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Exclusive Interview: Cardinal Rigali Says Notre Dame Defence of Obama Honor "Evades Common Sense"

By Kathleen Gilbert

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, April 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Philadelphia's Cardinal Justin Rigali, Chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, weighed in on the Notre Dame scandal in an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews.com today.  Rigali called the school's decision to honor President Obama a "most unfortunate" decision that "must not happen again," and criticized the school's defense of the decision as one that "evades common sense."

President Obama is due to give the commencement address and receive an honorary law degree at Notre Dame May 17.

"My reaction is that it is most unfortunate," said Rigali.  "It's most unfortunate because of the confusion it causes; it's most unfortunate because of the message that it gives with regard to the importance of human life; it's most unfortunate in regard to the confusion that it causes also in the ordinary people - the students, the graduates, the families ... but above all, it is most unfortunate because the value that is attributed to life through the recognition of an honorary degree in this regard is just not acceptable."

Asked to give his opinion on the unprecedented backlash from U.S. bishops and thousands of Catholic laity over Notre Dame's decision, Rigali said he believes that "something very positive is going on in our country along with all the negative things - that there is a greater and evolving understanding of the value of human life in many, many people."

"The backlash is due to a great extent the reaction of people who through their intuition, through their common sense, they know that this is just not an acceptable way to take a position on something that is so important," he said.

The cardinal referred to a speech by Pope John Paul II during his visit to St. Louis, MO in 1999, when the pope compared the legalization of abortion to St. Louis' Dred Scott case.  In that case the U.S. Supreme Court "declared an entire class of human beings, people of African descent, outside the boundaries of the national community and the Constitution's protection," in the pope's words. 

"How can we tolerate that today?" Rigali challenged.  "This whole other category of human beings, the unborn - and the attitude of certain people permitting this, and saying that, for example, abortion should be safe, legal, and rare - or that it simply should be permitted at all times - to take this as a position, this is simply not acceptable in our day and age."  Thus a Catholic university, said Rigali, "has to be in the forefront of the defense of human life." 

"This is a stand in regard to something that is so vital, it is so important for the civilization of today ... that we simply cannot be ambiguous," he said.  "To honor somebody [who is pro-abortion] ... whatever his or her merits may be, whatever splendid things this person may do, whatever position he or she occupies ... makes no sense whatsoever."

The Philadelphia cardinal also addressed the U.S. Bishops Conference (USCCB) 2004 document "Catholics in Political Life", which states: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions." 

The majority of U.S. bishops condemning the Obama invitation have said the move directly violates the document. However, Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins claimed the directive only applies to the invitation of politicians who are Catholic. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040808.html)

In response, Cardinal Rigali said that while the document "may have well been in the context of Catholics," the statement itself "says something quite clear which is a principle in itself."

"It would make no sense whatsoever to say, 'Well, we shouldn't honor Catholics who present the antithesis of our Catholic doctrine, but ... there's really no problem whatsoever provided the person's not a Catholic,'" he said.  "That evades common sense."

When asked whether he felt the invitation to Obama ought to be revoked, Rigali referred the question to Notre Dame's own Bishop John D'Arcy.  "I don't think that everybody can come up with an answer to a specific problem in another diocese," he said. 

However, he continued: "It is evident that the invitation should not have been extended.  It goes against the values that we hold. And it must not happen again." 

The bishop praised former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon for turning down Notre Dame's Laetare Medal at the same ceremony in protest of the scandal.

Rigali said that "there has to be some form of explanation - explanation to all those who have been given this poor testimony of the value of life ... on the part of the university, on the part of the president of the University, on the value of life." 

"He [Notre Dame president Fr. Jenkins] has to, because he has given an invitation that shows that this is not that important an issue," said the cardinal.  "And now, the whole world has to see that it is such an important issue: that, yes, it is a sign of contradiction ... it is a division between life and death, and we cannot treat it as one issue among many."

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BREAKING: Senate Confirms Sebelius as HHS Secretary

Senators Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts of Kansas both voted to confirm Sebelius

By Kathleen Gilbert

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The U.S. Senate voted 65-31 late this afternoon to confirm pro-abortion Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, whom Planned Parenthood has called a "champion" of their cause, as Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Senators Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts of Kansas both voted in favor of the nomination, over the strenuous objections of pro-life and conservative groups who opposed Sebelius due to her extreme pro-abortion record and controversial abortion ties.  

