Thursday, January 31, 2013

Happy Feast of St. John Bosco!

Today is the Feast of St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and the patron saint of youth!

St. John Bosco, pray for us!

Please also say a prayer for Fr. Malloy, founder of this blog, and Chaplain of the Walk for Life West Coast. He took a fall on Sunday and is in the hospital. He is reasonably OK, but could use our prayers.



Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Walk For Life: "You can avoid the truth, but you can't avoid the traffic!"

A shorter version of this article appeared in today's California Catholic Daily.

Apostolic Nuncio, 50,000+ Pro-Lifers at SF’s Walk For Life West Coast
“You can avoid the truth, but you can’t avoid the traffic!”

On Saturday, January 26, more than 50,000 pro-lifers overflowed San Francisco’s Civic Center and Market Street for the Ninth Annual Walk for Life West Coast. Pope Benedict XVI’s representative to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano delivered a message from the pope along with his papal blessing. Pope Benedict’s message, which was also sent out on a Vatican Twitter feed, said, His Holiness “is grateful to all those who take part in this outstanding public witness to the fundamental human right to life and the moral imperative of upholding the inviolable dignity of each member of our human family, especially the smallest and most defenseless of our brothers and sisters.”

“You are a powerful witness that God’s truth cannot be silenced,” said San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, who blessed participants to begin the event. “Yes, we are here to stay because life is good and life is holy.”

The speakers at the Walk included Lacey Buchanan, the mother of a disabled child; Elaine Riddick, who was forcibly sterilized by the state of North Carolina at age 14; Kelly and Matthew Clinger who regret their abortions; and the Rev. Clenard Childress, Jr., who has spoken at nearly every walk since its founding in 2005.

The rally closed with an impassioned speech by Reverend Childress, Director of L.E.A.R.N. and one of the country’s leading crusaders against (especially) the holocaust of African-American babies slaughtered by abortion. Rev. Childress shared the story of St. Telemachus, a fifth century monk, who attempted to stop a gladiatorial combat in a Roman Colliseum. Telemachus was stoned to death by the crowd, but his example moved the Emperor Honorius to put an end such contests--permanently. Three times Childress quoted the Saint: “The killing must end!”

“Truth is rising up and you are the picture of that truth,” said Rev. Childress to loud cheers. “We will not draw back until every child is free.”

As always there were small counter-protests. A 10:00 AM counter-rally held at Justin Herman Plaza, drew “more than 300” pro-abortion demonstrators, according to ABC. The rally featured San Francisco Supervisors Eric Mar, David Chiu, and David Campos, as well as state Senator Mark Leno, and free-contraception advocate Sandra Fluke. According to the Bay Guardian, Magalie Bonneau-Marcil, director of Oakland nonprofit Dancing without Borders, was to attend the opposition rally with a “flash mob” and expected “… between 400 and 500 dancers to descend upon the plaza.” That apparently did not happen.

By all accounts the rally and Walk were the largest in the event’s history. ABC TV gave a figure of more than 40,000; Walk organizers would only give an estimate of “more than 50,000.” An observer at the corner of Kearny and Market Street, about halfway down the Walk’s route, said that walkers took 50 minutes to pass. That squares with ABC accounts that it took “the better part of an hour” for pro-lifers to empty Civic Center Plaza and enter Market Street. Confirmation of the Walk’s magnitude came from unusual sources.

Commenting on the media’s downplaying of the Walk, co-founder Eva Muntean said: “We got some decent coverage from our local ABC affiliate. The San Francisco Chronicle’s and KTVU television coverage attempted to ‘balance’ the two events. While that appears to show objectivity, it doesn’t really, because it ignores the difference in magnitude. It’s like giving equal time to kids playing a pickup game and the Super Bowl, just because they’re both football games. When the media does not report on an event the size of the Walk for Life West Coast they are objectively not doing their job, with consequences for the citizens. We saw a post yesterday on an online message board from a man who was complaining about being stuck in traffic because of the Walk. He said he had not known about the Walk, and that he was ‘shocked’ at the number of people in attendance, and that he was stuck in traffic for two hours. Well, why didn’t he know? Why was he ‘shocked’? Every year the Walk For Life West Coast is here. We are one of the largest annual events in San Francisco. And every year we hear the same thing—these are actual quotes: ‘I’m shocked’, ‘I ran into this absolutely enormous anti-abortion march,’ and ‘I never heard of this!’ That’s the media failing their responsibility.”

Co-founder Dolores Meehan added “You can avoid the truth, but you can’t avoid the traffic!”

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Ironic Consequences of Media Bias and the Walk for Life

The discussion board at the website BoardGameGeek posted this comment at 12:48AM this morning:

"So not knowing that today had an anti-abortion march in S.F.(Roe v. Wade anniversary), I made the big mistake of trying to take my wife shopping downtown. I sat in traffic for over an hour just to go a few blocks.

