Recent Catholic News

OTTAWA, August 8, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Liberal MPs upset with their own government’s proposed legislation to allow homosexual “marriage” are proposing several roadblocks to the legislation.  From the proposals it seem the legislation will be hit with everything from amendments to issuing the notwithstanding clause.  Liberal MP Pat O’Brien, who has been an outspoken defender of the family, suggests that the government should add to the questions it referred to the Supreme Court the following: Does the traditional definition of marriage respect the Charter of Rights?  That would allow the Supreme Court to strike down the lower court rulings, he […]

OTTAWA, August 8, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Prime Minister Jean Chretien will be the spokesman in support of homosexual “marriage” at the upcoming Aug. 19-21 Liberal summer caucus meeting in North Bay.  “He will talk about facing a reality,” Chretien spokesman Jim Munson said Thursday. “He will talk about recognizing a reality that has already been recognized by the courts. He won’t be preaching at them. He will say, ‘We’re respecting the Charter of Rights.’ He will say it’s our obligation to protect the equality of all Canadians under the Charter of Rights.” See the National Post coverage:  http://canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=89304db6-f013-4c53-883c-dbe68c5b3b64

MONTGOMERY, August 8, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A federal judge has ordered Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Judicial Building within 15 days. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson of Montgomery threatened to penalize the lower court if it does not comply.  Thompson claims the monument violates an alleged “constitutional ban on government promotion of religion.” But Moore has vowed to take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.  A rally in support of Judge Moore, organized by the group One Nation Under God, will take place in Montgomery on Saturday August […]

MINNEAPOLIS, August 8, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On the heels of confirming its first stridently homosexual bishop, the leadership of the U.S. Episcopal (Anglican) Church has given the go-ahead to “wedding-like rituals to bless same-sex couples.”“We recognize that local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions,” said a declaration passed by the divided convention.  A spokesman for the American Anglican Council, an orthodox Christian group within the Episcopal Church, said the confirmation of Bishop Gene Robinson had already caused “irreparable damage.”  For local coverage:  http://www.thebakersfieldchannel.com/sh/news/stories/nat-news-239156520030808-090803.html

MINNEAPOLIS, August 8, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Bush Administration’s policy to allow states to cover pregnant women and unborn babies under state health insurance programs has found a fourth supporter. Minnesota this week joined Illinois, Michigan and Rhode Island is taking advantage of the new federal rules.  Planned Parenthood criticized extending health coverage to what it dismissed as “embryos,” calling the move a threat to women’s right to choose (abortion).  For local network coverage:  http://www.kare11.com/news/news-article.asp?NEWS_ID=50541

TORONTO, August 7, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – One of the major reasons that Canadian opinion polls can show a surprisingly large percentage of Catholics to be in favour of homosexual ‘marriage’ is that the Catholic education system has for decades been heavily influenced by teacher and staff resource people who dissent from Catholic moral teaching. On the homosexual issue, therefore, most Catholic students over the past four or five generations have received very poor, if any, well-presented education on their faith’s actual teachings on the issue. Fr. Jim McManamy, of Precious Blood Parish in Scarborough, recently saw first-hand how the church’s […]

OTTAWA, August 7, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The President of the Canadian Psychological Association has attacked the recent Vatican document on homosexual unions. CPA President Patrick O’Neill took issue with the portion of the Vatican document which indicated that “Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children, in the sense that their condition of dependency would be used to place them in an environment that is not conducive to their full human development.”“Psychosocial research into lesbian and gay parenting indicates that there is no basis in the scientific literature for […]

Contrasts with July Environics poll released 2 days ago.

Priest journalist warns "totalitarian impulse to silence religious views has emerged"

COLLINGWOOD, Ontario, August 7, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Not all Catholic pastors are responding to certain Canadian bishops’ requests that they address the marriage redefinition issue in their parishes. However, many parishioners are reporting that exceptional homilies on the issue have been given in their particular parishes.  One of many examples is the homily given on Sunday July 27, 2003 by Fr. James McLenaghen, Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Collingwood, Ontario. Fr. McLenaghen received applause (which is uncommon in Catholic churches) from the congregation at both masses at which he gave his strong sermon on the issue. Like the […]