For some time, many people have been wondering just what Harvard Law Professor Mary Ann Glendon would say when she received the Laetare Medal at Notre Dame just after hearing President Obama give the commencement address. Now we know. Nothing. She has declined the award. Via CatholicCulture.org, her explanation in full here. Read the entirety of her letter. Here’s a sample to whet the appetite: First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not... Read more

The Secretary of State was recently praising one of her personal heroes, Margaret Sanger, but should a feminist consider Sanger inspiring? There have been several excellent books written on the topic of Margaret Sanger and her beliefs. (Angela Franks wrote a well documented book that I hope will be republished in a less academic format.) Yet, I guess it’s not all that suprising that Secretary Clinton would sing Sanger’s praises since the Secretary has been so supportive of the Planned... Read more

While the President is pondering the pain that terrorists feel during interrogation, he seems completely unconcerned with the pain that millions of babies have felt during an abortion, not to mention what their mothers and other relatives go through. George Neumayr articulates this discrepancy in his latest article. Riddle me this one: Obama’s prim pontifications about America’s “values and ideals” inspired Chris Matthews and Jack Cafferty, among other deep and careful thinkers, to mull over the question: If torturing terrorists... Read more

So, according to the FDA, it’s all right for 17-year-olds to take the ‘morning after pill’ (which can work by preventing implantation of an embryo, not just preventing the creation of an embryo). But the same 17-year-old in California would need parental consent for a tanning booth. A 17-year-old in most, if not every, state would need parental consent to go on a school field trip. And it’s recommended by medical associations that this 17-year-old, like adult women, should have... Read more

Some people are afraid to talk about the Catholic Church’s core teachings, especially those relating to the sanctity of human life and the protection of marriage. But look what could happen when someone does.’,’In his homily at his installation Mass as Archbishop of New York (April 15), Archbishop Dolan received a spontaneous standing ovation when he came to this part in his homily: –The Resurrection of Jesus goes on in our apostolate for the struggling, searching, and marginalized, as thousands... Read more

As with all bad situations, good can surface. While the official Notre Dame is struggling with its Catholic identity, other parts of the university are quite confident in their Catholic identity. Just this past week, one of my favorite writers, Bill McGurn of the Wall Street Journal, gave an amazing address at an event sponsored by the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture. The entire address is pasted below, but I’ll take the opportunity to draw your attention to... Read more

I know. You’re wondering what porn and tobacco have to do with each other especially since cigarettes are practically vilified and porn is widely accepted. But Mary Eberstadt provides yet another interesting analysis in her latest article. Eberstadt offers a fascinating insight. Porn is mainstreamed and widely accepted just like tobacco was 50 years ago. Everybody accepted smoking even if they themselves didn’t smoke. It was almost considered a right. If people didn’t smoke, they thought that there was nothing... Read more

Dr. Tom Dillon president of Thomas Aquinas College was killed in a car accident in Ireland on April 16. His wife Terri was with him. She was injured, but is in stable condition. Please pray for them both and their family. Dr. Dillon’s death is a great loss to his family and to the community of Thomas Aquinas College. Just last month, the college chapel was dedicated. It was the culmination of about ten years of work, driven largely by... Read more

If you want to save Catholic healthcare, act now. Today! The Obama administration recently announced that the conscience protection regulations passed by the previous administration could be rescinded. Regardless of your opinion of the previous administration, this demands your attention now. In effect, if  conscience protection is rescinded, it means that health care workers (doctors and nurses) could be forced to provide services that violate their conscience. In other words, they could be forced to provide abortion, contraception, sterilizations, and... Read more

It seems to be the trendy thing to do. One the one hand, we have a Catholic leader who denies that Nazi Germany killed six million Jews. At the same time, there’s a group of Catholics that denies that almost 50 million pre-born children have been killed in the US alone. George Neumayr has this excellent piece in which he draws out the comparison. It is a tragedy that anyone would deny the historical fact that six million Jews were... Read more