Most Senators who rose in opposition to Sebelius during the lengthy debate voiced concern for her connections to late-term abortionist George Tiller and her lack of candor over campaign contributions she received from him.

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn said today that late term abortion is a "barometer for the soul of our nation," and that Sebelius "lacks part of the moral clarity" needed to lead our nation.

Senator Robert Bennett of Utah said that he would oppose the Sebelius nomination, despite his usual preference for complying with a president's appointment unless the candidate is "completely inappropriate or incapable of carrying out their duties."

Bennett pointed out that Sebelius was "less than forthcoming" with respect to her financial and political relationship with Tiller, who is currently under investigation for performing illegal abortions.  While Bennett acknowledged that "all of us have the need to raise political money," he noted that in such situations, "as long as it's understood that I won't do anything for [the donor], I'll report it."

Capitol Hill legislators began to express concern over Gov. Sebelius' abortion ties after it was revealed that Sebelius significantly underreported contributions from Tiller and his political action committee. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09041611.html) The HHS dismissed the incorrect information as an "oversight"; however, the matter gave pause to conservative senators who blocked the confirmation vote last week. 

GOP Chairman Michael Steele Friday called upon Sebelius and the Obama administration to answer questions about her abortion industry contributions forthrightly, or else rescind the nomination.  The same day, Sebelius vetoed yet another Kansas law that would have mildly restricted the late-term abortion business.  (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09042309.html)

Earlier today, 32 members of the House of Representatives issued a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to withdraw her nomination from consideration.

The representatives, including Rep. Todd Tiahrt from Sebelius' home state of Kansas, asked Obama to withdraw his nominee "in light of her close collaboration with the abortion industry."  In the letter the group mentions Sebelius' campaign contributions from late-term abortionist George Tiller and her repeated veto that served to protect her benefactors, Tiller and Planned Parenthood, from having to comply with safety regulations and other restrictions designed to protect patients.

"We are deeply disappointed by this nomination and believe a nominee to such an important position should, at the very least, not have commitments to the morally reprehensible practice of providing abortion in almost every circumstance," stated the legislators.

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman commented on Sebelius' confirmation, saying: "This is obviously a step in the wrong direction for our nation. With Sebelius, we can expect to see increased protections on predatory abortionists, taxpayer funded abortions, and rationed health care that could cost lives. With this confirmation, Obama is continuing to build a Culture of Death in our nation."

Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, called today's vote "a tragedy."

"Two good men, Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts, cowed by political expediency and a despairing pragmatism, have cooperated with evil and helped pave the way for the Obama administration's virulently pro-abortion agenda," said Brown. 

"Faced with the most extreme anti-life presidential administration in history, these two 'pro-life' men had the opportunity to radically change the course of Gov. Sebelius' confirmation process and make a heroic stand against the evil of abortion.  Instead, they chose to congratulate, support and appoint a woman who, wedded to the Kansas abortion lobby, helped make that state the 'late-term abortion capital of the world.'

"In her new position as secretary of Health and Human Services, Sebelius will have the power to make the United States the abortion capital of the world," Brown warned.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

GOP Chairman Steele Calls on Obama to Withdraw Sebelius Nomination, after GOP Senators Block Vote
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09042309.html

Sebelius Approved by Senate panel, Final Confirmation Pending
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09042105.html

Letter Reveals another $200,000 Donation from Notorious Abortionist Tiller to Help Elect Sebelius
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09041611.html

Sebelius Caught Underreporting Campaign Contributions from Notorious Abortionist: HHS Nomination May be in Jeopardy
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09041417.html

Senate Committee Silent on Sebelius Abortion Ties as Full Senate Vote is Delayed
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040313.html

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Pro-Abort Sen. Specter Announces Switch to Democratic Party

By John Jalsevac

April 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Arlen Specter, the pro-abortion senior Republican senator from Pennsylvania, has announced that he intends to switch parties, and will seek re-election in 2010 as a Democratic candidate.

Specter has been a Republican senator since his election in 1980. However, in a statement released today Specter said that since the 1980s the Republican Party has moved too far to the right. "I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans," he said.

The senator has been a long-term support of legalized abortion, though he has claimed that he is "personally" against abortion. The National Right to Life Committee gave Specter a 0% rating in 2006, meaning that in his voting record he is firmly "pro-choice."

President Obama has reportedly welcomed the news of the switch. "You have my full support, and we're thrilled to have you," Obama told Specter in a telephone call today, according to CNN.

