More on Sudan

Sudan Peace Deal Seen as Fragile
Overlooks Conflict in Darfur, Says Bishop of Rumbek

KHARTOUM, Sudan, MAY 30, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The peace agreement between Sudan's Islamic government and its southern rebels is a key step forward -- "but on a land that is mined and full of snares," cautions a bishop.

The agreement last Wednesday came after two years of talks aimed at ending the country's 21-year civil war.

The conflict, between the Khartoum government, which is Arab, white and Muslim, and the rebellious south, made up primarily of animists, Christians and indigenous Africans, has left more than 2 million dead.

The war broke out in 1983 when President Gaafar Nimeiri established the Shariah, Islamic law. Forced Islamization of the southern peoples began in 1989.

The agreement was signed by John Garang of the Dinka tribe, leader of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army, and by Sudanese Vice President Osman Mohammed Taha Hala. Kenya, the United States, Great Britain, Italy and Norway played an important part as mediators.

According to the signed text, the Shariah will be enforced in the north but not in the south. It was agreed that during the transition period the Shariah will be enforced in the capital, Khartoum, but non-Muslims will be exempt from the most radical punishments of Islamic law, including amputations and stoning.

The agreement also states that profits from oil fields, concentrated primarily in the south, will be divided equally between the central government and the administration of the southern regions.

"It is a very fragile and delicate agreement that in any case opens a breach to peace," Bishop Cesare Mazzolari of the Rumbek Diocese told the Missionary Service News Agency. He spoke in Naivasha, Kenya.

"I don't understand why the international community has exerted pressure to sign in haste an agreement that, among other things, in no way resolves the question of Darfur" in western Sudan, the bishop said.

In Darfur, Arab government militias are fighting black African groups calling for more attention from the central government for the underdeveloped region. The groups are the Sudan Liberation Army and Justice and Equality Movement.

That conflict has already caused 10,000 deaths and prompted 100,000 refugees to flee to Chad, the Vatican agency Fides reported.

The war in Darfur has made the food shortage in Sudan ever more acute. A joint report issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program says that about 3.6 million people will have to rely on food supplies from international humanitarian organizations.

According to the report, "The present conflict in Darfur has caused considerable damage to farmland and made at least 1.2 million people refugees." Although a good harvest is expected this year, more food will be needed, Fides added.

Sudanese Bishop Macram Max Gassis recently told Vatican Radio that the aim of the Arab militias' attack against Darfur's ethnic group is "to occupy their land, as they have done in other places. They want to move the Arab race to the more fertile areas."

The bishop added: "A process of Arabization is under way in Darfur."

The Connection

Seems Saddam was in league with al Qaeda.

Bush Looking Forward to Meeting With the Pope

From Zenit:

WASHINGTON, D.C., MAY 28, 2004 (Zenit.org).- President George Bush says he will be all ears when he meets John Paul II in the Vatican next week, according to an interview in the magazine Christianity Today.

Bush, who is visiting Rome to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its liberation by the Allies during World War II, asked for a special visit with the Pope. This will be the third time that the two leaders have met.

Asked if he had a particular message for the Pope, Bush said, 'No. I'm there to listen. I will respond. If I would even dare give him a message it would be, 'Hold the line.''

Bush, a Methodist, told the magazine that he has been in awe when meeting with John Paul II.

'He is a strong man,' the U.S. president said. 'He's got a huge presence and it's an honor to be with him. It truly is.'

'He'll have something to say,' Bush added. 'Believe me, he'll use this as an opportunity to talk about a world problem or an issue, and he'll do it in a loving way. I mean he's the kind of person that makes you feel good.'

Bush Points the Way in Sudan

Pope Worries About 'Soulless' U.S. Life

The American church 'is called to respond to the profound religious needs and aspirations of a society increasingly in danger of forgetting its spiritual roots and yielding to a purely materialistic and soulless vision of the world,' John Paul said.

'Taking up this challenge, however, will require a realistic and comprehensive reading of the 'signs of the times,' in order to develop a persuasive presentation of the Catholic faith and prepare young people especially to dialogue with their contemporaries about the Christian message and its relevance to the building of a more just, humane and peaceful world.'

John Paul added: 'An effective proclamation of the Gospel in contemporary Western society will need to confront directly the widespread spirit of agnosticism and relativism which has cast doubt on reason's ability to know the truth, which alone satisfies the human heart's restless quest for meaning.'

The Holy Father is not the only one who worries.

Recent question asked of White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan

In Chicago, a militant homosexual group called Rainbow Sash, which has demonstrated during mass of Catholic bishops here in Washington, they're planning to demonstrate during masses in Chicago on Pentecost. So that Archbishop Frances Cardinal George has ordered his clergy to deny them communion.

And my question: Since the First Amendment guarantees the free exercise of religion, of which (of) these demonstrations are a disruption, (and) the President has no criticism of Cardinal George, does he?

MR. McCLELLAN: Les, I'm not familiar at all with the specifics of what you're bringing up. But, obviously, those are issues -- those are issues that our religious leaders will address.

The reception of communion is protected under the First Amendment? No, but the reporter who asked seems to think so.

