent in this single statement:

"My concern is not with censorship, but with sponsorship."

Indeed. That is the concern. When the Monologues are relegated to the classroom, they become academic fodder for discussion, something totally appropriate at a thriving Catholic institution. Jenkins is right, things in opposition to the Church need to be discussed and presented in the classroom setting so that the Catholic faith is strengthened. Endorsement of such things is an entirely different matter, and ND's production of the Monologues crossed that line 4 years ago. There will be no ticket sales, and there will be no fundraising. In other words, it will not be Notre Dame presenting an antithetical work with the impression of sponsorship. This is the result that is the most in line with Catholicism. It is the result that is most in line with what academic freedom should be at a Catholic institution.

Remember, it is Catholicism itself that much of the faculty has a problem with, not Jenkins' view on academic freedom. Jenkins took the time to present Catholicism (not just academic freedom) to the faculty and students at Notre Dame. Real, authentic, orthodox Catholicism was presented to hundreds by the President of the university. I believe that is the first time since before Hesburgh that something like this has happened.

Again, I encourage you to read his address in full. It is a sign of wonderful things to come, and a true renewal of Notre Dame's vibrancy as a Catholic institution. More later on the students' reactions.

Monologues relegated to a classroom

2006-01-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

I am very, very pleased with this. In fact, I'd say this is a real and tangible victory for those who oppose the Monologues. Story in the Observer. Note this line:

""The reason that this play is here on this campus is because it was chosen by the students ... To take that away from them and to say it can only be in an academic setting which cuts down on the audience … it takes away a voice of students," Phillips said, responding to Jenkins' decision that this year's "Monologues" production will be held in a classroom rather than on stage. "And that, for lack of a better phrase, isn't right."" (boldface mine)

There is a big difference between the Monologues on stage and the Monologues in a classroom. I don't believe that the official "V-Day" campaign can be involved if it's just a production in the class.

This is one of the best days of my time at Notre Dame. Seriously.

Here's the text of Jenkins' speech from yesterday. Good stuff - if you want to understand what academic freedom means from a Catholic perspective, this is essential reading.

Last Post on the Election

2006-01-24T00:53:00.000-05:00

I'm going to do some Fed Tax homework and go to bed. I'm happy that the Conservatives have secured a victory. I was hoping for 130 seats, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Oh well - this was a major breakthrough for the Conservatives and a major shift in the future of Canada. I can't wait to see how this minority government works out. Canadians need a change, and I think we got it.

Oh yeah - Paul Martin already stepped down as leader of the Liberals. Ha. The sooner I forget his name, the better.

Conservatives projected to win

2006-01-23T22:13:00.000-05:00

As of 10pm, the Conservatives have already elected or are leading in 99 seats in the House of Commons, whereas the Liberals are at 89. There are still the western provinces to go, which are dominated by Conservative strongholds. It is looking really, really good for the Conservatives.

CBC updates here. Continuing coverage here.

Update: The big story is the Conservative gain in Quebec. While the Liberals have lost a bunch of ridings, the Conservatives have picked up the slack in a province they've never won seats in before.

Update 2: Elected seats - Conservatives 50, Liberals 33. (For those of you who aren't familiar with the system, there are 308 seats in the House of Commons to be won.)

Update 3: Elected seats - Conservatives 80, Liberals 48

Update 4: Elected seats - Conservatives 101, Liberals 78
(Just a note, that the Conservatives have won 7 seats in Quebec (7 more than they ever have before)

Hey! The person I voted for in my riding was reelected! Conservative Party candidate Cheryl Gallant won over 56% of the vote, and she's vocally pro-life and pro-marriage.

Update 5: Total seats in Alberta - 28. Total seats won by Conservatives in Alberta - 28. Heh. I love Alberta.

UPDATE 6: Elected seats - Conservatives 119, Liberals 98 (Only 13 more ridings to be decided and I think there are a couple of recounts).

Status of the "Vile"logues at ND

2006-01-23T18:41:00.000-05:00

Fr. Jenkins met with the faculty today to discuss academic freedom and Catholic character. I've been informed that he told the faculty that anything that takes place at ND is perceived as being sponsored or endorsed by ND and that events that are antithetical to Church teaching should not be presented. He also said that the Monologues make sexual objects out of women.

This is looking really good. And boy will I celebrate if cancellation actually takes place.

March for Life

2006-01-23T15:10:00.000-05:00

Today is the annual March for Life in D.C. "After Abortion" is live blogging, and it looks like ND Right to Life was introduced by the event coordinators to the whole crowd (they took 3 buses down - impressive). This is the first time in 3 years I haven't attended. Wish I could be there.

Bush gave his usual radio feed - I wish he'd just show up to the thing. Could he possibly be worrying about his image now???

I don't have a count of people yet, but it looks like Steubenville cancelled classes for the day so that everyone could go, so they took 10 buses full of people. Just so everyone knows, that's 3/4 of the school. Sweet.

Election Today

2006-01-23T14:57:00.000-05:00

Today's the big day. Polls opened this morning and will be open until 10:30pm EST tonight. CBC coverage starts at 10pm. Latest poll results here. I'll be updating tonight as things progress.

Monologues stuff

2006-01-20T15:26:00.000-05:00

I know, I know - I'm obsessed. Well, with keeping the Monologues of Notre Dame's campus, anyway. Here's Amy Welborn on her distaste for "V-Day" stuff. She says it so well.

Here's the link to the V-Monologues website, but for those not used to women degrading women while masquarading as liberators, be forewarned, it's disgusting.

Oh yeah...and the English Department at ND received this email yesterday, urging them to attend Fr. Jenkins' talk, stating that this address might be a "defining moment" on Notre Dame's campus:

Dear English Colleagues,

You've no doubt seen the announcement about the upcoming speech by our University President to be presented Monday 1/23 at 4:30pm at the DPAC. I want to urge as many faculty as possible to attend the talk, especially given our departmental discussion of sponsorship of The Vagina Monologues held back in December. I think it is safe to say that this has the potential to be a defining moment in the development of our University, and that the relationship between "Academic Freedom and Our Catholic Character" (to use the title of Jenkins's talk) will be crucial to that development. It's worth mentioning that Jenkins is presenting another lecture, this one to the students and titled "Academic Freedom and Catholic Character." It is scheduled for the following day, 12:30-1:45pm, in Washington Hall. (I don't have a reading of the significance of the omission of the "our" in the students' talk). If you're teaching at that time, you might consider giving students who are interested permission to leave class to attend. I'd also like to call attention to some relevant documents that are available for your perusal on the Web. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has been centrally concerned with questions and standards of academic freedom since at least 1940. Their main site on the issue is: http://www.aaup.org/com-a/index.htm Many of the organization's statements are focused specifically on faculty, and in particular on tenure issues. My sense of the situation here at Notre Dame is that individual faculty members' academic freedom is not in question. And I don't think there is likely to be a challenge to the idea that students have academic freedom in the classroom (I very much hope not to be proven wrong on these points by anything in the speeches next week). What is less often discussed is students' academic freedom, especially insofar as that concept applies outside the classroom. As you'll see from the quotations I'm pasting below, the AAUP believes that the protection of academic freedom extends to students, and that it includes activities beyond the classroom, including "films, exhibitions, and performances." As Undergraduate Director, I want to call your attention to this issue. We should care about it simply for the sake of our students, but it also has some bearing on our own, collective academic freedom, as evinced by our departmental vote to sponsor the Vagina Monologues. The AAUP has since at least 1967 emphasized the connection between student academic freedom and the larger issue of academic freedom, as in the statement you will find at: http://www.aaup.org/statements/Redbook/Studentrights.htm

