Cardinal Calls Israelis "Baby Killers"--Does this Promote Peace in the Holy Land?

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi: Vatican must clarify his statement

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Vatican Council for Culture, called Israel baby-killers during an interview this week.

Israel National News reported, via Israel Matsav:
"Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Vatican Council for Culture, commenting on the war between Israel and Hamas, delivered a severe attack on the Jewish people: “I think of the ‘massacre of the innocents’. Children are dying in Gaza, their mothers’ shouts is a perennial cry, a universal cry.”

"The Catholic Church high official equated Israel’s operation in Gaza against terror groups with the New Testament story of Herod’s slaughter of Jewish babies in his effort to kill Jesus.

"Ravasi, who is one of the most popular Catholic cardinals and the director of the Church’s policy on culture, called Israelis baby-killers in a shameless form of anti-Semitism which subtly accuses the Jewish State of trying to murder the new Jesus, symbolized by the Palestinian people."

Poorly worded condemnation of parties on either side of the Israeli-Hamas conflict could contribute to a catastrophic devolution of the Middle East into unstoppable violence. Clarification of Ravasi's statement, which could wipe out the gains of Pope Benedict's recent peace-making trip to Lebanon, should be forthcoming from the Vatican without delay.

Cardinal Calls Israelis "Baby Killers"--Does this Promote Peace in the Holy Land?

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi: Vatican must clarify his statement

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Vatican Council for Culture, called Israel baby-killers during an interview this week.

Israel National News reported, via Israel Matsav:
"Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Vatican Council for Culture, commenting on the war between Israel and Hamas, delivered a severe attack on the Jewish people: “I think of the ‘massacre of the innocents’. Children are dying in Gaza, their mothers’ shouts is a perennial cry, a universal cry.”

"The Catholic Church high official equated Israel’s operation in Gaza against terror groups with the New Testament story of Herod’s slaughter of Jewish babies in his effort to kill Jesus.

"Ravasi, who is one of the most popular Catholic cardinals and the director of the Church’s policy on culture, called Israelis baby-killers in a shameless form of anti-Semitism which subtly accuses the Jewish State of trying to murder the new Jesus, symbolized by the Palestinian people."

Poorly worded condemnation of parties on either side of the Israeli-Hamas conflict could contribute to a catastrophic devolution of the Middle East into unstoppable violence. Clarification of Ravasi's statement, which could wipe out the gains of Pope Benedict's recent peace-making trip to Lebanon, should be forthcoming from the Vatican without delay.

Cardinal Dolan: Bishops Will Get Back to Work Dealing with Obama Attacks on Religious Freedom

America's Catholic bishops took a "bit of a breather" during the last weeks of the 2012 election campaign, hoping that a defeat of Obama would end the administration's assault on Catholic hospitals and charitable institutions, said Conference of Bishops President Timothy Dolan on Thursday. But now it's time for the bishops to get back to work in defense of principles that cannot and will not be compromised.

 Life Site News reported: Video has surfaced of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said the Catholic Church will not obey the pro-abortion HHS mandate the Obama administration put forward. “The only thing we’re certainly prepared to do is not give in — not violate our consciences and not obey what we consider to be something immoral,” Dolan said Tuesday, as LifeNews reported. “That we’re committed on.” “We took a bit of a breather as we waited for Election Day because the results of Election Day could have changed the playing field. It didn’t. So now I think the bishops have taken a deep breath and said, we better to get back to work and decide just what we are going to do,” he said. Saying he remains open to the Obama administration working out an acceptable compromise, he added, “I would say no door is closed, except the door to capitulation.”

 Catholic leaders have promised a 100 percent chance civil disobedience if Obama pursues the HHS mandate.

Cardinal Dolan: Bishops Will Get Back to Work Dealing with Obama Attacks on Religious Freedom

America's Catholic bishops took a "bit of a breather" during the last weeks of the 2012 election campaign, hoping that a defeat of Obama would end the administration's assault on Catholic hospitals and charitable institutions, said Conference of Bishops President Timothy Dolan on Thursday. But now it's time for the bishops to get back to work in defense of principles that cannot and will not be compromised.