Church leaders shalt not pressure politicians, American voters tell Quinnipiac University poll; most abortions should be legal, most voters say

Yet, buried deep in the article relating the results of this poll is the following gem:

Catholic voters favor President George W. Bush over Sen. Kerry 48 -- 41 percent with 3 percent for independent candidate Ralph Nader. Among all voters, Bush gets 43 percent to Kerry's 42 percent, with 6 percent for Nader.

Catholics give President Bush a 50 -- 44 percent overall approval, while all voters disapprove 50 -- 45 percent of the job Bush is doing.

Update: I have found two additional articles citing this poll that leave out the above two bits of data. No media bias exists? Whatever.

Vote 2004 A.D.

What every Catholic needs to know about voting and abortion.

A Stark Difference

It has been stated here and here that both President Bush and Senator Kerry are anti-life, pro-aborts, and neither will do much to reduce abortions over the next four years. The reasoning then goes that it really does not matter who you vote for or you should just vote for Senator Kerry because he is supposedly in line with other Church teachings. Others have suggested if President Bush were Catholic he should not present himself for communion and if he did, the Blessed Sacrament should be denied to him because of his pro-abortion views.

 

Yet, in contrast to Senator Kerry, who has voted against banning the brutal crushing of the skull of a partially born child, voted against the Unborn Victim of Violence Act, voted for federal funding of abortions on military facilities, would rescind the Mexico City policy and allow federal funding for international organization which use abortion, and promises to nominate only pro-Roe v. Wade judges to the federal bench, President Bush has stated he supports (yet has not acted in any way to ensure) abortion be allowed only in the rare cases of rape and the health of the mother (which, by the way, include ectopic pregnancies, which the Catholic Church does not consider abortions) and has allowed federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR) on pre-existing cell lines. Some allies of the president have been critical of this stance, telling him he should instead allow more funding and not limit it to only existing lines.

 

Is this enough to deny the president communion if he were Catholic? Maybe? Is he a perfect pro-life president? No. But, given the stark differences above, is there any doubt which of these two men is an opponent of abortion and is willing to use the influence he has to help create a culture of life here in this country and which is not? Given the political environment President Bush works in, (and this is not an excuse, more of an explanation of what some believe is inaction on his part) the list of his pro-life accomplishments is very welcome. Yes, they are small steps, maybe just baby steps to many pro-life Catholics, but they are steps in the right direction. Steps never before taken. These steps are not political calculations but signs of hope. Hope that one day our nation and its citizens will embrace fully a culture of life. Right now President Bush is leading the nation on a journey toward that culture of life. I doubt a President Kerry would continue the trek. 

 

Many Catholics supportive of Senator Kerry point to the reduction of abortions during the eight years of the Clinton administration as proof that a Democratic pro-abort president can affect the abortion rate. Just because we saw a reduction in the rate of abortions during this time it does not follow that it was because of his social and fiscal policies. Yes, the economic rebound (which the Republican Congress can also take some credit for) played some role in this reduction, but there is a much more likely reason for it. Pro-life state legislatures and governors passed and enforced state laws requiring parental consent, informed consent, banning partial-birth abortion, and restricting Medicaid funding of abortions. The Supreme Court ruling Casey v. Planned Parenthood in 1992 (before President Clinton was even elected) really opened the doors for this legislation. To suggest that Kerry's social and fiscal policies, which one assumes would be similar to President Clinton's, is all that is needed to create an incentive for women to not abort their babies is just not true. Other actions need to be taken, and again, we know Senator Kerry will not lead the fight for what is needed. President Bush has and will continue to do so.

 

This is enough for me, as a Catholic, to support and vote for President Bush. It should be, and I hope and pray that it is, enough for Catholics and other Christians to vote for him as well.

GOP recruiting Catholics to help defeat Democrats

Voters should look beyond candidates' religious views, RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie said. ``We should vote based upon the political (stands) they take - and the fact is President Bush's policy positions are more in synch with where most Catholics are.''

On the Cusp of Success

Optimism from Blogs for Bush. Thanks Mark!

Trials Serve As Impetus For Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act

The bill would require that before obtaining an abortion 20 or more weeks into a pregnancy, doctors must inform the mothers that the unborn baby will likely experience pain and the doctor must provide the mother with a pamphlet giving her more information on research on fetal pain. The bill would also require that doctors give mothers the option of providing their unborn babies with anesthetic prior to the abortion.

Hamburgers with George

Stem Cells Again

Of course, the question of embryonic-stem-cell research is a puzzling and contentious one. There are many who honestly believe that the possibility of medical progress in the future outweighs any respect owed to nascent human life in the present, and that the federal government should override the moral objections of many citizens and publicly fund research that involves embryo destruction. This is a misguided view; it risks making us users of life in the very effort to be savers of life, and it undermines the ethical pluralism that presently exists, by making the nation support this practice. "

Pro-life priest plans to vote for Bush

I have posted a list of pro-life accomplishments in a previous post. The list compiled by Fr. West is much more thorough.

Below is a list of President Bush's pro-life efforts and accomplishments in regard to protecting children in the womb and promoting the sanctity of life. I include some accomplishments in other areas but mostly focus on his pro-life record. This list is by no means comprehensive. When considering other issues much more could be added to the list of positive things that Bush has done since he has been in office.