Perhaps most pertinently, paragraph 2(b) under "Student Affairs" reads: "Students should be allowed to invite and to hear any person of their own choosing. Those routine procedures required by an institution before a guest speaker is invited to appear on campus should be designed only to ensure that there is orderly scheduling of facilities and adequate preparation for the event, and that the occasion is conducted in a manner appropriate to an academic community. The institutional control of campus facilities should not be used as a device of censorship. It should be made clear to the academic and larger community that sponsorship of guest speakers does not necessarily imply approval or endorsement of the views expressed, either by the sponsoring group or by the institution."

And the footnote to that paragraph reads: "The events referred to in this section should be understood to include the full range of student-sponsored activities, such as films, exhibitions, and performances."

Browsing the AAUP site, you will find not just the organization's official statements about these issues, but also a range of articles about them, from a wide range of perspectives. These also include some discussions of academic freedom at Catholic colleges and universities. I hope to see many colleagues at the President's speech, and that it and the ensuing discussion are lively and productive.

I was struck, first of all, at how this director doesn't realize how irrelevant the AAUP's opinions are in relation to academic freedom at a Catholic institution. Catholicism changes the nature of academic freedom, for the simple reason that the Catholic Church and its institutions must search for the truth while already being secure in possessing the Truth. It's a different sort of dynamic, if you will.

Canadian Federal Election on January 23rd

2006-01-17T20:11:00.000-05:00

For all of my American friends - an important event will take place next Monday, and it will have nothing to do with the USA! Most of you, I'm sure, did not know that there will be a federal election in Canada on January 23rd, determining who will be the new party in power, and subsequently, the new Prime Minister.

For once, the election is kind of thrilling for me, since because of the pervasive corruption of the Liberal party, the Conservative party actually has a chance to form a majority government! At this point, Canadians are so desperate for change, that they'll take anyone but the Liberals. And that's just fine with me.

For information on the Conservative Party of Canada, go here. For polling results, go here, and here.

Fr. Jenkins to Give Address on Academic Freedom

2006-01-16T15:15:00.000-05:00

The email suggests that Fr. Jenkins (President of Notre Dame) will focus on the Vagina Monologues and the Queer Film Festival in his address. I'm very excited for this talk. Although there are rumors that the Monologues are still taking place this year, I think this sort of openness about the serious misgivings Catholic administrators should have about this performance is a good thing.

For those on campus or near campus, the talk will take place at Washington Hall on January 24th from 12:30-1:45pm.

For a sample letter urging Fr. Jenkins to halt the production of the Monologues on Notre Dame's campus, go here.

Little Rock

2006-01-10T22:07:00.000-05:00

This is my first time in Arkansas, and I must say, I'm enjoying it. Little Rock is a cute little city with a river running through it. What I didn't realize, upon first arriving here, is that Little Rock is the home of the Peabody Hotel, famous for its elevator-riding ducks. I can't wait to go and see it for myself.

I'll have more on the Alito hearings later - I haven't been that attentive to them, but I know he's doing a marvelous job with the Senators' questions.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy New Year.

Brief Blogging Vacation

2005-12-16T09:52:00.000-05:00

Not that I've been posting all that much anyway, because of exams, but I'm travelling home to Canada tomorrow, to my humble farm where there is no Internet. (That's right, and no microwave or dishwasher either - it's a good life.) So my blogging will be sporadic at best (only when I have the chance to log on at the public library in town).

So on that note, I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. Rejoice in the dwelling of Christ among us.

Embryonic Stem Cells to Cure Disease is "Folly"

2005-12-12T20:27:00.000-05:00

Finally, an honest researcher on this topic. I'm so sick of hearing about how embryonic stem cell research will save the world, when there hasn't been any successes to date (that and the whole killing a human being thing). And the discrediting of adult stem cell research (the type of stem cell research that isn't morally reprehensible) rings sooo hollow. I just don't understand it. It's like some researches WANT to end embryonic human life, even in the face of progress on the adult stem cell end.

Canadian Catholic High School Allows Martin to Speak During Campaign

2005-12-09T11:14:00.000-05:00

It's bad enough that the school let this openly pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, "Catholic" politician speak to students during his campaign, but the worst part to me was the response of the Bishop of that Diocese. When asked whether he was concerned about the action of the high school in light of the the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' document that condemns Catholic institutions giving platforms to pro-abortion speakers, his response was, "I'm not aware of that document."

Now granted, it's a United States Conference document, but it was the subject of much controversy in the last few years, especially with Kerry's campaign. And maybe non-Canadians are more sympathetic because they don't realize how much Canadians actually know about all things American, including American politics, but isn't this a little irresponsible? I mean, that a Bishop of a diocese has no idea about the norms concerning Catholics in political life? I mean, I can't actually believe that he hasn't heard of this document. And even without the document, the Church has been very clear on the issue of Catholic institutions relating to Kerry Katholic politicians.

Also, the Chairman of the School Board was blathering about having a "world leader" come to speak. Even if Paul Martin was a world leader instead of corrupt and embarrassed politician about to lose his seat as Prime Minister, shouldn't the Catholic school be the one to take a stand. I mean, the public schools politely declined because it's during a campaign, but the Catholic school was just drooling in the sidelines waiting to pick up the scraps. Pathetic.

She said She'd "Try to Explain" Someday

2005-12-07T21:20:00.000-05:00

My disgust for this woman is a little hard to contain. My hope is that when her daughter grows up, she might have a more forgiving spirit than I would.

Imagine, for a moment, attempting to kill your child through an abortion. Then imagine that the doctors made a "mistake," and the child survived the procedure. I can image these things. But what I can't imagine is a mother who sues the hospital that performed the abortion for damages, speaks to a national news source about the burden that is now on her life, and claims that she'll try to explain it to her child someday.