What shocked me the most was the number of ******, thousands of them, clogging the streets for hours."


 Obviously, this man does not agree with us--still, the Walk for Life West Coast is one of largest annual events in San Francisco.Now why wouldn't he be aware of it? Why would he not know the numbers of people involved?

Well,  I had a very good friend who lived in San Francisco. This was about 4-5 years ago--she works back east now. We disagreed on matters of politics and religion but enjoyed one another's company. Although very interested in politics and  very media savvy, she had never heard of the Walk for Life West Coast.

I showed her the picture above, taken at the 2008 Walk. Literally, her jaw dropped. She could not believe that she had never heard of an event of this magnitude. And after five years, the man above, stuck in traffic, did not know either.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

Saturday, January 26, 2013

ABC TV Covers Walk for Life West Coast

They are starting to get it.

Walk For Life West Coast Biggest Ever!

Check out the great photos over at the Walk for Life Blog! It was the biggest ever, definitely.

Great speeches, cozy croowds, and it did one's heart good to see the Sisters of Life and pro-life activists all over the public buildings in the Civic Center.

The Rally:


The Walk:






Friday, January 25, 2013

Walter Hoye Leads the Stand Up 4Life March in Oakland Today

God Bless him! and God bless all who stood with as he tries to change the Culture of Death in Oakland.


Thursday, January 24, 2013

Surprise Surprise: Obamacare Supporting "Catholic" Hospital Chain Argues "Unborn Fetus Not A Person"

We well know the true colors of the Catholic Health Association and Catholic Healthcare West (which now calls itself  Dignity or something like that). Look at the subhead under our "A Shepherd's Voice" banner for our position.

Here's a story, appearing all over the net, that makes the position of those organizations crystal clear. We begin with the tragic facts, via The Gawker:

Catholic Hospital Chain Kills Wrongful Death Lawsuit by Arguing that a Fetus is Not a Person
Neetzan Zimmerman


A major Catholic health provider has successfully dismantled a wrongful death lawsuit brought against it by arguing — in defiance of its own long-held doctrine — that a dead fetus
is not the same as a dead person.

The case involves the 2006 death of 31-year-old Lori Stodghill, a woman seven months pregnant with twin boys, who was brought in to the emergency room at St. Thomas More Hospital in CaƱon City, Colorado, on New Year's Day.

According to her husband Jeremy, Lori was vomiting and had shortness of breath — symptoms that would later be attributed to the clogged artery that caused her untimely demise.

After he parked the car, Jeremy returned to the ER to find Lori unconscious. Less than an hour later she would be dead of a massive heart attack, and her twins would die with her...."


We move from sadness at the Stodgehill's tragic loss to fury at behavior the hospital, which is part of Catholic Health Intitiatives (the second-largest chain of "Catholic" hospitals in the country), and their attorneys

"A short while later Jeremy, who believes the Cesarean section might have saved his twins, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the faith-based nonprofit which operates St. Thomas More.Catholic Health Initiatives is the second-largest faith-based health system in America, and boasts 78 hospitals in 17 different states.

CHI
claims to follow the tenets of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care [PDF], which clearly state that "The Church's defense of life encompasses the unborn."

But when push came to shove, CHI abandoned their beliefs
in order to win a malpractice lawsuit.

CHI's lawyer, Jason Langley, successfully convinced both the Fremont County District Court and the Colorado Court of Appeals to throw out Jeremy's lawsuit on the basis that CHI can not be sued for the wrongful death of a fetus,
because it is not a person.

'[The court] should not overturn the long-standing rule in Colorado that the term ‘person,' as is used in the Wrongful Death Act, encompasses only individuals born alive. Colorado state courts define ‘person' under the Act to include only those born alive. Therefore Plaintiffs cannot maintain wrongful death claims based on two unborn fetuses.'

Jeremy's attorneys are now seeking to have their case heard by the Colorado Supreme Court....

How could they do such a thing? Well, suprise surprise, here's Catholic Health Initiatives response to the Supreme Court's ruling on Obamacare last year:


CHI Applauds Supreme Court Decision on Affordable Care Act
Date 06/28/2012


The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act 5-4 in a long-anticipated decision this morning. The court ruled that the individual mandate was constitutional, paving the way for the implementation of a law that will provide health coverage to many millions of additional people across the country.

CHI is gratified by the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. CHI’s highest priority is access and coverage for all, and the Affordable Care Act is a huge step in that direction.

While the law is not perfect, it goes a long way toward helping us all care for those who are most vulnerable and who need our help the most.

With or without the Affordable Care Act, significant delivery system change is underway in health care in this country. And, CHI will continue to participate in delivery system reforms that provide coordinated, efficient care; reduce costs; improve health outcomes; and tie payments to value provided as we continue to do everything we can to increase access to affordable care for all.