I started to compile this list shortly after the President was reinaugurated after hearing from many, who consider themselves pro-life, that Bush was not really pro-life. I disagreed and began compiling this list. I had no idea when I started that it would be so long.

Some may ask if President Bush is so pro-life why hasn't abortion ended. President Bush has not had an opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court Justice. Also, in practically every effort to protect the unborn President Bush has been opposed mostly by pro-abortion Democrats.

Is President Bush perfect? No. Do I agree with him on everything? No. But I look at his overall record and consider the alternative. Senator Kerry is a pro-abortion extremist. He has pledged to only appoint pro-abortion judges to the Supreme Court who will uphold Roe vs. Wade.

I plan to vote for President Bush for re-election and I hope you will do the same.

Fr. Peter West

You can find his list here.

JPII insight on war

It is known that John Paul II has never been a pacifist; he himself has said so many times. For him there’s war, and then there’s war. He is capable of opposing with extreme vigor a war that he judges mistaken: and he did so, in 2003, against the war in Iraq. But he does not hesitate to declare his support and arguments in favor of a war he believes to be just. And he did so in regard to the battle of Monte Cassino, in his message to President Kwasniewski.

Here are the pope’s words as scripted:

“Every Pole remembers proudly that battle (Monte Cassino in WWII), which, thanks to the heroism of the army commanded by General Anders, opened to the allies the way to the liberation of Italy and the defeat of the Nazi invaders. At the military cemetery of Monte Cassino there are tombs on which were placed Latin or Greek crosses, and also tombstones with the star of David. It is there that the fallen heroes rest, united by the ideal of fighting for ‘our freedom and yours’, which embraces within itself the love of one’s own country, but also concern for the political and spiritual independence of other nations. All felt the duty of opposing, at all costs, not only the treading down of individuals and nations, but also the attempt to annihilate their culture and their spiritual identity.”

The next day, Wednesday, May 19, in his weekly general audience, John Paul II repeated and developed the same thoughts in greeting the Polish pilgrims who were present.

A reminder here that the Holy Father, though not a war mongering, is not a pacifist either.

What you might have missed in the most recent Washington Post-ABC News Poll

TO: Campaign Leadership
FR: Matthew Dowd
Chief Strategist
RE: What you might have missed in the most recent Washington Post-ABC News Poll

---

Since the general election began in earnest after Senator Kerry all but clinched the Democratic nomination (March 2), the movement between the Washington Post/ABC News polls of March and May is promising. Since March, Senator Kerry has suffered deterioration in nearly every key leadership attribute, while President Bush has stayed the same or increased.

Today, the race is dead even, just as we have maintained that it will roughly stay until the Democratic convention.

President Bush has cut Kerry’s advantage on the economy by 7 points, and gained 7 points against Kerry on who the public trusts to handle Iraq.

Since March, Kerry has lost 23 points on the attribute of “honest and trustworthy,” 18 points on “strong leader,” and 15 points on “understands the problems of people like you.” President Bush’s ratings on these attributes have remained stable since March.

Furthermore:

• President Bush has a 60-point advantage over Senator Kerry on who “takes a position and sticks with it.”
• President Bush has a 17-point advantage on who “can be trusted in a crisis.”
• President Bush has a 16-point advantage on making “the country safer and more secure.”

---

Find this item at: http://www.georgewbush.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=2679

President George W. Bush on Iraq

Text of the speech President George W. Bush delivered at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on May 24, 2004.

John Allen on the significance of the Vatican in world affairs

"...it’s hard to see how the Vatican is "irrelevant." I watched the build-up to the Iraq war, for example, when Tony Blair, Jose Maria Aznar, Tarik Aziz, Koffi Annan, and other diplomatic heavyweights were rotating in and out of the Vatican like clients at a deli counter. It wasn’t because they had nothing better to do; it was because John Paul II’s position on the war was moving opinion, undercutting the moral argument for the intervention.

Rarely has the Holy See been more relevant. The Vatican is, and will remain, an extraordinarily important global point of reference.

Powerful words from a woman pregnant with an ancephatic child

Hat tip to Mark Shea and Amy Welborn.

Patron Saint for Life

"Saint Gianna Beretta Molla made a choice: a choice for love, even unto death, because she knew that 'choice' in the truly human sense means freely choosing the good. May her prayers at the Throne of Grace strengthen us in living and defending the gospel of life."

American Catholic Voters Support for Kerry on Church Issues Falls as Low as Six Percent

A major poll of 1,388 American Roman Catholic voters shows Catholic presidential candidate John Kerry getting only 20% support among America’s 51 million Catholics on issues where he opposes the Church’s position with his support on some issues dropping as low as 6%.

Catholic Vote More Critical in Strife

Pope Says Marriage Is Between Heterosexuals

'Family life is sanctified in the joining of man and woman in the sacramental institution of holy matrimony,' he said in an address to visiting American bishops.

'The Church teaches that the love of man and woman made holy in the sacrament of marriage is a mirror of God's everlasting love for his creation,' he said.