For all you pro-choice people who shout about how pro-lifers don't care about life after birth (a claim that is absurd at best), how is this action not callous towards the life of her 4 year old child? Mommy, why did you try to kill me? How will she explain her actions without inflicting emotional/psychological trauma on her child? And the added fact that this girl was a twin - Mommy, why did you kill my sister? In the end, this woman will have to try and explain why she at one time wanted this precious little person dead. And she will furthermore have to explain why she thought the child was so unbearable of a burden that she initiated a court case to collect damages.

I wonder if she takes Jayde (the child) with her to court so that she can hear the lawyers argue about just how much of a burden she is today, tomorrow and for the rest of her life.

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

2005-12-06T13:25:00.000-05:00

Here's a link to the history of the saint. My grandfather used to drive to our house every year on the eve of this Feast and drop off a bag full of fruit, chocolate and other small gifts. Like St. Nicholas, he always gave anonymously. We would get a knock on the door, see the bag and then run to the windows in time to see tail lights going down the driveway in the dark.

Here's a link to the St. Nicholas Center's website, which has tons of cool ideas about how to celebrate, plus history, etc.

New Instruction Doesn't have Much that's "New"

2005-11-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

The new instruction entitled "Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in View of Their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders" (what a title) has finally arrived (officially). The document itself seems to simply reiterate the Church teaching on homosexuality, as found in the Catechism and various other encyclicals and pastoral letters. It states that men who "practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture'" are not to be admitted to the priesthood.

The document states, again, that the homosexual tendency is an "objectively disordered inclination." I know some people have needed clarification on this point: although the Church distinguishes between homosexual acts and homosexual tendencies, the tendency itself is considered to be objectively disordered. The act is "gravely sinful," just as a heterosexual act of fornication is.

Here's the document in full. I'm open to comments, particularly on whether or not those with "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" should be allowed to be priests. The other two things - those who practice homosexuality or support the gay culture - seem more obvious.

Oh Canada

2005-11-28T19:06:00.000-05:00

Will somebody please vote this guy and his party out of office? Pretty please? Looks like it might just happen tonight. For those of you who aren't familiar, Canada has this funky thing where the minority government can lose it's position of power by a no-confidence vote taken by the Members of Parliament. A no-confidence measure is a motion that someone from an opposing party brings forward, stating that the party in power no longer has the "moral authority" to govern the country. It expresses the "non-confidence" of the people in the leadership.

In this case, if an election is called in January, Paul Martin's party will most likely fall. Let's hope it happens soon. Good riddance.

UPDATE: Martin's government is toppled. Election to be in January. I'll get to vote while I'm home!! Story here.

Save the Earth, Don't Have Kids?

2005-11-18T16:57:00.000-05:00

My initial reaction to this was disgust, then anger, and then, well...pity. It must be a pretty sad world where your sole happiness is an inanimate object (the Earth). Members of this group ask that, for the sake of the environment, people don't have any more kids. Let's make the position clearer: we should render ourselves extinct for the sake of the planet.

Whether you're religious or not, one thing should be clear. Your life, my life, and the lives of any children we might help to create, are each worth infinitely more than the Earth and the whole solar system combined. While we are to respect the Earth, it is a home FOR US. It provides resources FOR US. It would have no purpose without human beings.

For the theologically minded: the co-creation of a soul that will live for eternity is the most noble and important thing that human beings participate in. How dignified we are as humans, that our God would allow us to take part in his Act of Creation? How sinful would it be to worship the god of Mother Earth? He has lowered himself to make us responsible for the carrying out of his plan of salvation on earth by co-creating persons to love Him forever.

I am deeply sorry for this group. For when they give their lives to Earth they get nothing in return. And when they serve only idols, silence is the answer.

What DOESN'T Medicare cover?

2005-11-13T20:12:00.000-05:00

So not only do my tax dollars in Canada go towards funding abortions, but now I have to pay for this. There is no end to the madness.

Interesting Abortion Statistics

2005-11-04T14:40:00.000-05:00

These charts show the percentage of pregnancies ending in abortion, state by state. They've divided it up between state of occurrence and state of residence (of the mother, I'm presuming). All in all, it looks like abortion is declining everywhere but in the big cities (namely, LA and New York). Look especially at the county breakdown at the bottom of the page. The state of residence maps seem more helpful to me, because I like to see whether certain States' laws form the minds of pregnant women wanting abortions. But I can see how the state of occurrence maps can also be helpful to see where people are going for their abortions.

Putting the Smack Down

2005-11-03T11:19:00.000-05:00

We had a visitor to campus this week from the Vatican. Archbishop Michael Miller, secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, spoke to students and administrators at Notre Dame on Monday about the possible courses of action regarding Catholic institutions that have lost or compromised their Catholic identity.

Of particular interest to me was this comment: "The 'wait and see' approach generously relied on the goodwill of Catholic educators, but it has only allowed disunity and dissent in the Church to go unchallenged, with disastrous consequences for Catholic students and their families." Miller predicts that the Holy Father would rather have these universities stripped of their Catholic title than allow them to continue in creating scandal. It remains to be seen what happens, and I don't think that Miller was really saying anything about Notre Dame having a serious problem, but it's something to think about. With all the new, orthodox Catholic universities popping up everywhere, I think I might fall on the side of just letting the dissenting institutions go. Good riddance to bad rubbish. (Yes, I'm talking to you, Boston and Georgetown.)

For an interesting conversation about Catholic law schools, go to Mirror of Justice.

Happy All Saints Day

2005-11-01T10:46:00.000-05:00

Today is the Feast of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States. Is it still a Holy Day of Obligation for Canadian citizens? (I always wondered about this, whether there are jurisdictional rules for Holy Days of Obligation....) Nevermind...I'm going to Mass anyway! :)

Here's a great reflection from St. Bernard on the Feast. Hat tip: Amy Welborn.

As I found out from talking about Halloween in the previous post, the Feast of All Saints was instituted by Gregory IV sometime between 827 and 844. Of course, they were talking about a day for all the Holy Ones back in the 600's, but nothing official for the whole Church till the 800's. Still - this means that it's a VERY old Feast. For more info on the relationship between All Saints Day and Halloween, go here, and here.

Bush Nominates Alito

2005-10-31T09:37:00.000-05:00

I, of course, am very pleased. I am also good friends with one of his former clerks, and I've heard nothing but high praise for his legal mind and good character. I don't know if Bush could have made a better pick.

Here's the SCOTUS blog discussion. And here's the discussion of his free-exercise decisions at Mirror of Justice. And you might want to join in the discussion on Open Book.