CHI will work with the Catholic Health Association, the American Hospital Association and other groups to champion health care reform that protects life, makes coverage available and affordable and puts our system on a path to reducing costs while providing better and safer care.

CHI remains concerned with one key component of the law, which would require contraceptive coverage for all employees of Catholic organizations. CHI has indicated to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that the only acceptable approaches are to broaden the definition of “religious employers” excluded from the coverage mandate to exempt Catholic hospitals; or to have the federal government provide the coverage itself. CHI remains hopeful that CMS will not infringe on the religious liberty of church-affiliated organizations.


UPDATE: A fellow who blogs on medical issues by the name of DrX makes this point:

"Because Catholic hospitals are not administratively linked or supervised by bishops, it's certainly possible that the attorneys for Catholic Health Initiatives mounted this defense without the knowledge of any Catholic bishops. So now comes the test. Will the bishops insist that Catholic Health Care Initiatives must abandon this legal strategy? If not, then it's moral game, set and match against Church opposition to ACA birth control coverage requirements."

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

“The young people are ecstatic about the walk”

Right from the the beginning of the Walk for Life West Coast, Saints Peter and Paul Church in San Francisco has opened its doors to young people from all over the western United States who needed a place to stay while attending the Walk for Life West Coast. Fr. Malloy started this hospitality, and the good current pastor of Saints Peter and Paul, Fr. John Itzaina, has continued it.

One of the groups that has been coming for years is the San Clemente Youth Ministry, led by Brenda Sais, from Los Lunas New Mexico. (That's them right behind the "Men Regret Lost Fatherhood" sign, I believe). We asked Brenda to share her thoughts. A slightly shorter version of the interview below appeared in today's California Catholic Daily.



“The young people are ecstatic about the walk”
Out-of-State Youth Ministers Share Thoughts About Walk for Life West Coast


This week California Daily had a chance to talk with Catholic youth ministers who have escorted young people to the Walk for Life West Coast. One was Brenda Sais, the Family Life coordinator and a youth minister from San Clemente Church in Los Lunas, New Mexico.

Tell us about the San Clemente Youth Ministry. How did you become involved with them?

SC Youth Ministry is at San Clemente Catholic Church in Los Lunas, NM. San Clemente has approximately 2000 families and is located 30 miles south of Albuquerque. I first became involved with youth ministry when my two younger children were involved with Life Teen at the parish. I have been involved ever since. My love for Christ, His Church and the youth is what set me on this path. The youth are our present and our future.

San Francisco is not exactly around the corner from New Mexico. How do you get here? What made you decide to attend the Walk for Life West Coast?

We fly from Albuquerque to Oakland, then we take BART from the Oakland airport and a San Francisco bus to our host church, Saints Peter and Paul. The teens feel it is vital to make a stand and be the voice for their littlest brothers and sisters in the womb on a larger scale. Our community and our teens are extremely pro-life. Prior to 2008, we would take our group to DC for the March for Life but one year, the parish we normally stayed at said they weren’t allowing pilgrims to stay at their parish any longer. Upon calling several other Churches and no one calling me back, I went online for a search of other rallies and/or walks we could attend and the first thing I saw was the WFL WC. After attending our first walk in SF, I asked the teens the following year, who had experienced both SF and DC where they thought we should go again, and their response every year has been ‘San Francisco… because we feel our voice is needed more there.’ We have attended the Walk for Life in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and now 2013.

How many youth are with you this year, and how many in previous years? What is the age range?

This year, we have 12 in our group. In 2011, there were 11, in 2010 – 15, in 2009, our largest group, 16 and in 2008 – 11. All between the ages of 15-17 and all from our home parish, San Clemente.

How do the young people react to the walk, and how does it affect them?

The young people are ecstatic about the walk. They love the rally, they love the crowds and they love their presence there. Many remain active praying at our local abortion clinics. Also, one older teen sends letters and emails to our local universities speaking on the dangers of contraception and how we are each called to live.

Bringing a large group of teens that far sounds challenging.

There are really no challenges getting us here. There is work and preparation that needs to be done but not really any challenges. The teens that attend the WFL each year raise the money themselves. We do one to two fundraisers at our parish; a parish community, who loves, supports and prays for our teens. For this, we are truly thankful.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

San Diego Walk For Life Big Success!

God Bless our brothers and sisters down in San Diego!

LifeSiteNews has the story:

Throngs of youth at San Diego Walk for Life

"More than 3,000 pro-lifers gathered in Balboa Park near downtown San Diego on Saturday morning to celebrate the gift of life at San Diego’s first annual Walk for Life event.

