I didn’t know it at the time this was originally written, but the Little Sisters of the Poor were our other secret weapon, aside from prayer. Their stand against the Administration was the ultimate “soft tactic” in a hard war. In a nutshell, see, of all of the groups that filed suit against the HHS Mandate, they were the target that could fell the giant. Here’s the post published on June 4, 2012 in which I described the way that... Read more
What a difference 4 and 1/2 years makes. Wait. It’s been 5 1/2 years? Has it really only been that long since I wrote the post saying that the HHS Mandate struck at the heart of religious freedom? Has it really been that long since I climbed into a cockpit, strapped on a White House Petition, and rocketed toward the very edge of the atmosphere, hoping to send a message to the POTUS to let religious liberty be what it... Read more
Perhaps it’s a positive development. The Becket Fund is calling it a win for the Little Sisters of the Poor. First, the news from CNN, Washington (CNN) The Supreme Court on Monday avoided issuing a major ruling on a challenge brought by religiously affiliated non-profit groups to the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate. The justices, in a unanimous decision, wrote that they were not deciding the case on the merits but instead sent the case back down to the lower... Read more
I’ve been reading some of the selections on the YIMCatholic Bookshelf. As it turns out, a good number of the books in that collection are written by authors whose names begin with the letter S. Saint this, or Saint that, for example. Sometimes these folks have brief passages in their works that are both short and helpful. In fact, some of them are like the listicles that the interwebs have come to know and love. Like the one below, which... Read more
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for this message brought to you by The Church Triumphant. Standby for a brief message from St. Jose Maria Escriva, live from the Communion of Saints… (more…) Read more
You know, about asking for a conference on the subject of women and the diaconate. Surely not, Frank! The Holy Father is too kind, and has nothing in common with Inspector Harry Callahan, SFPD. I don’t know, dear reader. He’s pretty cagey, our Papa Francesco. His subtlety is renowned as much as his clarity. (more…) Read more
First it was a Synod on the Family. Then, there was a conference of pacifists recommending Pope Francis abandon support of the teachings on Just War (just ad bellum). Yesterday, Pope Francis agreed to host a conference to think about women deacons. Thinking about something? That’s a slippery slooooooope, people! What’s next? Maybe for Friday the 13th, the Vatican will announce the return of the Rock n’ Roll Mass? Quelle horreur! (more…) Read more
The source? Fr. James Martin,SJ, via Facebook: Huge news. Josh McElwee of NCR and Cindy Wooden of CNS are reporting that Pope Francis has told a gathering of women religious meeting at the Vatican that he will set up a commission to study the question of women deacons. This is not only an idea whose time has come, but a reality recovered from history. Women deacons would be able to baptize, preside at marriages and funerals, and preach during... Read more
Long ago, I shared a poem by Frederick Faber in this space. This week, I share the words of a hymn he wrote. You can add music, too, and sing along if you like. I first read these words in my favorite book about my favorite Old Testament book. Faber wrote lots of hymns, Faith of Our Fathers being one of the better known ones. The following hymn is a gift that reminds me of the passage that St. Paul... Read more
I was saddened today to learn that a priest who had been removed from his parish duties in 2009, because of allegations that he had abused a female teen earlier in his career, now works in a teen crisis pregnancy center that he co-founded in 2015. Did I mention that the CPC is housed in a former convent, right next door to a Catholic parish? Sigh. (more…) Read more
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