 Life Site News reported: Video has surfaced of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said the Catholic Church will not obey the pro-abortion HHS mandate the Obama administration put forward. “The only thing we’re certainly prepared to do is not give in — not violate our consciences and not obey what we consider to be something immoral,” Dolan said Tuesday, as LifeNews reported. “That we’re committed on.” “We took a bit of a breather as we waited for Election Day because the results of Election Day could have changed the playing field. It didn’t. So now I think the bishops have taken a deep breath and said, we better to get back to work and decide just what we are going to do,” he said. Saying he remains open to the Obama administration working out an acceptable compromise, he added, “I would say no door is closed, except the door to capitulation.”

 Catholic leaders have promised a 100 percent chance civil disobedience if Obama pursues the HHS mandate.

Archbishop Chaput: Catholics, Prepare for Civil Disobedience If Obama Pursues HHS Mandate

Catholic leaders have promised a 100 percent chance civil disobedience if Obama pursues the HHS mandate. Philadelphia's Archbishop Charles Chaput, in the video here, explains why.

Catholic.org reported:

 Martin Luther King’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” (April 16, 1963) is one of our nation’s elegant testimonies to the political implications of our Declaration of Independence: “One may want to ask: ‘How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?’ The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that ‘an unjust law is no law at all.’”

Indeed, there may be more theological letters written from the confines of jail cells in the near future, as the Catholic bishops quickly approach the end of a one-year deadline given to them by the Obama administration to obey the HHS mandate or face the consequences.

Not a single bishop has signaled any other intention than to embrace the consequences with the joy of serving Christ.

Was Archbishop Chaput predicting the future in the interview when he concluded, “This has been the story of the martyrs through the centuries”?

We know it has crossed his mind: At Chester Springs, he said, but only half-jokingly, “I don’t want to go to jail.”

 As Chaput points out in the video, if Americans had resisted the culture of death in the decades following Roe vs. Wade, many lives could have been saved. Now, Obama's imperious mandate has pushed the Church beyond the point of accommodation.

Archbishop Chaput: Catholics, Prepare for Civil Disobedience If Obama Pursues HHS Mandate

Catholic leaders have promised a 100 percent chance civil disobedience if Obama pursues the HHS mandate. Philadelphia's Archbishop Charles Chaput, in the video here, explains why.

Catholic.org reported:

 Martin Luther King’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” (April 16, 1963) is one of our nation’s elegant testimonies to the political implications of our Declaration of Independence: “One may want to ask: ‘How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?’ The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that ‘an unjust law is no law at all.’”

Indeed, there may be more theological letters written from the confines of jail cells in the near future, as the Catholic bishops quickly approach the end of a one-year deadline given to them by the Obama administration to obey the HHS mandate or face the consequences.

Not a single bishop has signaled any other intention than to embrace the consequences with the joy of serving Christ.

Was Archbishop Chaput predicting the future in the interview when he concluded, “This has been the story of the martyrs through the centuries”?

We know it has crossed his mind: At Chester Springs, he said, but only half-jokingly, “I don’t want to go to jail.”

 As Chaput points out in the video, if Americans had resisted the culture of death in the decades following Roe vs. Wade, many lives could have been saved. Now, Obama's imperious mandate has pushed the Church beyond the point of accommodation.

Key to Romney's Defeat: Collapse of the Family

 Even more important than the election night commentary about the supposed racial divide in American politics are the facts on the changing demographics of our nation: The United States of America is no longer a society of families, in which mothers and fathers rear and educate children for the future. It is now a society in which half of the children are born out of wedlock, including 40% of Hispanic children  and 70% of black children. Most of these children never know a stable two-parent family, even if one of the parents is a step parent. 

This is the demographic President Obama appealed to in his infamous  "Julia" ads, which followed the life of a single mother from government-assisted Head Start programs through ObamaCare and into government-funded retirement . The decline in family life leaves only the government as a safety net for an increasingly impoverished population and culture. This is the demographic that put Big Government back into the White House, from where he now wields extraordinary powers to disarm America and continue his attack on the institutions of our civil society. Once again, culture has asserted itself as the driver of hman history.

Underlying this is a deeper cultural problem. Romney won among married women. But most women and most mothers today are not married. In addition, in 1950, 22 percent of American adults were single. Now that number is almost 50 percent. One in seven adults lives alone. Half of all Manhattan residences are one-person dwellings. The Democratic Party is the party of single people, not families and nation-builders. 

For more details on this demographic analysis, see the recent report in the UK's Daily Mail. The newspaper reported on a study by Child Trends, a Washington, D.C. research group that analysed U.S. government data. The study reported that most college graduates marry before they have children, suggesting that family structure id becoming a new class divide in an already splintering U.S. culture.