Wiccans Might be Offended by Halloween

2005-10-28T15:15:00.000-05:00

The Toronto School Board issued a memo to its teachers and principals warning that the traditional celebration of Halloween may offend and "traumatize" those who practice Wiccan rituals. The Board stated that a Wiccan may not appreciate the "Christian sexist demonization of pagan religious beliefs." Is that what Halloween is? I always thought that the Eve of All Souls Day was a Christian religous tradition systematically paganized by the secular world over time. I'm offended that Halloween has become a mockery of this Christian tradition. But now trick or treating is offensive to Wiccans? This one isn't quite coming together for me.

My Trip

2005-10-21T15:41:00.000-05:00

There's so much to say, and I couldn't possibly explain everything, so here are a couple of observations:

- The coastal communities are devastated, but recovering. No rebuilding is going on right now. Mostly people are trying to clean out the homes that were submerged under water. All that remains of the homes along the shore is foundations.

- People from all over the US are giving aid. We stayed at a Catholic Student Center with students from the University of Richmond and Charleston College. Other people just left their jobs and will be in Mississippi for months.

- All of the people we met who were devastated by the storm are in good spirits, saying that the Lord will get them through all of their tribulations. There was a lot of joy and thanksgiving to God for his many blessings. This attitude was the most powerful thing on the trip for me.

- The parish we stayed at in Hattiesburg is doing great things for relief. They have a distribution center and they also house anyone who wants to help out (including us). The priest there is incredible (Fr. Tommy - and he loves Notre Dame!) and all the parishoners are being very generous with their time. Here's the link to the parish if you want to contact them. They're taking donated goods from all across the US.

2005-10-21T12:25:00.000-05:00

The size of the uprooted trees amazed me. I couldn't have imagined something this powerful before the trip.

2005-10-21T12:21:00.000-05:00

More...

2005-10-21T12:20:00.000-05:00

Just got back from Mississippi. Here are some pictures of what I saw on the coast.

Hurricane Relief in Mississippi

2005-10-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let you know that I'll be heading to Mississippi on Sunday to help with the relief effort over my fall break. My group of 8 will be joining up with the Catholic Student Association of Southern Mississippi University to do clean up and distribute goods to families in need. I'm very excited about going.

To donate to Hurricane Relief through Catholic Charities, go here.

Canadian Thanksgiving

2005-10-11T21:56:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the silence lately, folks. I was in Canada for Thanksgiving. Yes, I know you will all ask - what is Canada thankful for?? Well, my answer to this typical and frequent question is, "Same thing as y'all!" We eat the same food and we celebrate the discovery of the New World, of which we are very much a part. Also, our celebration happens on Colombus Day, which is entirely more appropriate than when it takes place in the US. :)

So yes, I went home to the farm for Thanksgiving. First time since high school. It was a beautiful fall weekend, and I made sure to take the time to just walk around my family's rolling property, marvelling at how beautiful everything was. Isn't it amazing how much you take your home for granted as a kid? I just walked up and down the hills and looked out over the river at the other properties surrounding ours. The leaves were orange and red, warning of the impending winter. The silence and the cold wind reminded me that at the basis of the Canadian culture is a mentality of survival. We're a community because it takes a community to keep yourself alive in the harsh winters of the Canadian north. We're a simple people, because in a life where resources must be spent on survival, simplicity is necessary. Home was a good reminder of where I come from and what has shaped me from the beginning. It reminded me of life's simple joys.

Chief Justice Roberts Confirmed

2005-09-29T11:02:00.001-05:00

I am very, very pleased. On to the next confirmation...

Fr. Jenkins' Inaugural Address

2005-09-26T10:08:00.000-05:00

Here's a link to the new ND President's inaugural address. I thought it was excellent, stressing the need for a real relationship between faith and reason, academic excellence and strong faith. He seemed courageous, stating that it was controversial for Notre Dame to maintain this mission of a truly Catholic university. You can tell he is a Thomist, and a good one, at that. I was impressed from beginning to end. The sense I got is that we have been given the difficult task of pursuing the Truth. We can ask the hard questions while still knowing where the ultimate answer comes from - Jesus Christ in his Catholic Church. This allows for a certain confidence in our inquiry, a contribution much needed in the academic field today.

Thanks to Father Jenkins for inspiring the leaders of Our Lady's university to maintain the Catholic identity of this place. Be assured of our prayers as you embark on this difficult, but fulfilling task.

Orange T-shirt Day at ND

2005-09-23T11:02:00.000-05:00

Next Thursday, the unrecognized Gay-Straight Alliance at Notre Dame will attempt yet another "Gay? Fine By Me." t-shirt day. In recent years this has been surrounded by controversy, as the message of the shirts is inherently ambiguous, causing confusion. For information on this event, check out the AllianceND website.

Here is an article I wrote in 2004 expressing my views on the shirts. Again, I would like to stress that I believe that homosexuals should be welcomed and loved as any other person made in the image and likeness of God. My objection is to the harmful glorification and approval of disordered acts. In fact, in talking to someone on campus who counsels homosexuals here at ND, I was told that there are homosexuals on campus who are deeply disturbed and offended by these shirts. Something to ponder...

Federalist Society at NDLS

2005-09-15T11:13:00.000-05:00

I was glancing over the list of names on the email list for the Federalist Society today, and I did a count. It appears that OVER 1/3 of the law school student body is a member of the Federalist Society. Crazy. I don't know what that says, but it at least says that there are generally conservative, open-minded folks interested in debate here at NDLS. The President of the Notre Dame Chapter has his own blog. Check it out here.

Pharmacists to be Denied Conscience Rights

2005-09-14T16:49:00.000-05:00

The Ontario Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council is gearing up to pass a resolution that would effectively prevent pharmacists from refusing to provide pharmaceuticals such as the Pill based on religious objections. Again, this type of regulation violates the rights of those pharmacists who act on their conscience by not providing abortifacients or contraceptives. It reminds me of those bumper stickers I've seen - "Don't like abortion? Don't have one." Now, these bumper stickers are seriously twisted and disturbing, but couldn't we apply the same low standard in these cases? "Like Contraception? Go somewhere else to get it." As far as I can see, there is nothing in the Charter that guarantees a right to contraception.

New Orleans: Saturated in Catholicism?

2005-09-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

Here is a great article about the Catholic roots of New Orleans and the "sacramentality" of the city. To this writer, who grew up in a northern suburb, the city taught her how to be Catholic, the hyped-up pagan rituals giving only a superficial glimpse of city life. I have to admit, when I found out that "Katrina" is the Greek word for "purification," I originally thought it a creepy, but appropriate, name. This piece gives a different perspective - a way of seeing how God powerfully speaks to us through normal events and "cultural" Catholicism, especially in places like New Orleans.