The event marked 40 years since the infamous Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decisions that decriminalized abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

Several nationally renowned speakers kicked off the walk during an energetic rally. Walter Hoye II, president of Issues4Life Foundation, was the master of ceremonies.

'Life is for everybody. Everybody deserves life,” Hoye told LifeSiteNews.com, explaining the theme of the event. “And we’re here to celebrate life in all of its meaning.'

Dr. Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, encouraged the crowd to look beyond Barack Obama's re-election to an avalanche of successes at the state level.

'There is a real rising tide of pro-life legislators who are taking back the life issue from the ground up, and that’s where the real activity is,' Dr. Yoest told LifeSiteNews.'People should be really encouraged by this.'”


Holy Father Warns Catholic Charities: Sometimes Must Say NO to Partnerships


Patrick Crain writes in LifeSiteNews:

"ROME, Jan. 22, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI says Catholic agencies must sometimes refuse partnerships that would even indirectly support activities opposed to the Christian view of the human person.

'We must exercise a critical vigilance and at times refuse funding and collaborations that, directly or indirectly, favour actions or projects that are at odds with Christian anthropology,' the Pope stressed in a Jan. 19th address to the Pontifical Council Cor Unum and its president, Cardinal Robert Sarah, in excerpts released by the Vatican Information Service.

The remarks come only a month after the Pope’s surprise release of a formal legislative document, known as a Motu Proprio, stipulating that Catholic charitable organizations must fully comply with Catholic teaching.

His address on Saturday reiterated many of the points he made in the Motu Proprio, which came amidst growing concern from the Vatican over scandals at national agencies in the Church’s Caritas network that have been caught funding partners promoting legal abortion, contraceptives, and the normalization of homosexual activity."

Monday, January 21, 2013

Nice: Justice Scalia Wears Martyr's Hat at Inauguration

From Fr. Z come the story of the surprising hat Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wore to the inauguration of the loathsome Barack Obama:


"Kevin Walsh of the University of Richmond School of Law writes:

'The twitterverse is alive with tweets about Justice Scalia’s headgear for today’s inauguration. At the risk of putting all the fun speculation to an end . . . The hat is a custom-made replica of the hat depicted in Holbein’s famous portrait of St. Thomas More. It was a gift from the St. Thomas More Society of Richmond, Virginia. We presented it to him in November 2010 as a memento of his participation in our 27th annual Red Mass and dinner.'"




Fr. Z then comments:

"Wearing the cap of a statesman who defended liberty of church and integrity of Christian conscience to the inauguration of a president whose policies have imperiled both: Make of it what you will."

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

Friday, January 18, 2013

Fr. Malloy (& Fr. Armand) in the Washington Post

Today's Washington Post had a story about the upcoming inauguration of President Obama, and specifically about those who oppose his agenda. One of those honorable opponents is the great Reverend Clenard Childress, Directer of LEARN. The photo they used for the story was from the first Walk for Life West Coast in 2005, and shows Fr. Malloy (and his confrere Fr. Armand Oliveri, in the cap and scarf) at the lower left. God Bless the young priests--they were only 82 and 85 then!



The Reverend Childress was quoted:

“Let’s face it, this is a man very deep into an ideology that is not American,” says the Rev.Clenard Childress, a New Jersey minister and antiabortion activist who says black and white voters alike returned Obama to office “to feel better about ourselves and get the guilt of racism off us.”

To say Obama is "very deep into an ideology that is not American" is not rhetoric, but a simple statement of fact. Obama came in saying his aim was "fundamentally transforming the United States of America," and since then he has shredded the First Amendment to the Constitution and is now working on the Second.

God bless Reverend Childress! He's a little older now too, but he will be firing up the Walk for Life West Coast as the closing speaker on January 26. Be there for Life!

(Photo: Dino Vournos; AP)

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Traditional Latin Mass Following Walk for Life West Coast

From the Walk for Life West Coast blog:

"For those Catholics who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass, great news!

Fr. Francis Nahoe, OFM Conv. will celebrate a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form following the Walk For Life West Coast! The mass will be celebrated at the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi at 610 Vallejo St, San Francisco, at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday the 26th of January. The Shrine is a beautiful church, only about a mile from Justin Herman Plaza, the end of the walk. Parking is available in nearby garages. Come early and visit the Lady Chapel, and La Porziuncola Nuova.

The celebrant will be Fr Francisco Nahoe, OFM Conv, Rector of the Saint Thomas Aquinas Cathedral in Reno, NV. Saint Ann’s Schola of Palo Alto, CA, conducted by Prof William Mahrt of Stanford University, will accompany.

St. Francis is certainly smiling!"

Truth Will Set You Free


 
Our national leaders didn't expect this. A few days Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.

They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness.. The following is a portion of the transcript:

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.