Pro-life leaders have responded to the senator's announcement by observing that Specter's values on life and the family have been more in line with the Democratic Party for a long time.

In an interview with LifeSiteNews, Operation Rescue President Troy Newman said that Specter's decision changes little in terms of the fight for the right to life in America, but added that it does help clarify Specter's position. 

"It's good when people are forced to pick sides," he said. "I would rather have a handful of good men and women who we can count on, than an entire House and Senate of people that waffle every time it comes to the life issue.

"We need to get rid of people like Specter who never caucused with us, who fought against us." 

National Right to Life Committee legislative director Douglas Johnson, agreed that Specter's move isn't a huge game-changer for the pro-life cause. "Specter has a long pro-abortion record," he said. "He voted against us virtually all the time on issues touching on abortion. So it's not going to change the numbers."

However, he did point out that Specter's move from the Republican Party could serve to weaken the party's influence in certain "procedural matters," and could affect the process of confirming judges.  
 
Newman also observed that Specter's switch signals that Pat Toomey, the pro-life candidate who ran against Specter in the 2004 Republican primaries, "is a viable candidate." Specter's move, said Newman, indicates that he believed that Toomey had a good chance of beating him in the primary and forcing him out of the Senate.

Toomey nearly defeated Specter in the 2004 primaries. He has said that he will again seek the Republican ticket in 2010, and with Specter's defection he is currently the only Republican that has announced his candidacy.

Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele ripped into Specter in a statement today, saying that the senator's switch was not based upon principles, but upon political expediency. 

"Let's be honest - Sen. Specter didn't leave the GOP based on principles of any kind," he said. "He left to further his personal political interests because he knew that he was going to lose a Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record."

Steele said Republicans "look forward to beating Sen. Specter in 2010, assuming the Democrats don't do it first."

Specter's switch could reportedly serve to bring the Democratic Senate majority to a filibuster-proof 60 vote, if Al Franken holds his lead in the Minnesota Senate race. However, Specter denied in today's statement that the switch meant a change in party control. "My change in party affiliation does not mean that I will be a party-line voter any more for the Democrats that I have been for the Republicans," he said.

Specter Backpedaling for His Political Life Against Tidal Wave of Opposition
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/04110802.html

Specter Supported by Pro-life Turncoat Orrin Hatch
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/04111702.html

American Life League Statement - Problems with Santorum-Specter Bill S. 2754
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jul/060714a.html

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Mexico Archdiocese Says Abortion on Demand Has Transformed Capital into a "Homicidal City"

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

MEXICO CITY, March 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Archdiocese of Mexico City has issued an editorial addressing Mexico City's second anniversary of abortion on demand, in which it accuses the anti-life legislation of transforming the capital into a "homicidal city," according to the Catholic news agency ACI Prensa.

The editorial, which was published in the Archdiocesan magazine From the Faith (Desde la Fe), compares the number of unborn babies murdered by abortion with those killed by organized crime.

While ten thousand people have been killed by organized crime in the last three years, more than double that number of unborn children have died by abortion, the editorial notes. The figure of the number of children who have died by abortion given by the Mexico City government is approximately 23,000.

The editorial also congratulates the many state governments who have followed the Mexico City law with amendments to their constitutions, protecting the right to life from the moment of conception or fertilization.

The states that have passed such amendments are "demonstrating that they are not going to allow themselves to be blackmailed by intolerant and aggressive factions financed by the darkest international interests who have lost direction regarding life, that do not hide their hatred towards the Church and their evil inspiration, and who want to impose hedonistic, irresponsible, and egotistical models of fulfillment throughout  society," the editorial says.

In its own denunciation of the anniversary, Mexico's National Pro-Life Committee observes that "they have converted the 14 maternal-child hospitals of the Federal District into extermination centers for recently-conceived babies up to 12 weeks of gestation."

The Committee claims that, contrary to news reports and officially recognized statistics, "at least 14 women have died" as a result of abortions done under the new law in the past two years.  To commemorate the anniversary of the law, the group held a protest outside of government offices with a woman posing as a dead victim of abortion.

The government of Mexico City has thus far only recognized one death, and claims that its policy has been a "success."

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Interview Confirms Eighth Mexican Pro-Abortion Organization Being Funded by Development and Peace

Thus far 73% of D&P grant recipients in Mexico verified as supporting the legalization of abortion

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman MORELIA, MEXICO April 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Canadian Catholic bishops' foreign aid organization, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP), is funding an organization in the Mexican state of Michoacan that refers women to government hospitals to receive abortifacient "emergency contraception," LifeSiteNews has learned.