Great Article about WYD and Benedict

2005-09-11T11:58:00.000-05:00

This piece highlights the differences between JPII and Benedict, and likewise, the differences in reaction by the youth at WYD. Benedict has a "style" all his own. As the article states, JPII was given the task of showing a humbled Church what Christ teaches us. Now, the mandate is to show WHY the Church teaches what she teaches. And Benedict is up to the task - we just have to listen.

Viva il Papa!

More Freedom of Speech/Religion Violations

2005-09-09T09:40:00.000-05:00

Another innocent man in Canada has been brought before a Human Rights Tribunal with the threat of large fines for writing a letter to the editor against gay-rights curriculum in schools and the homosexual lifestyle in general.

What is most striking about this case, is that the man is a youth minister and regularly ministers to homosexual high schoolers. He is doing a great service to the youth in his group, decrying immoral behavior of all kinds. He loves all of the youth, regardless of their sexual orientation. Why is this man being charged with human rights violations? Again, Canada continues on this blind path of limiting freedom of speech and religion.

There is but One Church in China

2005-09-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

In what I see as a peaceful but direct way of telling China that there is only one Catholic Church in China, Pope Benedict has callled 4 Chineses Bishops to the Eucharistic Synod - one of them not a member of the "official" communist-recognized Church. Check out the story at www.zenit.org/english. Looks like he's breaking new ground, as this is the first time since the beginning of Communism that a Pope has invited an un-recognized Bishop to Rome.

Hopefully China will let the Bishops come...

Fellow NDLSer in the NY Times

2005-09-05T10:49:00.000-05:00

A fellow ND law student, Brendan Loy, has an article written about him and his hurricane blogging attempts in today's NY Times. Quite the accomplishment, I must say. Congrats, Brendan! Your blogging during Katrina deserves the praise.

Interesting Development

2005-09-05T09:39:00.000-05:00

Bush nominates Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Will this hurt his chances for confirmation? I'm wondering...I hope Bush knows what he's doing.

I don't want to focus too much on the politics of all this when a great man has just died. Justice Rehnquist was an excellent judge who devoted his life to upholding the rule of law. He will be remembered fondly by all who knew him. May he rest in peace. For a great reflection on his life from my professor, Rick Garnett, go here.

Yet Another (not-so-subtle) Anti-Catholic Piece by the Guardian

2005-08-29T16:19:00.000-05:00

This newspaper annoys me to no end. The misunderstanding and hostility towards the Catholic Church and Pope Benedict abound. This article, titled "Vatican Plan to Block Gay Priests" totally misrepresents and basically mocks the Catholic faith and its humble servant.

I mean, the author thinks that Benedict is reviewing the new standards for seminaries very carefully because he's afraid he'll stir up too much controversy. Mr. Doward sees B16's attendance at WYD as a PR scam. He says:

"It[sp] been suggested Rome would publish the instruction
earlier this month, but it dropped the plan out of concern
that such a move might tarnish his visit to his home city of
Cologne last week."

Give me a break. No one suggested this to Mr. Doward - he made it up himself! Believe me, if the Pope was concerned about PR, he wouldn't have shouted out to the millions of youth at WYD, "You must stay true to Peter's successor!" and "You can't pick and choose your doctrines!"

Oh, and this last paragraph is my favorite:

"The Vatican has been carefully trying to soften Benedict's image since he was elected earlier this year. In recent weeks he has reached out to the Jewish and Muslim communities as well as young Catholics during the church's World Youth Day. The initiatives have been seen as a significant PR success. A decision to publish an instruction that would underscore his religious conservatism would be detrimental to Benedict's standing as he enjoys his 'honeymoon period' on the world stage."

Oh yes, as if the Church needs the approval of the Guardian to exist, or better yet, the 60-year old femi-Nazi priestess wannabees who think they can change 2000-year old doctrines with their disobedience. Honeymoon period, my ass. You know what, the "honeymoon period" of support that Benedict enjoys right now comes from a young generation of Catholics, 1 million of whom made an appearance at WYD last week. And we're going to be around for a real long time, friends.

And finally, newsflash to Mr. Doward: reaching out to our Jewish brothers and sisters and the Muslims of this world is a part of the Catholic mission. Not that I would expect him to understand.

Hurricane Katrina

2005-08-28T19:46:00.000-05:00

Well, this isn't a weather blog, and I'm no expert, but I think New Orleans is on the brink of the biggest natural disaster in its history. Katrina is a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds, and it is expected to hit land sometime early tomorrow morning. Because NO is in a basin some feet below sea level, it is likely that the whole city will be a 30 foot deep lake by tomorrow morning. It doesn't look good. Please pray for all who are not able to leave the city and anyone left in the coastal cities.

For great updates and all your Katrina-tracking needs, go to www.brendanloy.com. This guy is a fellow law student at NDLS and is blogging this thing like a mad fiend. I'm sure he's going to be up all night monitoring the storm.

Saint Jude, patron of hopeless situations, pray for us!

2005-08-26T15:38:00.000-05:00

One more picture. Not surprisingly, I didn't take this one - one of my friends did. Habemus Papam!

Freedom of Speech/Religion Violations in Alberta

2005-08-26T14:10:00.000-05:00

For a long time now, this situation with Bishop Henry of the Diocese of Calgary, Alberta has intrigued me. This Bishop has simply done his job as pastor of his flock, speaking out against gay marriage. There was a compalint filed by the homosexual community of Calgary, and now he must participate in a mediation process.

Arguments in favor of gay marriage aside, is this not a blatent violation of this Bishop's right to practice his religion? I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a problem with a Bishop being tried by a Human Rights Tribunal for preaching the doctrines of his faith.

My Article for the Irish Rover on World Youth Day

2005-08-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

Here are my more prominent thoughts on the reaction of the youth to Pope Benedict XVI that I wrote down for one of the newspapers at ND:

The media had said that it was his charisma with the youth, or maybe his age - his frailty invoking a sort of sympathetic response from the young people of the world – or perhaps even his battle with Parkinson’s. Some wondered whether any youth would make the trek to the 20th World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany if the beloved John Paul the Great was not in attendance. In their misunderstanding, many asked if the youth would remain in the Catholic Church after the death of their “charismatic leader.” After all, the youth loved the man, but they did not believe his message, right?

In the end, 1 million pilgrims from 164 countries traveled to Cologne to greet the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, on his first international trip since he ascended to the papacy in April, 2005. They arrived with great enthusiasm, waving the flags of their respective countries proudly, and on the day of the Pope’s arrival shouted “Benedetto!” relentlessly as they waited in the crowded streets. Many wore shirts proclaiming their love for the new Pope and their support for this man who had so long protected the Church from heresy as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. “I love my German Shepherd” was a popular slogan, along with “Papa Ratzi.” Some pasted pictures of Benedict to their flags or wore hats with “Habemus Papam” written across the front.