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Key to Romney's Defeat: Collapse of the Family

 Even more important than the election night commentary about the supposed racial divide in American politics are the facts on the changing demographics of our nation: The United States of America is no longer a society of families, in which mothers and fathers rear and educate children for the future. It is now a society in which half of the children are born out of wedlock, including 40% of Hispanic children  and 70% of black children. Most of these children never know a stable two-parent family, even if one of the parents is a step parent. 

This is the demographic President Obama appealed to in his infamous  "Julia" ads, which followed the life of a single mother from government-assisted Head Start programs through ObamaCare and into government-funded retirement . The decline in family life leaves only the government as a safety net for an increasingly impoverished population and culture. This is the demographic that put Big Government back into the White House, from where he now wields extraordinary powers to disarm America and continue his attack on the institutions of our civil society. Once again, culture has asserted itself as the driver of hman history.

Underlying this is a deeper cultural problem. Romney won among married women. But most women and most mothers today are not married. In addition, in 1950, 22 percent of American adults were single. Now that number is almost 50 percent. One in seven adults lives alone. Half of all Manhattan residences are one-person dwellings. The Democratic Party is the party of single people, not families and nation-builders. 

For more details on this demographic analysis, see the recent report in the UK's Daily Mail. The newspaper reported on a study by Child Trends, a Washington, D.C. research group that analysed U.S. government data. The study reported that most college graduates marry before they have children, suggesting that family structure id becoming a new class divide in an already splintering U.S. culture.

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Our Freedoms Depend on Free Elections: Vote Fraud Alert from Philadelphia

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-mural-philadelphia-polling-place_661833.html

A reader of the Weekly Standard online magazine alerts the nation that there is illegal electioneering going on inside a Philadelphia polling place. The exact location is the 35th ward-D18 Franklin School.

Readers should contact the Philadelphia mayor's office to complain. 

Our Freedoms Depend on Free Elections: Vote Fraud Alert from Philadelphia

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-mural-philadelphia-polling-place_661833.html

A reader of the Weekly Standard online magazine alerts the nation that there is illegal electioneering going on inside a Philadelphia polling place. The exact location is the 35th ward-D18 Franklin School.

Readers should contact the Philadelphia mayor's office to complain. 

Leftist Moneybags George Soros Wants Bishops to Stop Preaching Sanctity of Human Life--Hurts Obama

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, used to work with Vice President Joe Biden.

Life Site News brings us this report, which highlights the issues at stake in today's election: Left wing moneybags George Soros, the deep pockets behind such left wing anti-American organizations as ACORN and Move On, is backing a campaign to use the IRS to silence Catholic bishops on life issues. Why? Because Catholic teachings on abortion, sterilization, and euthanasia puts radicals like Barak  Obama at a disadvantage when they are offered from the pulpit.

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 5, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – A liberal pressure group has accused the U.S. Catholic bishops of breaking tax law by faithfully proclaiming the non-negotiable issues of Church teaching, including the right to life.

These teachings, the organization argues, disadvantage President Barack Obama.

On Friday, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asked for “an immediate Internal Revenue Service investigation into the activities of the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops for using their position as leaders of the Catholic Church to persuade parishioners to vote against Barack Obama in Tuesday’s election.”

The USCCB “may be engaged in prohibited electioneering,” which would require the IRS to revoke its 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt status, according to CREW. The complaint cites letters written by Bishops including Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, David Ricken of Green Bay, Edward Burns of Juneau, and Paul S. Loverde of Arlington. None of the bishops endorse a candidate. However, each reminded Catholics of the importance of preserving religious freedom against the HHS mandate, protecting innocent life, and defending the institution of marriage.

Often portrayed as a “non-partisan watchdog,” CREW’s complaints fall heavily upon conservative and Republican targets.

Executive Director Melanie Sloan served as Nominations Counsel for then-Senator Joe Biden’s Senate Judiciary Committee in 1993.

CREW is funded by George Soros’ Open Society Institute, as well as the Democracy Alliance, the Tides Foundation, and the  Service Employees International Union (SEIU).


The left-leaning group has regularly challenged the tax-exempt status of groups whose views it does not favor.

Its intent is to “harass and try to intimidate the Catholic Church,” Deal Hudson, president of Pennsylvania Catholics Network, told LifeSiteNews.com.