"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!
My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
- Darrell Scott


Do what the media did not - - let the nation hear this man's speech.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, January 14, 2013

Catholic Lady Maintains Standards at St. Peter's Square

Some women decided to take their shirts off at St. Peter's Square yesterday. This good Catholic lady was having none of it. This normal outrage is good to see.


Photo: Vincenzo Pinto, Reuters.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Hundreds of Thousands of French Patriots Defend Marriage in Paris

God bless them! As we had reported yesterday, the Marche Pour le Respect de la Vie in Paris (the sister Walk to the Walk for Life West Coast), which was scheduled for next weekend, instead chose to become part of today's Manif Pour Tous march in Paris, protesting the French governments attempt to impose counterfeit marriage on society. The picture at left is great.

As Cecile Edel, one of the leaders of the Marche Pour le Respect de la Vie said (via google translate):

"the respect for life and respect for the family are part of a single struggle: a struggle eschatological the battle of David against Goliath, of good against evil and fight for the values ​​that we intend to defend. This is indeed the struggle for life in general."

Amen! Estimates of the crowd size range from 350,000 to 800,000, but this video shows people as far as the eye can see in either direction.


 

Good crowd size shot at the end of this video, facing the Arc de Triomphe:




And the end of this one shows enormous crowds of people pouring into what is, I guess, a park by the Eiffel Tower.


Friday, January 11, 2013

Marching For Marriage and the Family in Paris!


This year, our friends over at the Marche Pour le Respect de la Vie, the Parisian sister march to the Walk for Life West Coast, will become part of the enormous event in Paris called the Grande Marche Nationale et Unitare. The Grand Marche is held this Sunday in protest of the French government's attempt to impose counterfeit marriage on society.

On January 12, before the Marche there will be a vigil for marriage and the family at the church of St. Francois-Xavier in Paris. They have received a letter of support from the Holy Father!

We send our love and prayers to our French comrades as they fight for the marriage and the family!

UPDATE: Same-sex Attracted Frenchman Gets the Issue

Today, the National Organization for Marriage blog posts quotes from same-sex attracted Frenchmen who have come out in opposition to same-sex "marriage." These men are good citizens: they put the common good of their society first. Here is one, from a man named Jean Pier:


"I am a documentary author for TV and I'm homosexual.
I have to wonder, "who's this law for?" I say to myself, "Is it made for homosexuals?" I live in Provence and I work in Paris. I know very few homosexuals who wish to marry beyond the PACS (civil unions) they already have. In fact, the number of people in PACS unions in France, couples of the same sex, is minimal. Therefore, who's this law for? If it's for the 5,000 people who live in the district of Le Marrais, then it's just a militant act. But behind it all, it must be a question of the child.
I've had this business of freedom and equality. Then I pose this question: What of the freedom and equality of the child? The child won't have its equality vis-a-vis its friends in school. Its peers may have divorced and blended families, but they have, at least, a father and mother."



Thursday, January 10, 2013

La Caminata por la Vida de la Costa Oeste en UnvisionTV y la Radio Hecho en California!

La representante de la Caminata por la Vida de la Costa Oeste, Glenda AragĆ³n, discutira la Caminata por la Vida de la Costa Oeste en Univision TV en el show "El Despertar" el 14 de enero a las 6 AM PST. La Sra. AragĆ³n tambiĆ©n serĆ” entrevistada en el programa de radio HECHO EN CALIFORNIA el 25 de enero a las 10:10 AM PST (KIQI 1010 AM San Francisco y 990 KATD en Sacramento), donde se ella tomara llamadas en vivo. Sintonice para la vida!

For our English-only readers:
 
Walk for Life West Coast on UnvisionTV and Hecho en California Radio!

Walk for Life West Coast representative Glenda Aragon will be discussing the Walk for Life West Coast on Univision TV’s “El Despertar” show on January 14 at 6AM PST. Ms. Aragon will also be interviewed on the HECHO EN CALIFORNIA radio show on Jan. 25 at 10:10AM PST (KIQI 1010 am San Francisco and KATD 990 am in Sacramento), where she will take live calls. Tune in for Life!
 
Viva Cristo Rey!

Scottish Sisters Push Walk for Life West Coast!

From the Walk for Life West Coast blog comes this post about the Sisters of the Gospel of Life in Scotland. The sisters were commenting on this year's new Walk for Life West Coast video:

"This is from the website of the Sisters of the Gospel of Life, in Scotland. According to LifeSiteNews they are the first new order of nuns founded in Scotland in 150 years!

'The second biggest pro-life walk in the U.S. (after the March for Life in D.C) is coming up on the 26th January 2013.