As I witnessed this outpouring of support from the world’s Catholic youth, it struck me that the media, not surprisingly, had gotten it all wrong. The youth were not attracted to JP II’s charisma, his quiet face or his love for the outdoors. They have all along been attracted to the idea of Christianity and the papacy itself. Their response proved that the youth are not drawn to a rock-star persona but to the message of Christ in the Catholic Church. When Benedict told those gathered that attending Sunday Mass was absolutely crucial, the crowds cheered. When he told them that “cafeteria Catholicism” was unhealthy and dangerous, they cheered even louder. The youth want the undiluted Truth of Christ. Period. Benedict represents this truth, so the youth respond.

The second tangible response to Benedict was one of a victorious shout for the Church triumphant. While John Paul II displayed the humility and love of the Church, Benedict put forth the strength and Truth of it. For once, the youth witnessed a Pope who could get up and walk around, participate in Benediction, stand for the Mass and speak in a clear and unfaltering voice. His physical strength was perhaps a manifestation of the nature of Catholicism at the dawn of his papacy. The Church that gathered around Benedict for this World Youth Day was one that survived the sexual revolution and Vatican II. It was the Church that had been restored through the papacy of JPII, and was now a Church victorious, a Church that was strong and ready to greet the secular, anti-life and anti-Christian trajectory of the 3rd millennium. The Church that JPII was given in 1978 was a Church that needed a charismatic leader to draw them back to the beauty of the teachings. The young Church that stood before Benedict XVI last week loved the teachings first, and therefore, loved the man who is the ultimate servant of them.

Benedict brought with him some changes to World Youth Day that were welcomed by the youth with open arms. In contrast to WYD 2002, the Vigil with the Pope included a time of adoration and benediction, with the Blessed Sacrament residing in a tent for the duration of the night. Benedict did not play the crowd or wait for the cheering of his name to cease before beginning prayer. We were given the impression that the Mass was of such importance that silence and reverence from even the most excited of youth was required. His homily focused on the importance of the Eucharist in the life of Catholics. He wore traditional papal garb, in contrast to the more plain style of John Paul II. All of this was welcomed and applauded.

This World Youth Day should send a strong message to the generation of Catholics that attempt to attract youth with a message of watered-down Christianity and dissent from Church teaching: the young people want the Truth of the Gospel. They want the Sacraments. They are not attracted to a rock-star, but to Christ himself as he grants us salvation through his Holy, Apostolic Church. The Church is young, and its strength grows each day.

Habemus Papam! Viva il Papa! Long live the Pope!

2005-08-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

A glimpse behind me during the Mass. This is section B3. Section B had 20 subparts just like this one. And then there was Section A, C, D, E, F...which all had 20 subparts. Incredible.

2005-08-24T23:18:00.000-05:00

The Cathedral from across the Rhine

2005-08-24T23:16:00.000-05:00

The cool space-ship like stage/altar at Marianfeld, where the Papal Mass took place. To give you perspective, we were the closest people, except for the VIPs, to the Pope.

2005-08-24T23:15:00.000-05:00

The closest I got to him. I'm not the best photographer in the world, but I was excited!

The Catholic Youth are Faithful

2005-08-24T11:31:00.000-05:00

This is a pretty fair article about the devotion of young people at Franciscan University. Too bad the author has no idea that this sort of devotion is widespread and growing among the youth. Wish he could have been at World Youth Day to verify!

From the Pope's WYD Homily

2005-08-24T11:24:00.000-05:00

Here's a small part of Benedict's homily to the masses on Sunday. Keep in mind that when he told us, essentially, that "cafeteria Catholicism" is no good, the whole place started cheering and chanting, "Benedetto!"

"Anyone who has discovered Christ must lead others to him. A great joy cannot be kept to oneself. It has to be passed on. In vast areas of the world today there is a strange forgetfulness of God. It seems as if everything would be just the same even without him. But at the same time there is a feeling of frustration, a sense of dissatisfaction with everyone and everything. People tend to exclaim: "This cannot be what life is about!" Indeed not. And so, together with forgetfulness of God there is a kind of new explosion of religion. I have no wish to discredit all the manifestations of this phenomenon. There may be sincere joy in the discovery. Yet if it is pushed too far, religion becomes almost a consumer product. People choose what they like, and some are even able to make a profit from it. But religion constructed on a "do-it-yourself" basis cannot ultimately help us. It may be comfortable, but at times of crisis we are left to ourselves. Help people to discover the true star which points out the way to us: Jesus Christ! Let us seek to know him better and better, so as to be able to guide others to him with conviction."

Return from WYD

2005-08-23T10:26:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the failed blogging attempt, all - it was harder than I thought it would be to blog on the road! I was with a large group of people and there wasn't always time to get away and find a connection.

I will post pictures soon along with a synopsis of the trip. All I can say is that there were 1.7 million people at the Mass on Sunday, and don't let the media tell you any different!!

More Stuff

2005-08-18T07:45:00.000-05:00

So today we started off with a pilgrimage to the Cathedral. It was magestic and beautiful, raising one's eyes to the heavens, like all churches should. We prayed at the relics of the Magi kings. It was incredible.

We watched the arrival of Benedict at the airport on a screen near the Rhine. After a long walk we ended up here in front of the Cathedral with a whole bunch of people from every different country in the world. We are sitting next to people from Peru and Brazil. They always have wonderful songs!!!

My group from America is holding up well. We're going to take shifts for the next 3 hours or so to go to Adoration at the Youth 2000 church down the street. More later.

Live Blogging from in front of the Cologne Cathedral

2005-08-18T07:43:00.000-05:00

The Pope is coming in a couple of hours. We got prime seats in front of the Cathedral. Yay for random wireless connections! More to come!

Hi from Cologne

2005-08-16T13:06:00.000-05:00

World Youth Day in Cologne

2005-08-09T09:46:00.000-05:00

I'll be attending World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany next week with the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan. We leave Sunday, and I'm still debating about whether to bring my laptop and do liveblogging. If I don't, here are some cool links:

World Youth Day Website (with a webcam and everything)
Tim Drake at "Young and Catholic" (he'll be liveblogging)
also, go to Open Book for links to everyone who will be providing live coverage of WYD.

If you're at ND, be sure to stay on campus for an outdoor video feed of the vigil and Mass on the 20th and 21st.

Planned Parenthood Supports Violence against Pro-Lifers

2005-08-08T16:08:00.000-05:00

The full story, plus the video link can be found here. Not that I'm really surprised, but it is pretty sick. So the true colors of PP begin to show, eh?