The 84-year-old pope told the bishops it was 'fundamental that Christian marriage be comprehended in the fullest sense and be presented both as a natural institution and a sacramental reality.'

Terrorism and Hope - Bruce Walker

What an idiot

Drudge is reporting...

President fell off bike Saturday.. Kerry told reporters in front of cameras, 'Did the training wheels fall off?'... Reporters are debating whether to treat it as on or off the record...

Imagine if President Bush said such a thing. There would be no debate and the media would be critical of the comment.

Oswald Sobrino on the Dems letter to McCarrick

In the end, the Democrats' letter is a welcome sign that they are being hurt politically by their embrace of abortion. It will encourage Republicans to speak out even more forcefully in favor of life. Our witness is having an impact. The witness of a handful of courageous bishops is having an impact. Imagine the impact if all the bishops would find such courage.

GOP peer hits Democrats' letter to prelate

'Anyone who knows anything about Catholic theology knows you cannot equate abortion with the war in Iraq,' he said. 'Abortion is always intrinsically evil but, as for war in Iraq, that involves prudential judgment. You have the moral right to make a decision on what is the best policy to follow.'

Many ethnic Catholics--Irish, Italians and Poles--support President Bush on social issues such as abortion as well as the war, Mr. King said, so the Democrats 'want to confuse the issue and say they are Catholics while not acting as practicing Catholics.'

- Rep. Peter T. King, New York Republican

Good discussion on Amy Welborn's blog on the Dems letter to Cardinal McCarrick

WHO Official Admits Legal Abortion is Not "Safe" For Women

At an international conference on population held in Washington, DC last week, an official from the World Health Organization (WHO) made an admission that undermines one of the most common arguments for the worldwide legalization of abortion on demand. Dr. Gunta Lazdane, European Regional Advisor to WHO on Reproductive Health and Research, said that, "up to 20% of maternal deaths are due to abortion, even in those situations were abortion is legal.there is a question whether 'safe' abortion is safe."  -  C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute) Friday Fax, 21 May 04

 

Another reason to oppose federal funding of international family planning organizations which carry out abortions.

False Teachings

There is an idea which is permeating through the media. The idea is support for the death penalty and the war in Iraq is morally wrong and violates the teachings of the Catholic Church.  Furthermore, it has been claimed support for the death penalty and war in Iraq are both on par with support for abortion.

 

Thus, a Catholic politician like Sen Kerry, who supports abortion, is no more wrong than a Catholic politician like Gov Jeb Bush, who supports the death penalty.  The underlying suggestion is, Catholic voters would be wrong to vote for any candidate who supports the death penalty, the war in Iraq, or abortion, so a candidate's stand on abortion really should not matter to these Catholic voters.

 

I can give the benefit of the doubt to writers and reporters who are not Catholic or happen to be under-catechized Catholics. Their understanding of Catholic teachings is bound to be limited. Still, they are knowingly or unknowingly contributing to the scandalous idea growing among Catholics that opposition to abortion is not the paramount social teaching of the Catholic Church.

 

There is no Catholic teaching, as there is concerning abortion, that states the death penalty is always wrong or that war is always wrong. As Catholic League president William Donohue has stated, 

"(T)he pope’s position on the war was that it could be resorted to only ‘as the very last option,’ thus allowing room for a legitimate debate on whether that time had arrived.  Regarding the death penalty, the Holy Father has never taken an absolutist position against it; he argues that for the most part it is no longer necessary to defend society.  In short, war and capital punishment, while never desirable, may sometimes be necessary.  By contrast, abortion is intrinsically evil."

Catholics are free to disagree on the application of the death penalty or the timing of the war in Iraq. We are obligated to listen to the hierarchy, but we are not required to come to the same conclusion. And those who support the death penalty or the war in Iraq are not "heartless" or "war-mongers" or unfaithful Catholics. To misrepresent the Catholic understanding of these issues is dangerous. We can only hope and pray that the media will do a better job and soon.

Statement by the President Regarding The Sanctity of Traditional Marriage

The sacred institution of marriage should not be redefined by a few activist judges. All Americans have a right to be heard in this debate. I called on the Congress to pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of a man and a woman as husband and wife. The need for that amendment is still urgent, and I repeat that call today.

GEORGE W. BUSH

From the White House, a nightmare scenario

Scary.

White House officials say they've got a 'working premise' about terrorism and the presidential election: It's going to happen. 'We assume,' says a top administration official, 'an attack will happen leading up to the election.' And, he added, 'it will happen here.' There are two worst-case scenarios, the official says. The first posits an attack on Washington, possibly the Capitol, which was believed to be the target of the 9/11 jet that crashed in Pennsylvania. Theory 2: smaller but more frequent attacks in Washington and other major cities leading up to the election. To prepare, the administration has been holding secret antiterrorism drills to make sure top officials know what to do. 'There was a sense,' says one official involved in the drills, 'of mass confusion on 9/11. Now we have a sense of order.' Unclear is the political impact, though most Bushies think the nation would rally around the president. 'I can tell you one thing,' adds the official sternly, 'we won't be like Spain,' which tossed its government days after the Madrid train bombings.

Good news from Iraq - bet you didn't know there was any?

Blogger Arthur Chrenkoff has some of the good news from Iraq.