You may think a walk for life isn’t relevant for you here in the U.K. Why would we watch or talk about it when we are so far away from all that is happening in the U.S.? Here’s a couple of points to think about;


it gives you a great, warm feeling inside to see so many other people being positive about the situation we are in regarding the wanton destruction of unborn babies - we are not alone in feeling this is the most important cause!

it is encouraging to us across the water to see what is possible with organisation and commitment to the cause

lastly it can galvanise us to keep going even when we feel despair, frustration and pain for all those babies killed by abortion and their mothers.

Let’s do all we can to promote this video and who knows maybe one day we will be promoting our own massive walk for life in the U.K.? Miracles do happen you know.'


God bless the good sisters! Let us pray for them and support their work–there is a donation button at the provided links."

This strikes me as an example of God creating good from bad. There had not been a new order of Catholic nuns in Scotland for 150 years. Abortion in Scotland was then legalized. That horrific situation resulted in the Lord God raising up prophets. Indeed, God bless the good sisters!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

The Democrats Fund Murder, Inc.

From LifeNews:

"Americans often look with disdain on people who continually live off of government assistance. While those from left to right would generally concur that welfare programs can be helpful for those in times of crisis, the majority of people grow weary, and even angry, when people live off of Uncle Sam for years on end.

This reality makes it a mystery of why the tolerance of Planned Parenthood’s dependence on Uncle Sam (and Uncle Obama). As we reported, Planned Parenthood’s latest annual report for the 2011-2012 reporting year shows that abortions were up by a few thousand. A total of 333,964 babies were killed in Planned Parenthood affiliates last year, and our government has helped line the abortion giant’s pocketbooks....

The question we must ask is how this continues to happen even as public schools, charities and service organizations lose money.

The answer to that question is that Planned Parenthood is part and parcel of the Democratic party, the Party of Death.

 Is the nation really so unaware of the abundance of riches the abortion giant possesses? Or is it merely possessed by the media which makes it sound like a happy health organization?"

The answer to those questions is, apparently, yes and yes.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney


Reverend Childress on Mary's Touch Radio

The Reverend Clenard Childress, who will be speaking at the year's January 26 Walk for Life West Coast, was interviewed on Mary's Touch Radio. From the Walk for Life West Coast Blog:


"The Reverend Clenard Childress, Director of BlackGenocide.org is one of our heroes. He is a tireless champion of the pro-life cause, especially focusing on the horrific situation in the African-American community, where a wildly disproportionate number of unborn children are killed through abortion.

Reverend Childress has been right with us since day one at the Walk for Life West Coast–and he will be with us again on January 26! In the beginning of this interview on
Mary’s Touch he relates how one day he was trying to rake the leaves when his lovely wife Regina told him he had a phone call from these two girls in San Francisco trying to set up a walk for life…The rest, as they say, is history."

Listen here.


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Walk for Life's Eva Muntean Interviewed on Zenit!

The co-founder of the Walk for Life West Coast (January 26 in SF!) had an interview published yesterday on the international Catholic News website Zenit.

Excerpt:

ZENIT: From your vantage point, how do you see the future of pro-life work in the United States, both in these next four years and longer-term?

Muntean: Youth, youth, youth. It is the old guard who support abortion. But "the times they are a-changing." Through the prevalence of ultrasound and other modern technologies, the humanity of the unborn child is ever more apparent, and young people are getting it. If they were born after 1972, they also realize, however dimly, that they themselves could have legally been killed. One of our great young pro-life groups is called the "Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust."

Monday, January 7, 2013

NY Times Covers Pregancy Centers


An even-handed approach from what FR. Z refers to as "Hell's Bible." Credit where credit is due!

Pregnancy Centers Gain Influence in Anti-Abortion Arena

WACO, Tex. — With free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, along with diapers, parenting classes and even temporary housing, pregnancy centers are playing an increasingly influential role in the anti-abortion movement. While most attention has focused on scores of new state laws restricting abortion, the centers have been growing in numbers and gaining state financing and support.

Nasya Dotie, who had considered an abortion, visited Care Net with the son she decided to have.

A truck sponsored by an anti-abortion group in Waco was parked across the street from a Planned Parenthood clinic.

Largely run by conservative Christians, the centers say they offer what Roland Warren, head of Care Net, one of the largest pregnancy center organizations, described as “a compassionate approach to this issue.”

As they expand, they are adding on-call or on-site medical personnel and employing sophisticated strategies to attract women, including Internet search optimization and mobile units near
Planned Parenthood clinics.

“They’re really the darlings of the pro-life movement,” said Jeanneane Maxon, vice president for external affairs at
Americans United for Life, an anti-abortion group. “That ground level, one-on-one, reaching-the-woman-where-she’s-at approach.”

Pregnancy centers, while not new, now number about 2,500, compared with about 1,800 abortion providers. Ms. Maxon estimated that the centers see about a million clients annually, with another million attending abstinence and other programs. Abortion rights advocates have long called some of their approaches deceptive or manipulative. Medical and other experts say some dispense scientifically flawed information, exaggerating abortion’s risks.