How is it that all pro-lifers get labeled when a crazy hypocrite lunatic kills an abortion doctor, but when the biggest abortion provider in the U.S. makes a video about "Superheroes for Choice" killing pro-life people, there's hardly a peep out of the media? That video is coming from the top, people. There's no official spokesman to take it back and say that abortion providers don't advocate violence against pro-lifers. PP IS the official voice of the pro-abortion movement.

UPDATE: PP has removed the video from their website. (I guess someone other than me complained.)

NFP vs. Contraception

2005-08-02T08:36:00.000-05:00

This article is one of the best I've seen for making the case of a fundamental difference between artificial contraception and Natural Family Planning. Of course, there's more to it, but this is a good start. I wrote a large paper in college about this topic and it's humbling to see that there are people who can explain this fundamental concept 10 times better than I ever could.

Thanks to a commenter on Amy Welborn's blog for the link.

Definition of Homophobia

2005-07-28T18:56:00.000-05:00

The word "homophobia" has been thrown around a lot lately, especially at Notre Dame. What, exactly, does it mean? Well, the word itself can be broken down into two parts: "homo" (meaning "one") and "phobia"(meaning "fear of"). In the context of today's society, this word "homophobia" refers to an irrational fear of homosexuals.

Now, contrast that definition with the one put forth HERE. This organization states blatently that "homophobia" is simply thinking that homosexual acts are immoral. So according to this group, if I think the homosexual lifestyle is immoral (which I do), I suddenly have an irrational fear of homosexuals themselves??? Or am I missing something? Because I do not fear homosexuals and I do not fear homosexuality. I have friends who are homosexuals and I love them. I can tell you that I have as much fear of a homosexual couple living a homosexual lifestyle as I do a heterosexual couple that fornicates...which is, in a word - NONE. In fact, I don't know any people who have "homophobia."

Just what we need, more confusion about the words we carelessly throw around.

New Provost for ND

2005-07-21T20:24:00.000-05:00

Anyone is better than Nathan Hatch (the man with the distorted view of academic freedom and an ego to boot), but I really have a feeling that this guy might be good. He seems excited about the Catholic mission of the university, which, of course, is the most important thing. Maybe we'll see some positive changes. Notre Dame is one of the great academic institutions in America, but she can be greater. Pray for this man, who will help direct the course of Notre Dame and her quest to embrace both faith and reason.

Bush Nominates Roberts

2005-07-19T21:54:00.001-05:00

I'm very surprised, but I'm happy. Smart move - the fillibusters have no basis for a fillibuster and he's pro-life under the radar. His wife is VP of Feminists for Life, and I can imagine that if they had different views on this subject there would be a great deal of tension in the home. My take is that he's a solid pro-life candidate that the Dems cannot fillibuster without completely losing the support of the public. Ingenious indeed.

Comments? (I could be wrong after all...)

Canadian Insanity

2005-07-19T17:20:00.000-05:00

I would laugh, but I think this guy is actually serious, and he was aired by the Canadian government sponsored broadcasting agency. They hail him as an expert. He honestly thinks that there should be government regulation of religion. He even goes so far as to say that you wouldn't be able to be a priest or religious unless you had a "government sponsored" degree, and that Catholics would not be able to exclude women from the priesthood under his regime.

Oh...Canada. The worst part is this guy's idea of separation of Church and State. He says that religion interferes so much in public life that it needs to be totally controlled by the State. What??? Apparently, he believes that the Vatican would be upset by this (no shit!), but that it would soon come to terms with the way things go in Canada.

Does anyone else feel like throwing up??

Sunday Obligation

2005-07-18T22:43:00.000-05:00

This article speaks about Phoenix's Bishop, who recently told his diocese that they should take the Sunday observance more seriously. He condemned shopping on Sundays and said that this day of rest should be more focused on the family, on relaxation and the Eucharist.

I really admire this Bishop, but I want to know what others think about the Sunday observance in general. What do you do to make the Sabbath a day of rest? Is it necessary to sit quietly in your homes and not drive very far? Are there different ways of taking rest? What does orthodoxy and love of Christ require?

Catholic Author takes McBrien to Task

2005-07-18T10:50:00.000-05:00

She's right, you know. A 'priest' with a national voice in the media should probably use that voice to encourage the faithful to live the life of the Gospel in Truth and Love. Instead, he wastes his time talking about the "ideological center" of Catholics today, for the simple reason that he just doesn't GET what Catholicism IS. His blathering is indicitive of a deeper disease of disobedience and cynicism towards the Church and what she requires of her "little Christs."

Cool Blog on Theology of the Body

2005-07-14T21:24:00.000-05:00

Now this, is a cool blog. For the people wondering about "Theology of the Body" and all the sexual ethics stuff that I'm interested in, check it out. I'm going to post it as a blog of interest on the side panel.

Judges and Catholic Legal Philosophy

2005-07-14T21:19:00.000-05:00

Check out the conversation at Mirror of Justice. My very own professor, Rick Garnett, is leading the fray. Thoughts and comments are welcome.

Euthanasia for Babies

2005-07-11T20:35:00.000-05:00

This horror is beyond words. I won't talk about slippery slopes and I won't talk about the moral implications of this and the awful reality that now exists in the Netherlands. But I will say this: it is not out of "compassion" that we insist on ending the lives of these innocent human beings. No...it is out of our selfishness that we choose death. That's right, our selfishness. Because we can't bear to even WITNESS suffering, let alone suffer ourselves. We are so blinded by our fear and hatred for any discomfort that we have forgotten what compassion is. Instead of standing beside these infants and offering them suffering love by sharing in what they experience in their short lives, we bathe in our cowardice, not even able to let a sword pierce our hearts. Yes, it is our selfishness and want for our own comfort that we choose death every time. We choose death when there is suffering, we choose death when there is inconvenience, we choose death when we think we have not achieved success in the world. Our definition of compassion today is throwing from our presence anything that reminds us that we are mortals and we are not in control. It is a destructive sort of compassion, indeed.

Holy Innocents, pray for us, for we do not know what we are doing...

St. Benedict

2005-07-11T09:06:00.000-05:00

Today is St. Benedict's feast day - he is the Patriarch of Western Monasticism and the patron saint of Europe. His prayers are especially needed today, as Europe enters a crisis of faith, seeking to rid itself of its cultural roots in Christianity. More on St. Benedict here.

Also, today's Gospel reading - a tough one - Matthew 10:34-11:1. Jesus says that he comes not to bring peace, but the sword. He says he will divide mother against daughter, father against son. How ironic that the peace of Christ in one's heart brings about the division Jesus talks about today. Zeal for Christ often leads one to the loneliness of the narrow road to Calvary. "You will be persecuted by all men for my name's sake - but he who endures to the end will be saved." Mark 13:13

Whoa...