Changing Catholic Vote Appears Up For Grabs

A Marine sees what defeatists don't

Have to love the Marines.

War is inherently ugly and dramatic. I don't blame reporters for focusing on the burning vehicles, the mutilated bodies or the personal tragedies. The editors have little choice but to print the photos from the Abu Ghraib prison and the tales of the insurgency in Fallujah. These things sell news and remind us of the sober reality of our commitment to the Iraqi people. The actions of our armed forces are rightfully subject to scrutiny.

I am not ignorant of the political issues, either. But as a professional, I have the luxury of putting politics aside and focusing on the task at hand. Protecting people from terrorists and criminals while building schools and lasting friendships is a good mission, no matter what brush it's tarred with.

Nothing any talking head will say can deter me or my fellow Marines from caring about the people of Iraq, or take away from the sacrifices of our comrades. Fear in the face of adversity is human nature, and many people who take the counsel of their fears speak today. We are not deaf to their cries; neither do we take heed. All we ask is that Americans stand by us by supporting not just the troops, but also the mission.

We'll take care of the rest.

Contrast Maj Connable's words with Lt Paul Rieckhoff's delivery of the Democratic Radio Address on 1 May.

In God, and the GOP, They Trust

What is it about the policy positions and cultural attitudes described as Republican or conservative that makes them so attractive to religious voters? What principle links, say, a passionate defense of gun ownership and a strong preference for low taxes? The link can be summarized in three words: individual moral responsibility.

A Pope & a President - Michael Novak

Some excerpts from Mr Novak's article:

The pope and the president have this in common: They see noble possibilities where others see lifeless landscapes. Where others say, "It can't be done," the pope has been heard to say: "Be not afraid!" and his biographer says the leitmotiv of his life is as the world's premier "Witness to Hope." The president has been heard to say, "We have a chance to change history, to launch a tide of democracy where it has never reached before."

This should be repeated to all those who state this war was immoral.

The pope well understands the circumstances which led the president to obey the obligation of the presidential office, as the president saw it, to act in Iraq in March of 2003, even as the pope was doing everything possible to dissuade him, and to make war unnecessary. Both leaders have been over that ground together before. They are focused now on bringing peace and order — a new order, a new possibility — to a crucial and long-troubled region.

It says alot when it is noted Bush and the Holy Father have the same enemies.

And, just by the way, although it may be different in Europe, a great many of the groups in America that most hate President Bush also hate the Catholic Church, and say so quite openly. Regarding abortion, euthanasia, stem-cell research, cloning, and same-sex marriage, the vision the Catholic church upholds of the unity of body and soul stands athwart the sexual politics of many powerful elites, and is not at all appreciated by them. The fact that the position of President Bush is quite close to the Catholic view is another reason why our elites so intensely hate him.

Saint Gianna Beretta Mola

She was a beautiful, dark haired woman with a strong honest face. Everyone who met her remembers her warm smile and cheerful personality. Gianna Beretta Mola was a wife, a mother, and a doctor who specialised in working with poor families. On April 28 1962, she died, at the age of 39, after giving birth to her fourth child which doctors had advised her to abort.

At Mass, Politics Squeezes Into the Pews

More on Bishop Sheridan's letter.

"It's a decision between them and their God and there will be consequences later," Mr. Howard said. "We're not handing out candy here. This is the body and blood of Christ, hence a true communion."

Sarin, Mustard Gas Discovered Separately in Iraq

Polling Report from Blogs for Bush

Concerned about Bush's showing in the polls? Check out this post to get a better grip of what is really going on.

Pastoral letter from Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs on the duties of Catholic Politicians and Voters

Wow! What a bishop they have in C. Springs! This is getting much of attention because of the line concerning Catholic "voters":

There must be no confusion in these matters. Any Catholic politicians who advocate for abortion, for illicit stem cell research or for any form of euthanasia ipso facto place themselves outside full communion with the Church and so jeopardize their salvation. Any Catholics who vote for candidates who stand for abortion, illicit stem cell research or euthanasia suffer the same fateful consequences. It is for this reason that these Catholics, whether candidates for office or those who would vote for them, may not receive Holy Communion until they have recanted their positions and been reconciled with God and the Church in the Sacrament of Penance.

Some feel those who vote for President Bush who happens to support abortion in some cases and has allowed some federal funding for ESCR, must refrain from communion.

I think this is nuts but deserves some response.

Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) states:

When it is not possible to overturn or completely abrogate a proabortion law, an elected official, whose absolute personal opposition to procured abortion was well known, could licitly support proposals aimed at limiting the harm done by such a law and at lessening its negative consequences... . This does not in fact represent an illicit cooperation with an unjust law, but rather a legitimate and proper attempt to limit its evil aspects. (73)

Given this teaching I would say a vote for Bush is a desire to limit the evil of abortion and ESCR and thus is not sinful. Also, I would question whether or not President Bush's policy on funding some ESCR is "illicit". I think it is not, but I admit that it could be open to some debate.

Over on Amy Welborn's blog there is a good discussion going on concerning this letter.

I only hope and pray that Bishop Sheridan's words here do not make Catholics feel better about supporting Sen Kerry.