Frivolous complaints and lawsuits have “the double effect of getting good people to be timid and secondly to provide arguments for the pro-abortion Catholics to try to argue that to defend Church teaching is partisan,” Hudson said.

“There are good people who simply will hold back, because they simply can’t afford that kind of legal defense.” he said.“Bill Donohue’s Catholic League had to spend several hundred thousand dollars defending itself after 2008. Archbishop Chaput, when he was at Denver, had to spend nearly $50,000 defending himself after 2008.”

Although the Catholic bishops’ stuck to the issues, a few priests – and many Protestant clergy – have openly defied the 1954 tax ordinance and endorsed a political candidate from the pulpit.

Nearly 1,600 pastors took part in last month’s Pulpit Freedom Sunday, arranged by the Alliance Defending Freedom. The IRS has not yet investigated any participating church.

Hudson said that makes CREW’s complaint more transparent. “If this were Great Britain and these groups had to pay when they lost, there wouldn’t be a single lawsuit, because they know they will lose,” Hudson concluded. “They know it’s bogus.”

Leftist Moneybags George Soros Wants Bishops to Stop Preaching Sanctity of Human Life--Hurts Obama

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, used to work with Vice President Joe Biden.

Life Site News brings us this report, which highlights the issues at stake in today's election: Left wing moneybags George Soros, the deep pockets behind such left wing anti-American organizations as ACORN and Move On, is backing a campaign to use the IRS to silence Catholic bishops on life issues. Why? Because Catholic teachings on abortion, sterilization, and euthanasia puts radicals like Barak  Obama at a disadvantage when they are offered from the pulpit.

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 5, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – A liberal pressure group has accused the U.S. Catholic bishops of breaking tax law by faithfully proclaiming the non-negotiable issues of Church teaching, including the right to life.

These teachings, the organization argues, disadvantage President Barack Obama.

On Friday, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asked for “an immediate Internal Revenue Service investigation into the activities of the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops for using their position as leaders of the Catholic Church to persuade parishioners to vote against Barack Obama in Tuesday’s election.”

The USCCB “may be engaged in prohibited electioneering,” which would require the IRS to revoke its 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt status, according to CREW. The complaint cites letters written by Bishops including Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, David Ricken of Green Bay, Edward Burns of Juneau, and Paul S. Loverde of Arlington. None of the bishops endorse a candidate. However, each reminded Catholics of the importance of preserving religious freedom against the HHS mandate, protecting innocent life, and defending the institution of marriage.

Often portrayed as a “non-partisan watchdog,” CREW’s complaints fall heavily upon conservative and Republican targets.

Executive Director Melanie Sloan served as Nominations Counsel for then-Senator Joe Biden’s Senate Judiciary Committee in 1993.

CREW is funded by George Soros’ Open Society Institute, as well as the Democracy Alliance, the Tides Foundation, and the  Service Employees International Union (SEIU).


The left-leaning group has regularly challenged the tax-exempt status of groups whose views it does not favor.

Its intent is to “harass and try to intimidate the Catholic Church,” Deal Hudson, president of Pennsylvania Catholics Network, told LifeSiteNews.com.

Frivolous complaints and lawsuits have “the double effect of getting good people to be timid and secondly to provide arguments for the pro-abortion Catholics to try to argue that to defend Church teaching is partisan,” Hudson said.

“There are good people who simply will hold back, because they simply can’t afford that kind of legal defense.” he said.“Bill Donohue’s Catholic League had to spend several hundred thousand dollars defending itself after 2008. Archbishop Chaput, when he was at Denver, had to spend nearly $50,000 defending himself after 2008.”

Although the Catholic bishops’ stuck to the issues, a few priests – and many Protestant clergy – have openly defied the 1954 tax ordinance and endorsed a political candidate from the pulpit.

Nearly 1,600 pastors took part in last month’s Pulpit Freedom Sunday, arranged by the Alliance Defending Freedom. The IRS has not yet investigated any participating church.

Hudson said that makes CREW’s complaint more transparent. “If this were Great Britain and these groups had to pay when they lost, there wouldn’t be a single lawsuit, because they know they will lose,” Hudson concluded. “They know it’s bogus.”

Rolling Back Roe vs. Wade: A Look at the State-by-State Strategy

 One of the many videos available on YouTube of Charmaine's Yoest public statements as chairman of Americans United for life.