2005-07-09T22:53:00.000-05:00

Uganda has decided to CRIMINALIZE same-sex "marriage." I'm interested to know people's thoughts. Not only will this country not recognize these arrangements, but they've decided to actually outlaw them. Is it going too far?

The Roe Effect

2005-07-07T20:42:00.000-05:00

Ah...my favorite political theory ever. It's a very simple concept, actually. In the end, pro-life Republicans will outbreed everyone else. But that's not the whole point. The point is that the abortion issue keeps the Democrats on the losing end by forcing them into extremist positions that are bound to fail. If only the Democratic Party would allow the pro-lifers back in, we might just have a REAL election next time. In fact, it would basically be in the Democrats' best interest to help overturn Roe v. Wade by not placing obstacles in the way of a conservative nominee for the Supreme Court. Put the abortion debate back in the legislative branch, and the Democrats might just get my vote (if I become an American citizen, of course).

God's Presence Amidst Tragedy

2005-07-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

Patrick reports here on the London bombing this morning. It seems that a "strong intuition" may have saved his life...

Phony Ordination...On a Boat?

2005-07-05T22:31:00.000-05:00

I mean...their obstinent dissent from Church teaching is bad enough, but these fake ordinations are always taking place on these boats. Weird. And apparently the next one is in Canada...and you guessed it...it's going to be on a boat on the St. Lawrence River! Maybe the boat represents their separation from the Body of Christ (represented by the land), as they float where they will, apart from the guidance of the Holy Spirit in Christ's Bride, the Church.

There are only two good words to describe women ordaining themselves "priests" or "bishops," and I think they were mentioned in this article: useless and irrelevant.

Students' Speech Stifled in Florida

2005-07-05T19:45:00.000-05:00

I actually don't entirely know what to think about this story. A girl was prohibited from distributing pro-life leaflets under the schools "no leafletting" policy, and her parents filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the school's policy was unconstitutional. The court sided with the school, which I actually think is ok. I mean, the policy says that no one can hand out materials, no matter what the topic. It seems fair to me in that regard.

I'm interested in what people think of this from a scholarly, Rick Garnett-type First Amendment perspective, and then I'm interested in comments about high school "no-leafletting" policies in general.

NDLS gets $21 million

2005-07-01T13:01:00.000-05:00

Finally! Apparently Eck's substantial gift is the 5th largest in school history - I guess Dean O'Hara has a handle on things, after all! The addition will come long after I'm gone, but it's cool nonetheless.

O'Connor is Retiring

2005-07-01T10:01:00.000-05:00

I'll leave this up for the discussion, but I say SWEET! Check out the story here.

My favored nominees: women who have spines - Janice Brown and Edith Jones. Let the confirmation battles begin!

Law as Vocation (and Cross)

2005-06-30T18:15:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about law as a vocation. Back in medieval times, there were three great professions: physician, lawyer and clergyman, and I always kind of wondered why there was so much prestige and honor tied up with these careers. One day it occurred to me that it might be because these professions are especially "vocational," as in, they are especially tied to ultimate servanthood. More than any other profession, these I think are bound up with the Cross in their very natures - one must unite the sacrifice of these careers with the Cross for them to make any sense.

I know we talk about NDLS and creating a "different kind of lawyer." I've decided that this slogan really finds its meaning in the Passion of the Christ. A different kind of lawyer is one that sees his or her profession as one that involves a total self-giving or selflessness. Without that insight, the profession hardly makes sense. It is so unbelievably hard, and so incredibly sacrificial that someone who goes in it for the money would have to be insane. Sadly, this is what many do, and I feel that this is the reason for high suicide and alcoholism rates among attorneys.

So the "great" professions are really those that involve sacrifices most akin to Christ's Passion and Death. I don't know....I just thought it would be good to reflect on the nature of the profession. Thoughts?

Coincidence? I think not...

2005-06-28T21:48:00.000-05:00

Today's vote on the same-sex "marriage" legislation coincides with today's readings on....you guessed it...SODOM AND GOMORRAH! How creepy is that? The Catholic Church's daily Mass readings are set years in advance. The story of the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah for sexual sins (especially homosexual sins) is also joined with the reading from Matthew about the storm when they were all in the boat and Jesus asked why they were so afraid. This story talks about how we should still have hope. I guess my last post seems to be devoid of that, and I'm sorry. Our faith is one of hope, and an orthodox Canadian must be assured of the victory of Christ.

Canada needs our prayers...

Canadian Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passes

2005-06-28T21:24:00.000-05:00

Here's the story. I think I've said it all already, so I'm almost speechless sitting here thinking about what's left to say about the present situation in Canada. I'm overcome with a deep sadness. I love my country, but this is too much to take. With this vote, Canada ensures its self-destruction, and the hope that I have for her prosperity diminishes. Marriage has already dwindled to mere nothingness in Quebec, without this further dilution of its former beauty. Our nation grows older, as cohabiting couples (both heterosexual and homosexual) wallow in their selfishness and 1/3 of my generation is murdered in the womb. The Pill is handed out to teens in the hallways at school and STDs run rampant. Child pornography is seen as "art."

Is it all connected? Most definitely. It all stems from a depraved notion of what human sexuality is, and what it means to be male and female. Tonight's vote is just a symptom of the greater disease that has spread across my nation. The source of it is a selfishness grown to cosmic proportions.

I am filled with the most tremendous grief for my dying country.

What would St. Thomas More Do?

2005-06-23T21:40:00.000-05:00

Fr. Raymond de Souza, a Roman Catholic Priest/Journalist in Canada asks this question in today's National Post. All of the House Members will have to vote Friday on the same-sex "marriage" legislation (Bill C-38). This article takes all the legislators to task and asks them to have just a tiny bit of the spine that St. Thomas More had when he stood up to King Henry VIII. St. Thomas More, pray for Canada!

My Birthday

2005-06-22T10:08:00.000-05:00

So yeah...today's my birthday. More exciting, however, is the fact that I share my birthday with St. Thomas More's feast day. As it happens, he is the patron saint of lawyers and politicians and the patron saint of my law school.

If you want a story of Providence, when I decided to drop Sports Medicine and be an attorney, I didn't realize that I was born on St. Thomas More's feast day. I didn't find out until I was going through the application process for Notre Dame. God works in wonderful and mysterious ways. I guess I was marked as a lawyer a long time ago...

St. Thomas More, pray for us!

This Man is Sick

2005-06-21T22:01:00.000-05:00

Not only did Michael Schiavo not inform Terri's parents of her burial, but he inscribed "I kept my promise" on the gravestone. To make things even more sick and depraved, the date listed as the "day she left this earth" was the day she collapsed in 1990. Read the full story here.

The next time I see a handicapped person, remind me to tell them that I think they've "already left this earth." Mr. Schiavo should be locked up.