Who are the Catholic voters? A look at Congress gives a clue

Asked in a recent Zogby poll whether they thought President Bush should be re-elected or it was time for someone new, 48.8 percent of likely Catholic voters and 49.3 percent of likely Protestant voters thought Bush deserved to be re-elected.

Pope to Ask Bush for Radical Shift in Policy, Says Cardinal Laghi

"We are at the edge of a precipice and we must stop," said Cardinal Pio Laghi, a one-time papal nuncio in the United States, in statements to the Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera.

"We are told this by the horror unleashed by the tortures of Iraqi prisoners, the beheading of the American hostage, and the scoffing at the bodies of American soldiers," he said.

So, if the prisoner abuse and the Nick Berg beheading had not occurred we would be okay in Iraq? I have enormous respect for Cardinal Laghi. When he met Saddam before the war last year, he pulled out a rosary when Saddam brandished a sword in front of him. Yet, he now seems to be exploiting the abuse and beheading. Some are worried that the Holy Father coming out in favor of withholding communion from pro-abortion Sen Kerry would be seen as the Vatican becoming involved in the presidential campaign. Too late! It is already happening.

Good point from George Weigel

"In addition to clarifying the nature of the Church's pro-life position, the bishops must get their conference's communications strategy in order. When deputy USCCB spokesperson Sister Mary Ann Walsh told Fox News that 'there is no candidate...in agreement with the Church on all issues,' she failed to make the other, obvious, and essential point: not all issues are equal. And that's not just my view, that's the view of the people Sister Mary Ann has been hired to serve: the bishops of the United States, who in a 1998 pastoral letter made unmistakably clear that the pro-life issue carried more weight than other issues because it involved the moral foundations of American democracy. "

Insight from Lumen Gentium

Moreover, by uniting their forces let the laity so remedy the institutions and conditions of the world when the latter are an inducement to sin, that these may be conformed to the norms of justice, favoring rather than hindering the practice of virtue. By so doing they will impregnate culture and human works with a moral value. Lumen Gentium, para. 36.

Tony Soprano worries about terrorism. So do I

From Peggy Noonan.

Embryonic stem cells are not all that

As Colorado stem-cell activist Jim Kelly — a paraplegic who believes his best hope of walking again after an auto accident lies in adult-stem-cell treatments — told me, "We have to use our limited resources efficiently. Money spent on embryonic-stem-cell research and human cloning is money that cannot be spent on [investigating] adult stem cells." If Kelly is right, increasing funding for embryonic-stem-cell research, especially if it comes at the expense of adult experiments, could actually delay the cures that so many suffering patients hope desperately to receive from developing cellular therapies.

Abortion More Than Just the Top Political Issue for Catholics

"We need a deeper awareness that abortion goes beyond the category of an 'issue' and into the realm of a national emergency," Fr. Pavone told LifeNews.com. "As an act of violence, it is on the level of terrorism with two differences: Terrorism is not legal, but abortion is, and the number of victims of terrorism is dwarfed beyond comparison by the numbers of abortion victims."

Before attacking the Patriot Act, try reading it

Folks may not be up-to-speed on the ins and outs of the Patriot Act. This article should clear up much of the confusion laid out by those opposed to it.

One Caring President

You have to check out this story!

Hat tip to Blogs for Bush.

President Bush Marks 53rd Anniversary of National Day of Prayer

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please sit down. Please be seated. Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Good afternoon and welcome to the White House. I'm honored to join you at this important annual event.

Since the Continental Congress sat in Philadelphia, America has, from time to time, set aside a national day of prayer. Under a law signed by President Ronald Reagan, that day comes every year on the first Thursday in May. That would be today. (Laughter.)

Today, in our Nation's Capital and around the country, we pause to acknowledge our reliance on almighty God, to join in gratitude for His blessings, and to seek His guidance in our lives and for our nation.

Prayer and songs of praise go together, and we're really thankful this afternoon for the beautiful music of the Washington Bach Consort, led by J. Reilly Lewis. Thank you all for being here. (Applause.) And we are thankful for the voice of Beth Cram Porter. I mean, what a voice. (Laughter and applause.) Thank you. We are as grateful, as well, to all the organizers of the National Day of Prayer, and especially for the gracious leadership of Shirley Dobson. We're also glad you brought Jim with you. (Laughter and applause.)

Colonel Oliver North is the 2004 National Day of Prayer Honorary Chairman. Thank you for taking on the job. I appreciate it. (Applause.) I appreciate Dr. Barry Black, the Chaplain of the United States Senate. I asked him if he had any one liners before I came up here. (Laughter.) I appreciate Father Daniel Coughlin, who will join us shortly. And, Rabbi, thank you for coming. Rabbi Weinreb, I'm honored that you're here. I appreciate your reading. I also want to welcome Vonette Bright, the former National Day of Prayer Task Force Chairman. Vonette, we're honored you're with us. Thank you for coming.

At so many crucial points in the life of America, we have been a nation at prayer. Abraham Lincoln, from this house, called the nation to prayer in the darkest days of the Civil War. Franklin Roosevelt, 60 years ago on D-Day, led the nation in prayer over the radio, asking for God to watch over our sons in battle.