Under the leadership of its chairman, Charmaine Yoest, the Americans United for Life (AUL)  organization, has pursued a detailed state-by-state battle plan in the states to roll back the Supreme Court's 1973  Roe vs. Wade decision.  AUL has been responsible for one-third of the more than 130 bills that have constrained or regulated abortion at the state level since Yoest came on board in 2008.

Emily Brazelton of the New York Times offers a feature-length article on the work of the AUL that characterizes Yoest as a "cheerful warrior." It's good informational reading for the pro-life movement, despite the well-known bias of the Times in favor of killing unborn babies in their mothers' womb. Read Brazelton's article here.

Rolling Back Roe vs. Wade: A Look at the State-by-State Strategy

 One of the many videos available on YouTube of Charmaine's Yoest public statements as chairman of Americans United for life.

Under the leadership of its chairman, Charmaine Yoest, the Americans United for Life (AUL)  organization, has pursued a detailed state-by-state battle plan in the states to roll back the Supreme Court's 1973  Roe vs. Wade decision.  AUL has been responsible for one-third of the more than 130 bills that have constrained or regulated abortion at the state level since Yoest came on board in 2008.

Emily Brazelton of the New York Times offers a feature-length article on the work of the AUL that characterizes Yoest as a "cheerful warrior." It's good informational reading for the pro-life movement, despite the well-known bias of the Times in favor of killing unborn babies in their mothers' womb. Read Brazelton's article here.

Political Discourse Democratic Style: Police Eject Lone Senior with Pro-life Sign from Obama Rally

On the eve of the 2012 Presidential election, the party of abortion showed its colors on the issue of the sanctity of human live once again.

A crowd at the University of Cincinnati went berserk when a sole senior citizen rose during a last minute campaign address by Barak Obama, holding pictures of unborn children who had been dismembered in the womb. The crowd stopped listening to the President and began shouting  "get him out, get him out!" until university police dragged the protester from the room.

Let's pray that Americans choose another direction on Nov. 6, and that civil discourse can once again take place in the public square.

Thanks to Gateway Pundit for this news clip.

Political Discourse Democratic Style: Police Eject Lone Senior with Pro-life Sign from Obama Rally

On the eve of the 2012 Presidential election, the party of abortion showed its colors on the issue of the sanctity of human live once again.

A crowd at the University of Cincinnati went berserk when a sole senior citizen rose during a last minute campaign address by Barak Obama, holding pictures of unborn children who had been dismembered in the womb. The crowd stopped listening to the President and began shouting  "get him out, get him out!" until university police dragged the protester from the room.

Let's pray that Americans choose another direction on Nov. 6, and that civil discourse can once again take place in the public square.

Thanks to Gateway Pundit for this news clip.

Texas Citizens Forced to Cover Vote the Bible Tee Shirt Before Being Allowed to Vote

Election officials in Williamson County, Texas forced Kay Hill to cover her Vote the Bible tee shirt before allowing her to vote on Oct. 24.

CBS News from Houston, Texas reported Nov. 2 that a Texas woman is claiming that a polling place forced her to cover up her “Vote the Bible” shirt she was wearing or she would not be allowed to vote.

Texas Values is representing Kay Hill after Williamson County election workers told her that her shirt was deemed “offensive” and that she either needed to change her shirt or cover the words up in order to vote at Taylor City Hall on Oct. 24.

“This is obviously a religious free expression and no one should be put in a position having to choose religious freedom over deciding to vote,” Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values, told KTBC-TV.
Hill eventually complied with election workers and covered-up the words in order to vote.

Williamson County officials say Hill’s shirt violated electioneering laws.

“Electioneering or loitering within 100 feet of the entrance to the polling place or inside the polling place is not allowed,” Connie Watson, public affairs director for Williamson County, told KTBC. “Electioneering would cover wearing a hat, a pen, a T-shirt or a sign that would indicate a position for a political party, candidate or a proposition.”

Saenz disagrees that Hill violated any sort of electioneering law. “Electioneering only prohibits supporting or opposing a candidate, measure or political party,” Saenz told the Austin American-Statesman. “The Bible is not candidate or a ballot measure.”
Saenz is calling on the county to apologize to Hill, but officials say they won’t because what they did was right.