The group, called the Women in Solidarity Action Team (Equipo Mujeres en Acción Solidaria - EMAS), also campaigns to legalize abortion and to streamline existing procedures for abortions in cases of rape, and gives instruction on the use of contraceptives.

Ana Luisa Barajas Perez, General Coordinator of EMAS, confirmed to LifeSiteNews in a telephone interview today that in the struggle to legalize abortion in Mexico City "we have supported our counterparts in the Federal District in everything regarding the law, promoting here all of the actions that they were undertaking and why it was important."

"So in the Federal District EMAS has helped with the legalization of abortion?" asked LifeSiteNews. "Uh huh," responded Barajas. "Not only EMAS but all of the women's organizations denominated as feminist in the state [of Michoacan], there are eight of us."

Barajas explained that EMAS campaigned through "the media, press conferences, explaining to various news agencies, what the implication of the law is in the Federal District and why it is a success for women in the state."

In the state of Michoacan, EMAS has "supported a proposal for a manual of mechanisms so that women who are raped may truly have access to legal interruption [of pregnancy]," said Barajas.

Moreover, Barajas also stated EMAS gives instruction on the use of contraceptives, and that "we have a relationship...with the Secretary of Health...so that women really have access to this type of service as a matter of public policy" and added that "many women don't even know that they have a right to this, no?  To request this type of service."

Asked if the "service" included "emergency contraception," which causes abortions, Barajas responded "Yes, including emergency contraception."

In an article dated April 8, 2007, the newspaper La Jornada de Michoacan confirms that EMAS supports legislation to clarify and streamline procedures for obtaining legal abortions in the state, in cases of rape and fetal deformity.

"The fact that a legal initiative to create norms for abortions in specific cases is being presented represents a great advance," Barajas told La Jornada. "We only hope that they follow through and don't shelve it as they have other times" (see article in Spanish at http://www.lajornadamichoacan.com.mx/2007/04/08/index.php?section=politica&a...).

On its blog (http://equpomujeresenaccionsolidaria.blogspot.com/ - June 29/09 LSN Note: This blog is no longer available) EMAS describes itself as a "civil organization founded in 1985 in Mexico City by a group of women committed to the struggle for gender equality, inspired by the utopia of a world without discrimination, truly just, inclusive, and democratic.  Since 1987 we have worked in Michoacan, contributing through educational work in rural communities to promote public policies that help to improve the living conditions of women and their social position."

June 29/09 LSN Note: Although the blog has been taken down, numerous references to EMAS can still be found on the Internet by entering Equipo Mujeres en Acción Solidaria into Google search. One such referenc is at Sage Journals on line (http://online.sagepub.com/cgi/searchresults?src=selected&andorexactfulltext=...) which prominently notes reference to the organization in the book MARXISM, FEMINISM, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA.). There are other references as well that stongly indicate EMAS's marxist, radical feminist character ( see a number of references to Equipo Mujeres en Acción Solidaria in http://books.google.ca/books?id=jJc83fZHD8EC&pg=PA215&lpg=PA215&dq=E...; Footnote 17 on page 219 refers to a particularly incriminiating paragraph from an EMAS document.)

EMAS received $31,000 Canadian dollars during CCODP's 2007-2008 budget year.   If projected over the entire 2006-2011 program, EMAS will have received $155,000 CAD in total.

EMAS is the eighth group funded by CCODP identified by LifeSiteNews as pro-abortion, indicating that at least 73% of the eleven Mexican groups listed as CCODP grant recipients in its 2006-2011 program for Latin America are in favor of legalizing and/or making abortions that are currently not penalized more easily accessible to women in the country.  

LSN has also reported that CCODP is funding numerous pro-abortion organizations in other Latin American countries as well as the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia (see http://www.lifesitenews.com/features/DevelopmentPeace/ for a full list of articles to date).

CCODP receives a large portion of its funds from a fundraising drive held in Canadian parishes during Lent.

Contact Information:

To respectfully contact any Canadian bishop
http://www.cccb.ca/site/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,...

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
2500 Don Reid Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1H 2J2
E-mail:
Phone: (613) 241-9461
Fax: (613) 241-9048

Related LifeSiteNews coverage:

For all articles LifeSiteNews has published on Development and Peace, please see:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/features/DevelopmentPeace/

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52 Bishops Against Notre Dame "Betrayal" of Catholic Identity

By Kathleen Gilbert

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, April 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - As the swell of criticism against the Notre Dame scandal continues to rise, three more bishops have spoken out against the school's decision to honor president Obama at this year's commencement ceremony, bringing the total number of opposing bishops to 52.  President Obama is expected to deliver the University's commencement address and receive an honorary law degree May 17.