A prayerful spirit has always been a central part of our national tradition, and it remains a vital part of our national character. Americans of every faith and every tradition turn daily to God in reverence and humility. We bring our cares to Him knowing He is our help in ages past, our hope for years to come. It was Lincoln who called Americans "the almost chosen people." (Laughter.) At that word, "almost" makes quite a difference. (Laughter.)

Americans do not presume to equate God's purposes with any purpose of our own. God's will is greater than any man, or any nation built by men. He works His will. He finds His children within every culture and every tribe. And while every human enterprise must end, His kingdom will have no end. Our part, our calling is to align our hearts and action with God's plan, in so far as we can know it. A humble heart is not an indifferent heart. We cannot be neutral in the face of injustice or cruelty or evil. God is not on the side of any nation, yet we know He is on the side of justice. And it is the deepest strength of America that from the hour of our founding, we have chosen justice as our goal.

Our greatest failures as a nation have come when we lost sight of that goal: in slavery, in segregation, and in every wrong that has denied the value and dignity of life. Our finest moments have come when we have faithfully served the cause of justice for our own citizens, and for the people of other lands. And through our nation's history, we have turned to prayer for wisdom to know the good, and for the courage to do the good.

Many people in every age have made the same request of the wise and the holy: teach us to pray. One of the answers begins with "Our Father who art in Heaven." That answer has guided people through two millennia. In that example, we learn to give praise where it is due. We recognize that all that we have and all that we are come as gifts, and it is natural to be grateful to the Giver.

Americans, on this National Day of Prayer, are thankful. We're thankful for our freedom, for so many blessings, large and small, and we're thankful for this wonderful land we call home.

In prayer, we offer petitions, because the Maker of the Universe knows our cares and our needs. For our nation today, the need is great, as young men and women face danger in our defense, for the sake of freedom, and for the sake of peace. We pray that God's hand will protect them and deliver them safely home. We pray for the loved ones who anxiously await their return. And we pray for the families that have known great loss, that they might receive God's peace in the midst of their sadness.

Prayer also teaches us to trust, to accept that God's plan unfolds in His time, not our own; that trust is not always easy, as we discover in our own lives, but trust is the source of ultimate confidence. We affirm that all of life, and all of history, rests entirely on the character of our creation and our Creator. And His love and His mercy extend to all and endure forever.

May God bless you all. (Applause.)

U.S. Rules Morning-After Pill Can't Be Sold Over the Counter

A key part of this battle has been won. It is far from over.

The agency wrote that Barr had two choices to get its application approved. Either it can undertake a new study among girls 16 years old and younger to show that they can use the drug safely without the help of a doctor. Or the company must write a new label and construct a system that would allow women older than 16 to buy the drug over the counter while those younger than 17 would be forced to get a prescription.

Bush pauses to comfort teen

During his visit to the Golden Lamb Inn in Lebanon, Ohio, President Bush stops to hug Ashley Faulkner, who lost her mom in the Sept. 11 attacks.

God Bless all those who comfort the victims of 9/11.

Catholic Analysis on Archbishop John Myers

Archbishop John Myers of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, issued today an eloquent statement that clearly analyzes the issues involved in the propriety of pro-abortion politicians receiving the Eucharist. The archbishop correctly distinguishes between grave and instrinsic evils like abortion on which there is only one Catholic position and other issues of social policy, such as increases in welfare payments or tax cuts, about which Catholics can differ in good faith. The archbishop also makes clear that receiving the Eucharist is not an absolute right, and that those who are pro-abortion should honestly admit they are not in communion with the Church. Let us hope that this statement is a prelude to action. What is also striking about this statement is the contrast with the weak-as-water comments of Cardinal McCarrick of Washington, D.C., who heads a task force considering this issue for the bishops' conference. It has even been reported that this task force will probably not finish its work before the 2004 election! So in the end, Cardinal McCarrick's passive response to the issue is irrelevant. What is relevant is that some bishops and archbishops are taking action or preparing to take long overdue action. Maybe the rest of their colleagues will eventually emulate their apostolic boldness. According to Vatican II, each bishop is a vicar of Christ in his diocese--not a vicar of the bishops' conference or of a committee or of a paralyzed task force. Fortunately, it seems that several bold bishops have taken that teaching of Vatican II to heart."

"A Time for Honesty" A Pastoral Statement by The Most Reverend John J. Myers

Excerpt from the letter dated 5 May:

"As voters, Catholics are under an obligation to avoid implicating themselves in abortion, which is one of the gravest of injustices. Certainly, there are other injustices, which must be addressed, but the unjust killing of the innocent is foremost among them.

Catholics who publicly dissent from the Church’s teaching on the right to life of all unborn children should recognize that they have freely chosen by their own actions to separate themselves from what the Church believes and teaches."

Bishops not partisan for Bush, cardinal says

They should be! The more I read and hear from Cardinal McCarrick the more I do not like what I read and hear from Cardinal McCarrick. Know what I mean?