“We back the actions of our appointed elections workers at the county and precinct level,” Williamson County Judge Dan Gattis told the American-Statesman. “If a citizen does not agree, they need to follow the proper channels to complain.”

Hill is expected to file a complaint Friday with the Texas Secretary of State’s office.

Texas Citizens Forced to Cover Vote the Bible Tee Shirt Before Being Allowed to Vote

Election officials in Williamson County, Texas forced Kay Hill to cover her Vote the Bible tee shirt before allowing her to vote on Oct. 24.

CBS News from Houston, Texas reported Nov. 2 that a Texas woman is claiming that a polling place forced her to cover up her “Vote the Bible” shirt she was wearing or she would not be allowed to vote.

Texas Values is representing Kay Hill after Williamson County election workers told her that her shirt was deemed “offensive” and that she either needed to change her shirt or cover the words up in order to vote at Taylor City Hall on Oct. 24.

“This is obviously a religious free expression and no one should be put in a position having to choose religious freedom over deciding to vote,” Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values, told KTBC-TV.
Hill eventually complied with election workers and covered-up the words in order to vote.

Williamson County officials say Hill’s shirt violated electioneering laws.

“Electioneering or loitering within 100 feet of the entrance to the polling place or inside the polling place is not allowed,” Connie Watson, public affairs director for Williamson County, told KTBC. “Electioneering would cover wearing a hat, a pen, a T-shirt or a sign that would indicate a position for a political party, candidate or a proposition.”

Saenz disagrees that Hill violated any sort of electioneering law. “Electioneering only prohibits supporting or opposing a candidate, measure or political party,” Saenz told the Austin American-Statesman. “The Bible is not candidate or a ballot measure.”
Saenz is calling on the county to apologize to Hill, but officials say they won’t because what they did was right.

“We back the actions of our appointed elections workers at the county and precinct level,” Williamson County Judge Dan Gattis told the American-Statesman. “If a citizen does not agree, they need to follow the proper channels to complain.”

Hill is expected to file a complaint Friday with the Texas Secretary of State’s office.

Bishop Jenky Issues Letter for Masses for Sunday Before Election: Vote Against 'Intrinsic Evil'

Bishop Jenky: A vote for abortion is a grave sin.

Bishop Daniel Jenky of  Illinois, has issued a letter for all priests in his diocese to read during Mass on Sunday November 4, which warns that a vote for 'intrinsic evil'  is a grave sin.

Jenky was one of the first Catholic bishops to speak out forcefully against the Obama administration's abortion mandate, comparing it to developments in Europe which led to persecution of the Christian churches under Bismarck, Stalin, and Hitler. That statement by Bishop Jenky produced howls of protest from the American Civil Liberties Union, which demanded an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service into the tax exempt status of the diocese.

"By virtue of your vow of obedience to me as your Bishop, I require that this letter be personally read by each celebrating priest at each Weekend Mass," Jenky wrote in a letter circulated to clergy in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.

In the letter, (read here) Jenky cautions parishioners that Obama and a majority of U.S. senators will not reconsider the mandate that would require employers, including religious groups, to provide free birth control coverage in their health care plans. "This assault upon our religious freedom is simply without precedent in the American political and legal system," Jenky wrote.

"Today, Catholic politicians, bureaucrats, and their electoral supporters who callously enable the destruction of innocent human life in the womb also thereby reject Jesus as their Lord," Jenky added. "They are objectively guilty of grave sin."

Jenky is the third Illinois Catholic leader to offer pointed guidance for Catholic voters in recent weeks. Last month, Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki offered a commentary on the Democratic and Republican parties' platforms that he said wasn't intended as instruction, but guidance.

"There are many positive and beneficial planks in the Democratic Party Platform, but I am pointing out those that explicitly endorse intrinsic evils," Paprocki explained in the Springfield Diocese newspaper.
"Again, I am not telling you which party or which candidates to vote for or against," he said. "But I am saying that you need to think and pray very carefully about your vote, because a vote for a candidate who promotes actions or behaviors that are intrinsically evil and gravely sinful makes you morally complicit and places the eternal salvation of your own soul in serious jeopardy."

Furthermore, in the Rockford Diocese, Vicar General Eric Barr compared Obama's support of religious freedom in Muslim countries to his lack of support for Catholic liberty.

"Meanwhile, Obamacare marches on, steamrolling Catholic morality and the First Amendment under its weight. How can that be tolerated by citizens?" Barr wrote.