Jean Schroedel, a Claremont Graduate University politics professor, said that “there are some positive aspects” to centers, but that “things pregnant women are told at many of these centers, some of it is really factually suspect.”

The centers defend their practices and information. “Women who come in are constantly telling us, ‘Abortion seems to be my only alternative and I think that’s the best thing to do,’ ” said Peggy Hartshorn, president of
Heartbeat International, which she described as a “Christ-centered” organization with 1,100 affiliates. “Centers provide women with the whole choice.”

Read the whole thing.


Friday, January 4, 2013

Trillion-Dollar Deficits, Partial Birth Abortions, 47 Million on Food Stamps, and Same-Sex "Marriage"

None of the first three things listed in our title were even conceivable 30 years ago. The kind of societal breakdown that allowed them to occur is the only reason an idea like same-sex "marriage" is even entertained

Matthew J. Franck, and others at The Public Discourse continue their excellent work shredding the arguments made for same-sex "marriage."

"It is remarkable that the idea of same-sex marriage has gained ground so rapidly. Those most quick to accept the idea have been elite liberals, with ordinary Americans lagging behind but becoming more accepting of the idea. In the thick of the struggle over the law and politics of marriage, we can easily forget how novel is the idea of two men or two women marrying each other.

This fact came home to me when I participated in a forum on the subject at Princeton University last spring. Present in the room were two lions of the liberal academy, each past the “threescore years and ten” of which the Psalmist speaks, each a distinguished scholar with many publications to his credit, each known for his devotion to liberal causes. Both gentlemen expressed the opinion that the cause of same-sex marriage was obviously just, that opponents of the cause were obviously reactionary and benighted, and that this was plainly the new civil rights struggle of our time.

Yet it struck me that if denying same-sex couples the “right to marry” was such an obvious and gross injustice as to merit such energetic claims today, why had it never occurred to either of these august scholars decades ago, at the beginning or the middle of their careers? In the books of proud advocacy each had published, say, twenty or thirty years ago, there was not the slightest hint that American public life was disfigured by this particular injustice.

Redefining marriage to include same-sex relationships simply didn’t occur to them, because it didn’t occur to anyone. Yet that day they espoused that view with the fervor of men who had always thought so, and for whom it was unthinkable to believe otherwise. If they reflected on this change in their own thinking, would they conclude that their reasoning powers had been deficient years ago, or their moral sympathies inadequate?"

"That's Not a Baby it's a Fetus"....Yeah, Right

Lovely video that is making the rounds. Let's remember, should the mother have chosen to do so, she could have had this baby killed and it would have been perfectly legal.

 

Thursday, January 3, 2013

January 19: Walter Hoye to MC at Walk for Life San Diego!



On January 19 Pro-Lifers from many religious denominations will join together for the Walk for Life San Diego, under the principle “Life is Magnificent.” The event will begin at 9:00 AM at the city’s Balboa Park, at the corner of 6th Avenue and Laurel Street. The master of ceremonies will be our friend the pro-life hero Walter Hoye, best known for being imprisoned for passing out leaflets in front of an Oakland, California abortion business. Hoye’s conviction was later overturned.

Rallies and speeches will take place both before and after the Walk. The invocation will be given by Father Nabil Mouannes, a Maronite Catholic priest. Fr. Mouannes serves as Pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Maronite Church in Carmichael, California, and has long ties to the San Diego area. Until earlier this year he was serving as pastor of St. Ephrem in El Cajon. On September 8, 2008, San Diego’s then-auxiliary bishop, Salvatore Cordileone, joined Fr. Mouannes at St. Ephrems for a rosary procession and Mass for the Novena for the Protection of Life. Fr. Mouannes is also active in the 40 Days for Life campaign. Other clergy joining Fr. Mouannes on the podium will be Dr. Jim Garlow, lead pastor of the Skyline Church in La Mesa. Skyline Church is a member of the Wesleyan Denomination and has an average weekly attendance of 2,500 persons. In addition to his support of the unborn, Pastor Garlow is known for his support of natural marriage, and is a leader in the “Pulpit Initiative” movement, which encourages pastors to speak out on moral issues which inevitably arise in the democratic political process. The benediction will be given by Pastor Matthew Richardt, of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Escondido. Pastor Richardt has also been active in the 40 Days for Life campaign, and Gloria Dei Lutheran helps support the Alternatives Women’s Center, a pro-life crisis pregnancy center in Escondido.