Iraq’s WMDs: At Least We Have an Answer

Mr Kengor makes some very valid points, the most interesting being if we had not gone to war in Iraq, then the UN weapon inspectors would still be looking for WMD (because EVERYONE would be thinking Saddam was hiding them), Saddam would still be terrorizing his people, and UN sanctions would still be contributing to the deaths of Iraqi children. And this would have continued INDEFINITELY. The men and women who have given their lives in Iraq have not done so in vain. Their sacrifice has made a difference, regardless if we ever find the WMDs.

How Close Is This Race, Really?

"Bush is a champion of a different kind of people. The kind that know the difference between right and wrong. The kind who believe in real family values, America's leadership role in the world, and the Right to decide our own futures. "

Cardinal says faith shapes political conscience for voters, lawmakers

The Fundamental Institutions: President Bush on Marriage, the Family, and Faith

Demand-side again

One area of the demand-side argument re: abortion which is never, it seems, mentioned is the contraceptive culture. If it is crucial to address "health care, child care, family leave, wage inequity, (and) domestic violence" in order to stem the slaughter of innocent unborn children then it is also important that the contraceptive culture be addressed.

Paul VI warned that the practice of contraception would lead us down a slippery slope to an increase in divorce, adultery, child abuse, premarital promiscuity, and abortion. Though abortion is more serious, contraception is the crucial issue here. So, if we want to stem the demand for abortion, then we must also change the contraceptive culture.

President Bush's commitment in this area is a good start. He HAS addressed contraception. He has increased funding for abstinence-only programs and withheld funding from international organizations which promote contraception and abortion. Later this month the FDA will make a decision on whether or not to allow over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception. Though I do not know what, if anything, the president can do to stop this approval I have read of a compromise which would set a minimum age for purchasers and keep the drug behind drugstore counters so pharmacists would control sales. I hope and pray that this 'Plan B' drug is not allowed to be sold. But it seems inevitable that it will be approved. It too will contribute to promiscuity and very likely to more abortions.

Just like there has been no word from the Kerry camp on his hope and desire to reduce abortion thorough his economic policies, so too there is nothing from him on changing the contraceptive culture. You can be sure Sen Kerry will be up front to congratulate the FDA later this month when they approve OTC sales. That alone should tell you that he does not care to work to stem the rate of abortions.

Why Catholics for Bush? (Part 3)

Sandy C over in the Yahoo! group laid out some not so obvious reasons why Catholics should support President Bush. Using the Cathecism as a guide these insights should be read and considered by all Christians.

Washington on Christian Citizenship

Christian Citizenship as responsible citizenship

“While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion.

To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to laud the more distinguished Character of Christian.

The signal instances of Providential goodness which we have experienced and which have now almost crowned our labors with complete success demand from us in a peculiar manner the warmest returns of gratitude and piety to the Supreme Author of all good.”

- George Washington, May 2, 1778, Valley Forge

Why Catholics Will Decide This Election

From Deacon Keith A Fournier:

There is a growing “anyone but Kerry” sentiment.

Why? Because we do not want to be used by an opportunistic candidate who professes to believe what our Church teaches about life and marriage but acts in a manner that is diametrically opposed to these positions. By doing so, Mr. Kerry not only puts his own soul at risk, but he has alienated scores of Catholics as a result and is going to lose the election because of it. There is an obvious irony here. This allegedly “Catholic candidate” will be kept out of office by Catholics. The Catholic community senses a fraud and will not be used in this way.

Prophetic? Let's hope so.

Catholics refocus on life, death issues

Some of this article is bothersome. Yet, it encouraging to read that the Holy See is forcefully speaking to these issues.

But some non-Catholics in medicine, along with a few Catholic theologians, are warning that the church's positions — which can influence legislation, medical regulations and research — risk curtailing medical progress and are not always in the best interests of patients.

The assumption here is that the "best interest" of a patient argument only takes into account their physical well-being rather than physical and spiritual well-being.

As a result, they warn that countries that limit such treatments risk being left behind as stem-cell research progresses — a fate that is increasingly evident in Europe, said Dr. Arne Sunde, chairman of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology.

If researchers in one country discovered an embryonic stem-call cure for paralysis, for example, "wouldn't it be tough to say this isn't for Catholics," Dr. Sunde said in a phone interview.

There has not been one successful instance of embryonic stem cell use in alleviating a medical condition. On the other hand there have been numerous successes in adult stem cell use.

The Rev. Kevin O'Rourke, founder of the Center for Health Care Ethics at St. Louis University, argued in a 2001 article that remaining in a vegetative state is of no real benefit to patients because they cannot strive for the purpose of life, which the church has defined as pursuing a "friendship with God."

If a patient doesn't have the cognitive function to know and love, he or she can't pursue that friendship, and therefore treatment has no benefit, Father O'Rourke said.

How does Fr O'Rourke know that we cannot pursue a "friendship with God" while in a vegetative state? Is it not possible that by God's grace we can? And the trouble with this statement is where is the line drawn between those of us who have cognitive functions and those who do not or have only limited cognitive functions? The bottom line is we all have souls, regardless of our cognitive functioning.

Bob Woodward refutes the claim that Bush "lied" about Iraq

Twenty-one Reasons Why Bush Will Win

From Election Projection 2004. Great site which tracks polls and shows the current electoral votes for Bush and Kerry based on these polls.