Bishop Joseph Galante of New Jersey's Camden diocese weighed in on the controversy in the April 24 edition of the "Catholic Star Herald."  Discussing how Catholics are expected to integrate Catholic faith and identity into daily life, Bishop Galante said Notre Dame's honoring of Obama "suggests that our foundational moral principles do not matter."

"These situations are often complex and each situation must be judged on the particular circumstances that pertain by those who are responsible for upholding Catholic teaching in the institution in question, whether at Notre Dame University or elsewhere," wrote Galante. 

"However, it would appear to me to be inappropriate specifically to honor an individual, particularly a prominent public official, who intentionally holds and deliberately advocates positions contrary to fundamental moral principles.

"To do so suggests that our foundational moral principles do not matter. To do so betrays our Catholic belief. To do so ignores the Church's Catholic identity and our own Catholic identity, which is more than a name or a label, but defines who and what we are at our core," Bishop Galante concluded.

As a publisher's note in the Catholic News & Herald this week, Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte, NC, wrote: "It is evident that action on the important issue of defending unborn human life must proceed along various fronts simultaneously.

"Public outcry over Notre Dame's decision must be accompanied by ongoing catechesis in our parishes, public witness by the entire Catholic Church and involvement in the political process in order to promote a culture that protects the sanctity of unborn human life.

"The problem of the lack of respect for the right to life of the unborn is so serious in our society that this multi-front approach is essential.  This is a task for laity, clergy, religious, parents and teachers - in short, for everyone.," wrote Bishop Jugis.

Earlier this month, Bishop Glen Provost of the diocese of Lake Charles, LA, issued a statement condemning the Notre Dame decision as displaying "total disregard" for U.S. bishops' policy.

"I must express my dismay at the fact that Notre Dame University would confer an honorary degree upon a commencement speaker who publicly, in theory and in action, espouses a position on such a fundamental issue as the life of the unborn that is in direct opposition to Catholic Church teaching," wrote Bishop Provost. 

"With all due respect to the person and the office of the President of the United States, at issue is a far more fundamental principle.  Such an action on the part of the University displays a total disregard for an instruction by the Bishops of this country on the consistency between the actions of Catholic institutions and what the Catholic Church teaches." 

"In this matter, I share the consternation of my brother bishops and of many Notre Dame alumni who have already voiced their objections.  I am in complete agreement with them," said the bishop.  "Appeals to 'academic freedom' or engagement should not prompt an indifference to what our actions imply. 

"In reflecting on the need to voice my objection, I am reminded of a statement in the letters of Madame de Sévigné that I read many years ago. 

"Expressing her regret at the death of a dear friend, which could have been prevented by decisive action, she writes:  'By saying, "I don't want to take responsibility for anything," people become responsible for everything.' 

"For both the individual Catholic living in this climate of moral relativism and for the Catholic institution bestowing an honor, this observation is particularly applicable," wrote Bishop Provost. 

"Honos habet onus ["Honor has responsibility"] applies as well to the one who bestows the honor."

The bishops who have so far expressed disapproval of Notre Dame's invitation to Obama (in alphabetical order) are:

1. Bishop John D'Arcy - Fort Wayne-South Bend, IN
2. Bishop Samuel Aquila - Fargo, ND
3. Bishop Gregory Aymond - Austin, TX
4. Bishop Gerald Barbarito - Palm Beach, FL
5. Bishop Leonard Blair - Toledo, OH
6. Archbishop Daniel Buechlein - Indianapolis, IN
7. Bishop Robert Baker - Birmingham, AL
8. Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz - Lincoln, NE
9. Archbishop Eusebius Beltran - Oklahoma City, OK
10. Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Cantú - San Antonio, TX
11. Bishop Paul Coakley - Salina, KS
12. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo - Houston, TX
13. Archbishop Timothy Dolan - New York, NY
14. Bishop Thomas Doran - Rockford, IL
15. Auxiliary Bishop John Dougherty - Scranton, PA
16. Bishop Robert Finn - Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO
17. Bishop Joseph Galante - Camden, NJ
18. Bishop Victor Galeone - St. Augustine, FL
19. Cardinal Francis George - Chicago, IL; President, USCCB
20. Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger - Evansville, IN
21. Archbishop José Gomez - San Antonio, TX
22. Bishop William Higi - Lafayette, IN
23. Archbishop Alfred Hughs - New Orleans, LA
24. Bishop Peter Jugis - Charlotte, NC
25. Bishop Joseph Latino - Jackson, MS
26. Bishop John LeVoir - New Ulm, MN
27. Bishop Jerome Listecki - La Crosse, WI
28. Bishop William E. Lori - Bridgeport, CT
29. Bishop Paul Loverde - Arlington, VA
30. Bishop George Lucas - Springfield, IL
31. Bishop Robert Lynch - St. Petersburg, FL
32. Bishop Joseph Martino - Scranton, PA
33. Bishop Charles Morlino - Madison, WI
34. Bishop George Murry - Youngstown, OH
35. Archbishop John J. Myers - Newark, NJ
36. Archbishop Joseph Naumann - Kansas City, KS
37. Bishop R. Walker Nickless - Sioux City, IA
38. Archbishop John C. Nienstedt - St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN
39. Archbishop Edwin O'Brien - Baltimore, MD
40. Bishop Thomas Olmsted - Phoenix, AZ
41. Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk - Cincinnati, OH
42. Bishop Glen Provost - Lake Charles, LA
43. Cardinal Justin Rigali - Philadelphia, PA; Chairman, USCCB Pro-Life Committee
44. Bishop Kevin Rhoades - Harrisburg, PA
45. Bishop Alexander Sample - Marquette, MI
46. Bishop Edward J. Slattery - Tulsa, OK
47. Bishop Richard Stika - Knoxville, TN
48. Bishop Anthony Taylor - Little Rock, AR
49. Bishop Robert Vasa - Baker, OR
50. Bishop Thomas Wenski - Orlando, FL
51. Archbishop Donald Wuerl - Washington, D.C.
52. Bishop David Zubick - Pittsburgh, PA

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Prominent Gay British Politician Jokes about Killing Miss California for Her Opposition to Same-Sex "Marriage"

Calls her a "silly b**ch"

By John-Henry Westen and Hilary White

LONDON, April 27, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Alan Duncan, the UK's first openly-homosexual Conservative politician and the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons is rebuffing criticism for saying on a comedy show that he would kill Miss California, Carrie Prejean, for her remarks against homosexual "marriage." Prejean made the remarks during the recent Miss USA beauty pageant. (See coverage: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09042103.html)

Mr. Duncan, on the BBC comedy news show "Have I Got News For You" on Friday, described Prejean as a "silly b**ch." He added, "If you read that Miss California has been murdered, you will know it was me, won't you?"

Other panellists on the comedy show expressed shock despite their support for same-sex "marriage." Katy Brand said, "That's a hell of a statement to be making on camera there, Alan." Paul Merton said, "For someone planning to be Home Secretary."

The Metropolitan Police have received a complaint from George Hargreaves, an outspokenly pro-family evangelical minister and the leader of the small political party, the Christian Party, whose members believe that homosexual activity is sinful.

Yesterday Hargreaves said, "Mr Duncan has crossed the line. A senior politician suggesting, even as a joke, that it is okay that Miss Prejean should be murdered for her evangelical Christian views is totally unacceptable.

"How can we stop gun and knife crime when the man who thinks he will be the next Home Secretary makes death threats?"

In later comments, Duncan continued to treat the incident as a joke. "Of course it was in jest. It is a comedy show after all. I'm sure Miss Prejean's very beautiful and that if we were to meet we would love each other. I have no plans to kill her. I'll send her a box of chocolates - unpoisoned," he told media.

A spokesman for the BBC said, "Alan Duncan's comment was not meant to be taken seriously and it did not go unchallenged. Its absurdity and unacceptability was [sic] highlighted by the other panellists." 

George Pitcher, religion editor of the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph, wrote on Monday that the larger issue is that a senior Tory politician has said that he is opposed to the current legal definition of marriage in Britain.

"A union between a man and a woman. In current civil and ecclesiastical law that is how it is," he wrote. "So, it would seem that Mr. Duncan would want to put same-sex civil partnerships on the same civil and ecclesiastical legal footing as marriage. Is that Conservative Party policy and will Mr Duncan push for it if he becomes Home Secretary?"