"Nothing justifies this peculiar and unreal stance of the president," he said.

Unfortunately, Chicago's Cardinal Francis George is not expected to issue any statements before the election, according to spokesman Colleen Dolan.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/10/31/173269/bishop-orders-priests-to-read.html#storylink=cpy

Bishop Jenky Issues Letter for Masses for Sunday Before Election: Vote Against 'Intrinsic Evil'

Bishop Jenky: A vote for abortion is a grave sin.

Bishop Daniel Jenky of  Illinois, has issued a letter for all priests in his diocese to read during Mass on Sunday November 4, which warns that a vote for 'intrinsic evil'  is a grave sin.

Jenky was one of the first Catholic bishops to speak out forcefully against the Obama administration's abortion mandate, comparing it to developments in Europe which led to persecution of the Christian churches under Bismarck, Stalin, and Hitler. That statement by Bishop Jenky produced howls of protest from the American Civil Liberties Union, which demanded an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service into the tax exempt status of the diocese.

"By virtue of your vow of obedience to me as your Bishop, I require that this letter be personally read by each celebrating priest at each Weekend Mass," Jenky wrote in a letter circulated to clergy in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.

In the letter, (read here) Jenky cautions parishioners that Obama and a majority of U.S. senators will not reconsider the mandate that would require employers, including religious groups, to provide free birth control coverage in their health care plans. "This assault upon our religious freedom is simply without precedent in the American political and legal system," Jenky wrote.

"Today, Catholic politicians, bureaucrats, and their electoral supporters who callously enable the destruction of innocent human life in the womb also thereby reject Jesus as their Lord," Jenky added. "They are objectively guilty of grave sin."

Jenky is the third Illinois Catholic leader to offer pointed guidance for Catholic voters in recent weeks. Last month, Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki offered a commentary on the Democratic and Republican parties' platforms that he said wasn't intended as instruction, but guidance.

"There are many positive and beneficial planks in the Democratic Party Platform, but I am pointing out those that explicitly endorse intrinsic evils," Paprocki explained in the Springfield Diocese newspaper.
"Again, I am not telling you which party or which candidates to vote for or against," he said. "But I am saying that you need to think and pray very carefully about your vote, because a vote for a candidate who promotes actions or behaviors that are intrinsically evil and gravely sinful makes you morally complicit and places the eternal salvation of your own soul in serious jeopardy."

Furthermore, in the Rockford Diocese, Vicar General Eric Barr compared Obama's support of religious freedom in Muslim countries to his lack of support for Catholic liberty.

"Meanwhile, Obamacare marches on, steamrolling Catholic morality and the First Amendment under its weight. How can that be tolerated by citizens?" Barr wrote.

"Nothing justifies this peculiar and unreal stance of the president," he said.

Unfortunately, Chicago's Cardinal Francis George is not expected to issue any statements before the election, according to spokesman Colleen Dolan.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/10/31/173269/bishop-orders-priests-to-read.html#storylink=cpy

Widow of Ted Kennedy Campaigns Against Assisted Suicide Referendum in Massachusetts

Mrs. Kennedy with her late husband, the Massachusetts senator.

The wife of the late Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy has authored a column in which she encourages state residents to vote against Question 2. The ballot proposal would have Massachusetts become the third state to legalize assisted suicide.

From Victoria Reggie Kennedy’s column:

There is nothing more personal or private than the end of a family member’s life, and I totally respect the view that everyone else should just get out of the way. I wish we could leave it that way. Unfortunately, Question 2, the so-called “Death with Dignity”initiative, forces that issue into the public square and places the government squarely in the middle of a private family matter. I do not judge nor intend top reach to others about decisions they make at the end of life, but I believe we’re all entitled to know the facts about the law we’re being asked to enact.

Here’s the truth. The language of the proposed law is not about bringing family together to make end of life decisions; it’s intended to exclude family members from the actual decision-making process to guard against patients’ being pressured to end their lives prematurely. It’s not about doctors administering drugs such as morphine to ease patients’ suffering;it’s about the oral ingestion of up to 100 capsules without requirement or expectation that a doctor be present. It’s not about giving choice and self-determination to patients with degenerative diseases like ALS or Alzheimer’s; those patients are unlikely to qualify under the statute. It’s not, in my judgment, about death with dignity at all.

