A Message From Eduardo Verastegui

Pray To End Abortion

God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children have been killed
Thanks to the Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us.
Heal our land
And accept our offering of prayer and penance.
In your love for us,
Turn back the scourge of abortion.

May each of us exult in hearts full of hope
And hands full of mercy
And work together to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Debate The Health Care Bill?

Harry Reid wants a vote to debate the health care bill this weekend.

SENATORS, DON'T YOU THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO READ THE DAMNED THING BEFORE TRYING TO DEBATE IT?

I think they are trying to rush things.

And just like I thought, they are trying to take the part about NOT funding abortion out of it.

On a controversial issue that threatened to derail the House-passed bill, Reid would allow the new government insurance plan to cover abortions and would let companies that receive federal funds offer insurance plans that include abortion coverage.

A provision in the House bill — passed at the insistence of anti-abortion Democrats over strenuous objections from liberals — banned both those things. Reid attempted to tighten up the abortion language to strictly segregate private from public funds, but that did not pass muster with the National Right to Life Committee, which issued a statement Wednesday night calling the language "completely unacceptable."

Read more here.

Thine Eyes

There is a new documentary out, called "Thine Eyes: A Witness to the March for Life." I got an email about it from the San Antonio Coalition for Life today. There will be a showing of the film here in July, but you can also view it now on-line, either all at once, or in 5 parts. I've embedded part 1. You can go here to see the others.

Here's the info I received, if you're local:

An amazingly powerful movie, "Thine Eyes: A Witness to the March for Life" sponsored by the San Antonio Coalition for Life, is coming to San Antonio! Put this on your calendar now:

Thursday, July 30th at 7pm

Faith Outreach Center

3806 Sunshine Ranch Rd,

San Antonio, TX 78228.

(To turn off my playlist music, click on the double vertical lines on the player).

Tiller's Voice/Fr. Frank's Response

I received the following email from Fr. Frank Pavone today, regarding the murder of George Tiller and the effect it will have on the pro-life movement.

Brothers and Sisters,

[I invite you to read the following statement I released yesterday, and also to listen to some chilling audio from George Tiller and to watch and comment on a new You Tube video at the links below. – Fr. Frank Pavone]

The pro-life leadership has gone out of its way - and rightly so - to condemn the violence that took the life of abortionist George Tiller on Sunday. I join with those voices, as I always have done, that declare that the end never justifies the means, and that violence has no place in the effort to end abortion.

I have been asked what I think the biggest negative effect of this killing will be on our pro-life movement. Does it tar the movement's reputation? Yes, it does, despite the fact that those who kill abortionists are always disconnected from pro-life organizations. Does it make the government reach too far in clamping down on First Amendment activity against abortion? Yes, it does and it will.

But those are not the biggest dangers.

The biggest danger is the enemy within. It is the fear and self-doubt to which we can all too easily fall victim. It is the voice inside that makes us feel guilty for saying "Abortion is murder" or "Abortion is a holocaust" or "The babies who are being killed need to be defended now." It is the fear inside that keeps us from going out to the abortion mills and intervening to save the children scheduled to be killed there each day.

The biggest danger is that some will listen to those in the pro-abortion movement who try to lay blame for violence on us and who, as one person wrote on my blog, think that saying "Abortion is murder" should be prosecuted because it leads to violence against abortionists.

The Church teaches us that we have to look evil in the eye. John Paul II, in "The Gospel of Life", said that we have to call evil by its proper name. This is no time to shrink back from the reality of what is going on every day in abortion. Children are being killed, and the reason it continues is that too many of our fellow citizens are blind to it.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, in his Letter from the Birmingham Jail, responded to criticisms that the civil rights activists were fomenting violence. No, he said. That's like saying the person who owns money is fomenting the activity of the robber. To expose the violence that is already occurring, to call it what it is, and to sound the alarm that it has to stop, is not to foment violence.

The pro-life movement is a movement of non-violence. As Ghandi and Dr. King taught, and as we teach, non-violence is not passivity, and it is not obscurity. It is a force. It is a clear and strong response against violence, in whatever form that violence takes.

Let the outcry against Tiller's murder be loud and clear. And let the outcry against the murders he committed - and that other abortionists commit -- be loud and clear as well.

Click below to hear Dr. Tiller's words to prospective abortion clients. Notice, he makes no attempt to deny that this is a baby, and offers the parents the opportunity to view their dead baby and say goodbye with religious and other rituals. (06:43)

http://www.priestsforlife.org/audios/george-tiller-1.mp3

If you have trouble opening the link above, go to www.priestsforlife.org/images/tiller-audio.htm

Please watch and comment on Fr. Frank’s You Tube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewjWfvAaYtw

Additional note: Luhra Tivis Warren, who once worked at the Tiller abortion business, gave her testimony at a public conference of former abortion providers sponsored by the Pro-Life action League in Chicago on April 3, 1993. She described the crematorium on the premises which George Tiller used to burn the bodies of his victims, which included babies even in the third trimester of pregnancy. She states, "I could smell the babies burning."

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries

Priests for Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Email: mail@priestsforlife.org
Phone: 718-980-4400
Fax: 718-980-6515
www.PriestsForLife.org

Fr. Corapi On The Notre Dame Scandal

Got this in an email from NotreDameScandal.com with a letter from Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. Father Corapi never compromises about morality and the truth of the Catholic Church. Here he thanks those who signed the petition protesting the invitation from Notre Dame to Barack Obama, and explains why the invitation "sends a terrible message to the Catholic world and the world at large."



By the way, nearly 70 US Catholic Bishops have now publicly expressed outrage over the invitation, and the petition with over 350,000 signatures was delivered to Fr. Jenkins, president of Notre Dame.

I Love This Man.

H/T to Jean at Catholic Fire.

Saving Lives

This video was made by the San Antonio Coalition For Life. The Allied Women's Center in San Antonio is doing wonderful work, giving pregnant women a better "choice" than having an abortion, doing what it takes to help save the lives of babies. Please pray for them and support them financially if you can. Thanks!

ALLIED WOMEN'S CENTER OF SAN ANTONIO
102 Marshall Street
San Antonio, Texas 78212
Tel: (210)224-7077

Holy Cannoli! Notre Dame Again.

I haven't blogged much lately about the Notre Dame scandal because it's been all over the web and I figured I didn't need to add my 2 cents. But just a quick update.

Over 40 US Bishops have now publicly expressed their dismay and concern about Notre Dame's invitation to Barack Obama to speak at commencement and receive an honorary degree from the university, despite his anti-life views that directly oppose those of the Catholic Church.

Scores of students and alumni have expressed their disapproval to Father Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, who still will not consider revoking the invitation. There have been protests and prayer vigils on campus.

More than 330,000 people have signed the petition asking Father Jenkins to rescind the invitation.

And now, Mary Ann Glendon, former US Ambassador to the Vatican, who was also scheduled to speak at commencement and receive the Lataere Medal, the university's highest honor, has declined the invitation and the Medal!

You can read her letter to Father Jenkins at First Things or Whispers In The Loggia.
*edit: The First Things website is currently down (10:30 AM), presumably crashed from too much traffic.

I applaud Ms. Glendon for her decision and believe that she has done the right thing.

"The Stem Cell Debate Is Dead"

I stopped watching Oprah years ago when she started promoting new age guru Gary Zukav, whom I saw (still do) as a fraud and full of cr.. (oops, there's that word again). I'm sorry that she got sidetracked somewhere along the way, and pray that God will straighten her out, because I believe she is doing much damage to the spiritual lives of millions of (mostly) women.

A friend sent me this video link in an email. Dr. Oz is explaining to Oprah and Michael J. Fox that he believes "...the stem cell debate is dead." He says that much progress has been made using other forms of research, and that he believes that there will be a breakthrough in less than 10 years using a person's own skin cells to cure Parkinson's Disease. Watch the video.

Thirteen Good Bishops

This is the list (as of today) of U.S. Bishops who have spoken out in opposition to Notre Dame's decision to have Barack Obama speak at commencement this year, and to give him an honorary degree. Not only are our Catholic Bishops speaking out, but the students and alumni of Notre Dame are also expressing their disapproval.

1) Bishop John D'Arcy - Fort Wayne-South Bend, IN
2) Cardinal Francis George - Chicago, President, USCCB
3) Archbishop John C. Nienstedt - St. Paul/Minneapolis
4) Bishop Morlino - Madison, WI
5) Bishop Robert Lynch - St. Petersburg, FL
6) Archbishop Timothy Dolan - New York
7) Cardinal Daniel DiNardo - Houston, TX
8) Bishop Thomas Olmsted - Phoenix, AZ
9) Bishop Gregory Aymond - Austin, TX
10) Archbishop John J. Myers - Newark, NJ
11) Reverend Edward J. Slattery, Tulsa, OK
12) Bishop Kevin Rhoades - Harrisburg, PA
13) Bishop R. Walker Nickless - Sioux City, IA

I doubt any amount of criticism will change things now. The university's president has stated that he will not rescind the invitation, and Mr. Obama has said that he will accept it. But that should not keep the Catholic faithful and our leadership from expressing outrage that Notre Dame would honor a man so diametrically opposed to the Catholic position on life issues.

Yesterday I read somewhere that the Catholic Church should shut up and stay out of politics. This is not a political issue, this is a moral issue, and the leadership of the Church has every right to instruct the people regarding morality.

Notre Dame: Prestige Over Truth

Bishop John D'Arcy of the Diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend has issued a statement regarding Notre Dames's invitation to Barack Obama to speak at commencement, and the university's plan to honor Obama with an honorary degree. He said that March 21 was the first time that he had been informed that Notre Dame had issued the invitation, and that he will not attend the graduation ceremony.

The Bishop said:

President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life.

He also stated:

Even as I continue to ponder in prayer these events, which many have found shocking, so must Notre Dame. Indeed, as a Catholic University, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth. (My highlight).

Way to go Bishop D'Arcy! What a great example for the rest of our Bishops and the Catholic faithful. Read the rest of his awesome statement here.

The Miracle of Life

This is a beautiful video. Please watch it.



H/T to Jean at Catholic Fire.

"I Thought You Should Know"

Bishop Robert Hermann of St. Louis has written a very strong pro-life column that every Catholic should read. In it he mentions some of the promises Barack Obama has made, such as removing restrictions on stem cell research, signing the FOCA, and supporting the Born Alive legislation. But rather than putting the blame only on Mr. Obama, Bishop Hermann places the guilt squarely on the heads of those Catholics who have compromised their Catholic faith by failing to live their Catholic identity.

As Catholics, we are not guiltless. It seems to me that when President Kennedy compromised Catholic teachings and accommodated political pressures in order to be elected to the highest office in the land, he set the tone for many Catholic leaders to follow and to compromise their Catholic principles to get ahead.

In our Supreme Court and in our Congress, we have a plethora of so-called Catholics who are failing to live their Catholic identity. Over 50 percent of our electorate voted for a president who is one of the most pro-culture-of-death candidates from a major party to run for the highest office of the land.

Yes, we can thank one-half of our Catholics for bailing out on their faith!

Bishop Hermann believes that if even 75% of American Catholics were to become steeped in their faith again, that there would be no abortion issue in our country.

Read his entire column here.

Life: Imagine The Potential

Please continue to pray for our president to have a change of heart regarding life issues.

A Day of Prayer and Penance

Today is the 36th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision. Please join in prayer with those across our country and around the world who are praying for an end to abortion. Please pray for those who are marching in Washington DC today, and for those who will march for the right to life in state capitols all over the country during this week. (Texans will march in Austin on Saturday, January 24th). And most especially, please pray for those who hearts are hardened and whose minds are closed, that they understand the reality that abortion is wrong, that it kills a living child. Pray that God will touch the heart of our new president, so that he will see and understand the truth.

Prayer of Reparation
God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person
And have opened the way for each to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children have been killed
Thanks to the Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father have mercy on us.
Heal our land
And accept our offer of prayer and penance.
In your love for us,
Turn back the scourge of abortion.

May each of us exult in hearts full of hope
And hands full of mercy
And work together to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ Our Lord.
Amen

“In His name you are also called to pray for an end to abortion in the United States and throughout the world. Roe versus Wade is incompatible with human dignity. It must not stand. It cannot stand. It will not stand.”

Cardinal Justin Rigali, homily at the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.
January 21, 2008

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.

The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent. My Administration has been committed to building a culture of life by vigorously promoting adoption and parental notification laws, opposing Federal funding for abortions overseas, encouraging teen abstinence, and funding crisis pregnancy programs. In 2002, I was honored to sign into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which extends legal protection to children who survive an abortion attempt. I signed legislation in 2003 to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth abortion, and that law represents our commitment to building a culture of life in America. Also, I was proud to sign the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, which allows authorities to charge a person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb with a separate offense in addition to any charges relating to the mother.

America is a caring Nation, and our values should guide us as we harness the gifts of science. In our zeal for new treatments and cures, we must never abandon our fundamental morals. We can achieve the great breakthroughs we all seek with reverence for the gift of life.

The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Novena Of Reparation For Roe vs Wade

I am having so much trouble with this post. Blogger keeps rejecting it, but I am determined that it will be posted!

From the Priests for Life website:

The Catholic bishops of the United States have designated January 22nd as a special day of prayer and penance in reparation for the massive killing that has resulted from the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision (handed down January 22, 1973) which permitted abortion throughout pregnancy.

Therefore, we at Priests for Life invite you to prepare spiritually for that day by joining a Novena that starts on January 14th and concludes on the 22nd. We invite you to pray the prayer below each of those days, and to let us know through this form (available on the website) that you have committed to say it.

Prayer of Reparation
God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person
And have opened the way for each to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children have been killed
Thanks to the Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father have mercy on us.
Heal our land
And accept our offer of prayer and penance.
In your love for us,
Turn back the scourge of abortion.

May each of us exult in hearts full of hope
And hands full of mercy
And work together to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ Our Lord.
Amen

Fr. Corapi On The Election

The American people have now made it abundantly clear who they want to lead them, and the policies and practices that this president-elect has represented for some time, they can now claim as their own. Actions have consequences, and I am sure God has duly noted what our priorities are in the US of A. Economic matters would seem to take precedence over moral matters; money more important than life itself to most people (I guess they don’t consider almost 50,000,000 innocent children murdered by abortion part of life).

Now we shall see what the fruit of such a tree will be. I predict that we won’t have to wait long. In recent months we have seen “corrections” in the stock market, housing market, and banking industries. Now we’ll see if God orchestrates a “correction” in a country and a world that has demonstrated quite clearly that it prefers convenience and wealth to life itself.

Regardless of whatever happens next, remember there is still a God in Heaven and He loves you. He is infinitely merciful—and He is infinitely just as well.

God Bless You

Fr. John Corapi

Eduardo's Endorsement

"I can make hundreds of movies like Bella and save babies, but it's never going to be as powerful as a president nominating judges who observe constitutional law. John McCain promises to do this and it is crucial since we are just one Supreme Court justice away from overturning Roe v. Wade."

Eduardo Verastegui

What kind of supreme court justices are we likely to get if Barack Obama is elected president?

Pray, pray, pray and vote.

*edited to add this link to Eduardo's video. I couldn't bear to watch it all, but there is a link during the video to click through to the end to hear Eduardo's talk. Anyone who is pro-abortion should be required to watch this video.

**edited again to add this link left in the comment section by reader, aine. There are three excellent videos on the site telling us why it so important to vote for a pro-life president, and a pledge to sign. Please watch and sign the pledge. Thanks, aine!