Duncan, who is in a legal civil partnership with James Dunseath, is described as a "moderniser" in the Tory party and economically and socially libertarian in his political views. When Duncan announced in March 2008 that he would be entering into a homosexual civil partnership, Tory party leader David Cameron said, "I am absolutely delighted for Alan and James and wish them all the very best."

During the Miss America pageant, aired live on NBC, homosexual activist and celebrity gossip Perez Hilton, one of 13 telecast judges, asked Miss California, Carrie Prejean: "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage.  Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?"

Prejean answered, "I think it's great Americans are able to choose one or the other.  We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage.  And you know what, in my country, in my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.  No offense to anybody there, but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be - between a man and a woman."

Hilton later lambasted Prejean for her answer on his popular blog. He called her answer "the worst answer in pageant history."  "She lost, not because she doesn't believe in gay marriage, she lost because she's a dumb b*tch," he said.

"If that girl would have won Miss USA, California, I would have gone up on stage, I sh*t you not, ... snatched that tiara off her head, and run out the door," said Hilton.

To express concerns to the Conservative party:

David Cameron,
House of Commons,
London, SW1A 0AA.
Email:

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Morning After Pill for UK School Girls by Text Message: Catholic Secondary School to be Forced to Participate

By Hilary White

OXFORD, April 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A UK Catholic bishop has condemned a plan by Oxfordshire health officials to allow girls as young as eleven to order the abortifacient morning after pill by text message from their school nurse. An auxiliary bishop of the Catholic archdiocese of Birmingham told local news media that the proposed plan by local health authorities and the Oxfordshire County Council "goes against the very central idea the Catholic church has on human life."

Bishop Leonard William Kenney told the Daily Telegraph, "It is sending out the message that it was better to deal with the aftermath of what people do, rather than the causes.

"I don't think this will help solve the teenage pregnancy rate and is taking away responsibility from parents."

Set to begin in July, the pilot program will apply to six secondary schools in Oxfordshire county, including St. Gregory the Great Catholic school in Oxford. Authorities have informed the schools that there will be no opt-out allowed, claiming that the texting service is "outside the governance of the schools" because it is offered outside of school hours.

Chaplain for St. Gregory's, Father Daniel Seward, said, "The school is part of the Catholic church and the Church has a very clear view that sexual relations take place properly within marriage and that any abortion or contraception is contrary to the dignity of the human person.

"Sex is never just a recreational activity," he added.

Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust conducted a poll and identified the ancient university city of Oxford and nearby Banbury as "hotspots" for Britain's endemic teen pregnancy problem.

In a joint statement issued in March, the Oxfordshire County Council and Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust said, "This service would provide an extra level of support for those young people who think they have taken a risk, or have another health problem, and don't want to approach a doctor or a pharmacist but can text a nurse and ask what they can do."

Authorities emphasized that they would bring in child protection staff if a request came from any girl aged 11 to 13. The age of consent for sexual activity in England and Wales is 16, as specified by the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

John Smeaton, director of the UK's Society for the Protection of Unborn Children told LifeSiteNews.com, that the plan "just shows the contempt of the sex education industry for the unborn and for parents. Parents have got to resist this kind of development."

Smeaton urged concerned parents to contact the Safe at School Campaign, a program run by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children that aims to educate parents and teachers about the dangers of "sex and relationships education."   

To express concerns to Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust:
 
Jubilee House
5510 John Smith Drive
Oxford Business Park South
Cowley
Oxford OX4 2LH
(0) 1865 336 800
Fax: (0)1865 337 094

To contact SPUC's Safe at School campaign:
3 Whitacre Mews, Stannary Street
London, SE11 4AB, UK
Telephone: (0) 20 7091 7091
Fax: (0) 20 7820 3131
Email:

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Pro-Abortion John Kerry Advises Obama to Select a Pro-Life Ambassador to the Vatican

By Hilary White

ROME, April 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Senator John Kerry, one of the most prominent pro-abortion Catholic politicians in the US, told an interviewer last week that it is only logical for the White House to appoint a pro-life ambassador to the Vatican.

Kerry, a former Democratic candidate for US president, said, "I think that if you're going to have an ambassador who has access to His Holiness and who has the ability to be able to represent all the other things which you want to come together on, it is best not to, you know, make things difficult from the outset."

"And obviously given the position of the Church, that's difficult. And so an honest answer is, you know, I'd try to find someone who doesn't open up that front, so to speak, and has the ability to represent where we find the common ground."

He added, "Does it have to be [a pro-life person]? No, but that would be my recommendation."

While the process for proposing and vetting diplomatic posts is one of the Vatican's most closely guarded secrets, rumors have been circulating in the US and Italian press that the aggressively pro-abortion Obama administration is finding it difficult to fill the post. 

Although both the White House and the Vatican have repeatedly denied that any Obama choices have been rejected, the Times of London, the Daily Telegraph and the Italian daily Il Giornale reported in mid-April that Caroline Kennedy had been chosen but later rejected by Rome because of her pro-abortion views. Il Giornale mentioned the "strained" relationship between the Vatican and the White House since the election of Obama.

Former US ambassador to the Vatican, Raymond Flynn, speaking to the Boston Herald, argued that Kennedy's support for legal abortion made her unsuitable. Caroline Kennedy, who dismissed the rumor that she had been proposed for the position, is the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, a prominent player in the Democrat party and was a key member of the Obama campaign team.

"It's imperative, it's essential that the person who represents us to the Holy See be a person who has pro-life values," Flynn said.

In early April, Italian journalist Massimo Franco a columnist for the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, said that the Vatican had rejected three proposals for US ambassador because of their pro-abortion views. In an email, Franco told the Washington Times that the rejection of the Obama candidates "would suggest that, at least so far, none of the potential Democratic diplomats were considered fit to 'improve relations' with the Holy See."

An official of the Vatican's office of Secretariat of State told Catholic News Service, "Obviously, the exchange has not been fruitful in finding a mutually satisfying candidate, otherwise, at this point, there would have been an announcement, and there isn't one."

On April 9, Fr. Frederico Lombardi, media spokesman for the Holy See said, "No proposals about the new ambassador of the United States to the Holy See have reached the Vatican, and therefore it is not true that they have been rejected. The rumors circulating about this topic are not reliable."

Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Secretary of State Clinton Admits Obama will Work to Dismantle Abortion Laws around the World
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09042301.html

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Mary Ann Glendon to Receive Pro-Life Award for Notre Dame Decision

April 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Bradley Mattes, Executive Director of Life Issues Institute, announced today that they will present the group's prestigious "Hero at Heart" award to Mary Ann Glendon, former Ambassador to the Vatican. The honor is given annually to individuals who demonstrate outstanding courage or compassion on behalf of innocent human life. Recipients have included Congressman Henry Hyde and former Kansas Attorney General, Phill Kline.

Ambassador Glendon recently declined the University of Notre Dame's most revered honor, the Laetare Medal, which was to be presented to her during the university's May commencement ceremony.

In a letter to Notre Dame President, Father John Jenkins, Ambassador Glendon made clear her decision was based on the invitation of pro-abortion President Barack Obama to speak at the commencement, as well as presenting him with an honorary doctor of law degree. (See: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09042702.html)

The university is currently scrambling to find an alternate designee for the medal.

Mr. Mattes said, "Ambassador Glendon has demonstrated courage and grace in declining this prominent honor. Her action has demonstrated the critical need for all of us to stand up for innocent human life in the face of a pro-abortion president. That's why she's a Hero at Heart."

Both President Obama and the current Congress are the most pro-abortion in the nation's history. During his first months in office, Mr. Obama has made decisions and appointments which will adversely affect countless lives of America's innocent unborn babies.

Dr. Willke, President of Life Issues Institute, stated, "Ambassador Glendon's action has been noticed around the world. She's sent an unmistakable message that a Catholic university claiming to stand against abortion must be true to their word."

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Supreme Court Upholds Tough Rules on Swearing in Broadcast Media

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Supreme Court narrowly ruled today that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is authorized to regulate "fleeting expletives."

The decision overturns a ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a case initiated after broadcast networks aired the "F-word" and "S-word" from live events.

Penny Young Nance, former policy Advisor to the Federal Communications Commission on indecency issues and current Concerned Women for America board member, responded to the news: "Today's Supreme Court decision in Fox v. FCC is a huge victory for American families. Once again the Supreme Court has reaffirmed that the government does have a role in protecting children.

"Justice Scalia said the FCC's policy to ban fleeting expletives is entirely rational. American families understand that the public airwaves, like public parks, are owned by all of us. The networks do not have the right to pollute the airwaves with the 'F-word' at will."

CWA President Wendy Wright said, "Broadcasters have the ability to bleep out offensive and crude language, but networks refused to act responsibly. Today the Supreme Court recognized that the FCC has the right to step in to protect viewers, especially young viewers, from offensive material. This is a step in the right direction to once again make television a safe form of entertainment."

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