Lay speakers include Ms. Charmaine Yoest, of Americans United for Life; sidewalk counselor Roger Lopez; Leslie Brunolli, the San Diego regional coordinator of the Silent No More Awareness campaign; and Dr. George Delgado, the medical director of Culture of Life Family Services. Culture of Life Family Services describes itself as “a family medicine practice, caring for the entire community through family medical care, natural family planning education, psychological counseling, and spiritual direction.” Women who have faced crisis pregnancies will also be represented. They include Caroline, Dran, and Tamara, (no last names given) who will share their testimony, and how they decided to “Choose Life.”

Exhibitors at the rally will include John Paul the Great Catholic University, The Ruth Institute, the Issues4Life Foundation, a number of organization which help women in crisis pregnancies, and 40 Days for Life.

For more information visit http://www.sandiegowalkforlife.com/

What did win? "Sex. Drugs. Bad language. Bad manners. Vulgarity. Lies. Cheating. Name-calling. Finger-pointing. Blaming. And irresponsible spending."

Laura Hollis, of the University of Notre Dame, gives an 11-point "post-mortem" on the recent election. Here are points one through three:

I am already reading so many pundits and other talking heads analyzing the disaster that was this year’s elections. I am adding my own ten cents. Here goes:

1. We are outnumbered
We accurately foresaw the enthusiasm, the passion, the commitment, the determination, and the turnout. Married women, men, independents, Catholics, evangelicals – they all went for Romney in percentages as high or higher than the groups which voted for McCain in 2008. It wasn’t enough. What we saw in the election on Tuesday was a tipping point: we are now at a place where there are legitimately fewer Americans who desire a free republic with a free people than there are those who think the government should give them stuff. There are fewer of us who believe in the value of free exchange and free enterprise. There are fewer of us who do not wish to demonize successful people in order to justify taking from them. We are outnumbered. For the moment. It’s just that simple.

2. It wasn’t the candidate(s)
Some are already saying, “Romney was the wrong guy”; “He should have picked Marco Rubio to get Florida/Rob Portman to get Ohio/Chris Christie to get [someplace else].” With all due respect, these assessments are incorrect. Romney ran a strategic and well-organized campaign. Yes, he could have hit harder on Benghazi. But for those who would have loved that, there are those who would have found it distasteful. No matter what tactic you could point to that Romney could have done better, it would have been spun in a way that was detrimental to his chances. Romney would have been an excellent president, and Ryan was an inspired choice. No matter who we ran this year, they would have lost. See #1, above.

3. It’s the culture, stupid.
We have been trying to fight this battle every four years at the voting booth. It is long past time we admit that that is not where the battle really is. We abdicated control of the culture – starting back in the 1960s. And now our largest primary social institutions – education, the media, Hollywood (entertainment) have become really nothing more than an assembly line for cranking out reliable little Leftists. Furthermore, we have allowed the government to undermine the institutions that instill good character – marriage, the family, communities, schools, our churches. So, here we are, at least two full generations later – we are reaping what we have sown. It took nearly fifty years to get here; it will take another fifty years to get back. But it starts with the determination to reclaim education, the media, and the entertainment business. If we fail to do that, we can kiss every election goodbye from here on out. And much more.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Lacey Buchanan to Speak at Walk for Life West Coast

The wonderful mother of the equally wonderful Christian Buchanan will be one of the featured speakers at the Walk for Life West Coast on January 26. Her simple homemade video has been viewed over 10 MILLION times and has touched the hearts of millions of people!


It's the spending, stupid.

How irresponsible, how unconcerned with the common good and the good of the country can our government be? 

Well, check out this simple graph from Zerohedge:


Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

Martyrdom of Hobby Lobby Under Obamacare Begins--WE Can Help!

As pretty much everyone knows, today our loathsome President's signature "achievement," socialized medicine, goes into effect. That means companies like Hobby Lobby, which refuses, because of religious conviction, to comply with the HHS contraception mandate, faces fines. Because of it's size, Hobby Lobby will face a fine of as much as $1.3 million daily.

Wizbang blog writes:

"Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. is a privately owned company, founded and operated by David Green. Green is very well known as an outspoken Evangelical Christian who has publicly professed to building his business based on Biblical principles. Like the Cathy family who operates the Chick-Fil-A restaurant chain, Green closes his stores on Sunday. He also contributes millions of dollars each year to charity. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. is self-insured, and provides full coverage health insurance to 13,000 of its company’s 21,000 employees. He runs a clinic that provides free health care to insured employees, and reduced cost health services to others. Hobby Lobby also sets its starting pay for full time employees at $11.00 an hour, $3.75 more than the Federal minimum wage."

Mr. Green (picture above) sounds like a great guy, and, as his refusal to knuckle under to Democratic gangsters shows, he is an upstanding Christian. He plans to pay the fine until his case is heard by the Supreme Court. YOU can support Hobby Lobby

Saturday, January 5 is stand with Hobby Lobby day. Buy something, anything, whether you need it or not, from Hobby Lobby. If there's not one near you, shop online!

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney