One of the criticisms I have had from the hundreds of emails from strangers this week is, “Why do you always keep going on and on about abortion? Why do you never talk about any of the other sins?” Mind you, these are from people who don’t know me, don’t know Fr Newman, never heard us preach, don’t know our writings, don’t really know our political views and really, I’m afraid, know nothing at all about us. But anyhow, here... Read more

Cardinal George has drawn a parallel between slavery and abortion here. Slave owners once argued that they had the right to choose to own slaves or not. The federal government, they argued, should not only allow them to choose, but should enshrine in law their ‘freedom of choice.’ The government did this in the Dred Scott decision–deciding that the federal government had no power to take away the choice of individuals to own slaves. Then in 1865 the government changed... Read more

One of the great things about returning to America as a Catholic is that I now share in all the different Catholic ethnic groups. I’ve loved learning about the Maronites and learning to celebrate the Maronite Divine Liturgy. A few months ago I was asked to be chaplain to our local Ancient Order of Hibernians. Living in England for twenty five years I was loaded with some anti-Irish prejudice. Tonight that was all wiped. A few of the fellows from... Read more

I am getting so many emails from people who are justifying their vote for Obama because he would get us out of the war in Iraq and ‘killing people in war is just as bad as abortion.’ I should make it clear that I do not support the war in Iraq. However, the war in Iraq and abortion are not moral equivalents. Please read my article on this which you can find here. Read more

An email I have just received: “You people better get a lasso on that South Carolina priest that is terrorizing people with his threats with regards to Obama. I know that you don’t want a media campaign about your segragationist policies and being the richest institution in the world (more gold than anyone) but most of all we will reawaken people minds of the perverts that rape little boys from your churches.” In his book, The New Anti Catholicism Philip... Read more

Fr Jay Scott Newman tells his parishioners that if they voted for Obama they have put themselves outside the full communion of the Catholic Church, and that they should head for the confessional and get right with God before coming to receive communion. Read it here. His letter includes this excellent prayer for our new President: God our Father, all earthly powers must serve you. Help our President-elect, Barack Obama, to fulfill his responsibilities worthily and well. By honoring and... Read more

On Monday I led our annual Senior Retreat. It took place at a Baptist camp in the mountains, and although we used their chapel, it was a bare space, and we had to improvise on some of the details.  I commented to the boys who helped, “I wonder what it is like when priests have to celebrate Mass in very difficult situations, like on the battlefield.” That night I came across Fr Ray’s post with pictures of the very thing.... Read more

Tonight at RCIA we went through the four marks of the Church. What I am most inspired by in this is that, by becoming a Catholic, not only do I enter the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, but there is also an individual dimension. It then becomes my aim, my goal and my destiny to become One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic myself. In other words, through God’s grace, I become One. I become unified. All the warring passions and... Read more

Over on the First Things blog, Nathaniel Peters  points us to this sharp article by Thomas Sowell that notes the crowing of journalists that with the election of Obama we have turned away from the anti intelligent position of America. Now ‘intellectuals’ are going to be valued. Intellectuals (we should explain) are people who are comfortable with complexity, like ideas and read the classics. Sowell points out how intellectuals down through the ages have consistently messed up big time. Fact is,... Read more

The American Catholic bishops have vowed to fight President elect Obama’s radical pro abortion agenda. In strong statements criticizing cafeteria Catholic Joe Biden, they said an aggressively pro abortion policy would be read as an attack on the Catholic Church. Read about it here. Fr Neuhaus writes about the Bishops and Obama here. Creative Minority Report discusses here whether graphic images of abortion should be used in the pro life fight. Read more