It’s sad to watch the New York Times, Washington Post, MSNBC, and others attack Pope Benedict XVI. The story they have spun over the last week about his supposed mishandling of the case of abusive Milwaukee priest Rev. Joseph Murphy is risibly tenuous. These once-great newspapers trivialize themselves by publishing front-page stories making obvious their … Read more
Following up on Margaret’s morning post… Â John Allen, Jr., senior correspondent with the National Catholic Reporter, senior Vatican analyst with CNN, and author of The Rise of Benedict XVI, answered questions yesterday at the Washington Post about the pope and the ongoing sex abuse crisis. It’s a short read and Allen is typically fair … Read more
In yesterday’s Washington Post, columnist Kathleen Parker debuted a new term: Stupak. Etymology: Eponym for Rep. Bart Stupak. Function: verb 1: In a legislative process, to obstruct passage of a proposed law on the basis of a moral principle (i.e., protecting the unborn), accumulating power in the process, then at a key moment surrendering in … Read more
Happy Feast of St. Joseph! The Church’s calendar of saints designates today a solemnity, so you should really be celebrating more than you did for St. Patrick’s Day. (And yes, that means you can eat meat. The pope would surely insist, being his namesake and all.) On to the morning’s links: Twelve more Christians — … Read more
I receive, not infrequently, inquiries by mail from recent converts to the Church who, after a year or so as new Catholics, find themselves wondering about this and that. All of these letters are from former Evangelicals who have read themselves joyfully into the Church. With their earnest, muscular, biblically oriented background in the … Read more
The Washington Post has published the findings of a recent poll showing that, when it comes to health care, Americans want it all. Over at the American Catholic blog, “DarwinCatholic” breaks down the numbers: Solid majorities think that the current HCR bills are too complex and too expensive, but majorities also approve of the main components: … Read more
This is what my neighborhood here in Baltimore looked like after our storm over the weekend. And today we just got another 15 inches dumped on us. So, naturally, that must mean it’s time for idiots to try driving in it! It amazes me that anyone would consider heading out in this mess; the city … Read more
Sally Jenkins, a Washington Post sports columnist who is openly pro-choice, is on a tear in her column today, explaining why she thinks the world needs more Tim Tebows — and fewer demands from groups like NOW who are offended by the very idea of his upcoming Super Bowl ad. On NOW’s protest: Tebow’s 30-second ad hasn’t … Read more
Most of the Christians I know chose to ignore Pat Robertson’s recent comments about Haiti’s ‘pact with the devil’ causing the earthquake. But who would have thought Robertson’s biggest defender would be British atheist Richard Dawkins? In fact, Roberston’s comments gave Dawkins yet another reason to share his contempt for Christians… this time, in the … Read more
Three Virginia Catholics are leading the resistance against the encroaching power of the Obama White House. As reported in the Washington Post, legislation has been introduced to curb federal power over health insurance, interstate commerce, and gun regulation. Three of the leaders behind this effort are pro-life Catholics: Robert G. Marshall, a delegate to the … Read more
The New York Times‘ house economist Paul Krugman is no fan of the filibuster… at least, when it’s used against the kinds of intrusive, big government legislation he promotes. In March 2005, he warned America that “extremists” were trying to eliminate the filibuster to push through their partisan (and pro-life) judges. But now that Obama … Read more
In the 1970s, when about 40 percent of Democratic congressmen were pro-life, the party had a seemingly insurmountable hold on the House of Representatives. Now, less than 15 percent are pro-life, and they’re in an ever-shrinking House minority. Meanwhile, the big Democratic success stories from 2004 were the new representatives in Iowa, Missouri, and Michigan, … Read more
“Put us head to head with any Planned Parenthood clinic, and people will choose us.” Dr. John Bruchalski, an OB/GYN in Fairfax, Virginia, told me how his Divine Mercy Care organization can transform national health care. DMC presently consists of an obstetrics and gynecology facility, the Tepeyac Family Center, and the DMC Pharmacy, opened almost … Read more
 Pope Benedict XVI’s latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, was published on July 7. With the appearance of a new papal document, various factions in the Church, as well as some outside, eagerly attempt to score points on their own behalf. This is particularly true of Caritas in Veritate, since both its length and the … Read more
The centerpiece of Obama’s Catholic outreach in the recent election was the “abortion reduction” trope. This was the cover provided by Catholic supporters for some of the most pro-abortion politicians in U.S. history. Doug Johnson, legislative director of National Right to Life, has detailed its deceptions and misrepresentations. By ending the Mexico City Policy, President … Read more
As Washington D.C. geared up (or in my case, hunkered down) in preparation for the unprecedented influx of people expected to attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama today, a telling paradox came to light. Officials estimate at least 1.5 million people are in town for the historic swearing-in of our nation’s first black president. … Read more
In this classic Crisis Magazine article, Stephen Baskerville argues that no-fault divorce is Western civilization’s most disasterous social experiment. America is in revolt over marriage. Some 30 states have now passed amendments to protect the definition of marriage, and more will follow. Same-sex marriage has also shaken the decades-long loyalty of African-Americans to the Democratic … Read more
The situation in Gaza is a tragedy whose denouement is approaching. Over the past two days Israeli air strikes have killed nearly 300 Palestinians — over 700 have been wounded. Israeli tanks are ready to attack and 6,500 reservists have been called up in case the conflict intensifies. Israel is calling this retaliation for Hamas’ … Read more
An Obama victory on November 4 is far from certain, but the momentum behind his campaign prompts me to wonder: What impact could an Obama administration have on the Catholic Church? The Bush victories in 2000 and 2004 brought a flood of commentary on the so-called red and blue states. If Obama wins in 2008, … Read more
Sr. Marla Marie Lucas is proof that God can call one to the religious life from anywhere — even the Washington Post newsroom. In 1982, as a 21-year-old graduate of George Washington University’s journalism program, Lucas was employed as an assistant to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Post editorial cartoonist “Herblock” when a chance meeting with two … Read more