Recent US News

Thursday March 11, 2010 Stupak: I Don’t Buy Promises for Later Abortion-Funding ‘Fix’ to Health Bill By Kathleen Gilbert WASHINGTON, DC, March 11, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Democrat Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan told the Associated Press this week that he was “more optimistic than I was a week ago” about including an abortion-funding ban in health care reform – sparking speculation by some that his new-found optimism was merely a prelude to his “caving in” or compromising on the issue. But the lawmaker has clarified that he does not intend to back down on his standard for the language, nor […]

Thursday March 11, 2010 Abp Listecki: Pro-Abort Pols Could be Denied Communion By Kathleen Gilbert MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, March 10, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki said Tuesday that, while he would not “embrace” an opportunity to deny communion to a Catholic lawmaker who votes contrary to Church teaching, a situation that caused grave scandal to the Catholic community had the potential to “force his hand” in the matter. When asked by a reporter whether he would “[fore]see ever denying communion to any local Catholic lawmakers who vote contrary to Catholic beliefs,” Listecki, who was fielding questions at a Milwaukee […]

By Kathleen Gilbert WASHINGTON, DC, March 11, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Democrats struggling to find enough votes to pass the Senate bill in the House of Representatives could bypass the problem by simply “deeming” the health bill passed after voting for a separate compromise measure, rather than actually voting on it, according to House Rules Committee chair Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY). Congress Daily reported Wednesday that Rep. Slaughter is considering preparing a rule that would deem the abortion-expanding Senate health care bill passed once the House approves a package of corrections that would make changes to the Senate version. The idea, […]

By Patrick B. Craine WASHINGTON, D.C., March 12, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) -  A new “Stations of the Cross” devotional from the United States Conference for Catholic Bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) profiles five CCHD grantees who are involved in the promotion of abortion or homosexuality, reports the Reform CCHD Now Coalition. The CCHD Stations highlight one grantee per station.  Each station includes a prayer asking that we be “inspired,”“challenge[d],” or “move[d]” by the witness of the highlighted grantee. Reform CCHD Now has found, however, that five of the profiled groups are engaged in advocacy for or have supported activities that violate Catholic […]

By Kathleen Gilbert ARLINGTON, Virginia, March 12, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Bishop Paul Loverde of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington has declared Monday, March 15 a day of prayer and fasting with the intention of protecting pro-life values in health care legislation. The announcement comes at the same time as President Obama's abortion-expanding health care bill churns toward a conclusion just outside the borders of the diocese, on Capitol Hill. “Catholic teaching tells us that our support for the dignity of life includes access to affordable health care. This support, however, cannot come at the expense of the respect for life […]

By Kathleen Gilbert PRINCETON, New Jersey, March 12, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The percentage of young adults in the U.S. favouring legalized abortion has undergone a significant drop, falling below all other age groups except seniors, according to a Gallup poll released Friday. The poll results also indicate that young adults are now the group most likely (23%) to favor making abortion illegal in all circumstances. Michael Barnett, director of American Life League’s LiveCampus project, said the poll backs anecdotal evidence gathered on college campuses nationwide.  “Abortion doesn’t make sense to a generation that wants social justice for all human beings,” […]

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, March 11, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com)—The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that the words “one nation under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance “do not violate the Establishment Clause” of the First Amendment to the Constitution.   The Knights of Columbus led the campaign to add the words “under God” to the Pledge in the early 1950s, and the trial court agreed to allow the Knights of Columbus to join the present case as defendants when it was originally filed in 2005.   “This decision is a victory for common sense,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson […]

Monday March 8, 2010 Washington’s Assisted Suicide Stats Revealed By Peter J. Smith OLYMPIA, Washington, March 8, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Washington State’s health department has now released their first annual report for the Death with Dignity Act, the voter-approved law that legalized assisted suicide in 2008 and went into effect on March 5, 2009. The State Department of Health reports that 63 individuals requested and received lethal prescriptions to kill themselves under the Act for the year 2009. Forty-seven individuals have died. Of these 36 patients were confirmed to have killed themselves by ingesting the poisonous medicine. (Statistics available here) […]

Monday March 8, 2010 Kansas Bishops Protest Bill Taxing Church Expenses By Kathleen Gilbert TOPEKA, Kansas, March 8, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Kansas Catholic Conference is calling upon local Catholics to protest a bill introduced in the Kansas House of Representatives that they say would unfairly target religious non-profits for a tax hike. House Bill 2549, as amended by a House committee, would raise taxes on utilities and lottery tickets, and would repeal a provision in Kansas law that exempts religious institutions from paying sales tax on their purchases. However, the Kansas Catholic Conference is urging Catholics to actively oppose […]

Monday March 8, 2010 7th Annual Los Angeles March for Life on Sat. March 13th VAN NUYS, California, March 8, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pro-lifers in the Los Angeles area are gearing up for the 7th annual Los Angeles March for Life, which will feature several pro-life celebrities as speakers this year. The Los Angeles march will be held on Saturday, March 13th from 8:00 am – 11:30 am at St. Cyril of Jerusalem Church located at 15520 Ventura Blvd., Encino, CA. Participants will walk two miles on Ventura Boulevard in an effort to raise awareness of the plight of unborn […]