My late husband Sen. Edward Kennedy called quality,affordable health care for all the cause of his life. Question 2 turns his vision of health care for all on its head by asking us to endorse patient suicide — not patient care — as our public policy for dealing with pain and the financial burdens of care at the end of life. We’re better than that. We should expand palliative care, pain management, nursing care and hospice, not trade the dignity and life of a human being for the bottom line.

Most of us wish for a good and happy death, with as little pain as possible, surrounded by loved ones, perhaps with a doctor and/or clergyman at our bedside. But under Question 2, what you get instead is a prescription for up to 100 capsules, dispensed by a pharmacist, taken without medical supervision, followed by death, perhaps alone. That seems harsh and extreme to me.

Question 2 is supposed to apply to those with a life expectancy of six months or less. But even doctors admit that’s unknowable.When my husband was first diagnosed with cancer, he was told that he had only two to four months to live, that he’d never go back to the U.S. Senate, that he should get his affairs in order, kiss his wife, love his family and get ready to die.

But that prognosis was wrong. Teddy lived 15 more productive months. During that time, he cast a key vote in the Senate that protected payments to doctors under Medicare; made a speech at the Democratic Convention;saw the candidate he supported elected president of the United States and even attended his inauguration; received an honorary degree; chaired confirmation hearings in the Senate; worked on the reform of health care; threw out the first pitch on opening day for the Red Sox; introduced the president when he signed the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act; sailed his boat; and finished his memoir “True Compass,” while also getting his affairs in order, kissing his wife, loving his family and preparing for the end of life.

Widow of Ted Kennedy Campaigns Against Assisted Suicide Referendum in Massachusetts

Mrs. Kennedy with her late husband, the Massachusetts senator.

The wife of the late Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy has authored a column in which she encourages state residents to vote against Question 2. The ballot proposal would have Massachusetts become the third state to legalize assisted suicide.

From Victoria Reggie Kennedy’s column:

There is nothing more personal or private than the end of a family member’s life, and I totally respect the view that everyone else should just get out of the way. I wish we could leave it that way. Unfortunately, Question 2, the so-called “Death with Dignity”initiative, forces that issue into the public square and places the government squarely in the middle of a private family matter. I do not judge nor intend top reach to others about decisions they make at the end of life, but I believe we’re all entitled to know the facts about the law we’re being asked to enact.

Here’s the truth. The language of the proposed law is not about bringing family together to make end of life decisions; it’s intended to exclude family members from the actual decision-making process to guard against patients’ being pressured to end their lives prematurely. It’s not about doctors administering drugs such as morphine to ease patients’ suffering;it’s about the oral ingestion of up to 100 capsules without requirement or expectation that a doctor be present. It’s not about giving choice and self-determination to patients with degenerative diseases like ALS or Alzheimer’s; those patients are unlikely to qualify under the statute. It’s not, in my judgment, about death with dignity at all.

My late husband Sen. Edward Kennedy called quality,affordable health care for all the cause of his life. Question 2 turns his vision of health care for all on its head by asking us to endorse patient suicide — not patient care — as our public policy for dealing with pain and the financial burdens of care at the end of life. We’re better than that. We should expand palliative care, pain management, nursing care and hospice, not trade the dignity and life of a human being for the bottom line.

Most of us wish for a good and happy death, with as little pain as possible, surrounded by loved ones, perhaps with a doctor and/or clergyman at our bedside. But under Question 2, what you get instead is a prescription for up to 100 capsules, dispensed by a pharmacist, taken without medical supervision, followed by death, perhaps alone. That seems harsh and extreme to me.

Question 2 is supposed to apply to those with a life expectancy of six months or less. But even doctors admit that’s unknowable.When my husband was first diagnosed with cancer, he was told that he had only two to four months to live, that he’d never go back to the U.S. Senate, that he should get his affairs in order, kiss his wife, love his family and get ready to die.

But that prognosis was wrong. Teddy lived 15 more productive months. During that time, he cast a key vote in the Senate that protected payments to doctors under Medicare; made a speech at the Democratic Convention;saw the candidate he supported elected president of the United States and even attended his inauguration; received an honorary degree; chaired confirmation hearings in the Senate; worked on the reform of health care; threw out the first pitch on opening day for the Red Sox; introduced the president when he signed the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act; sailed his boat; and finished his memoir “True Compass,” while also getting his affairs in order, kissing his wife, loving his family and preparing for the end of life.

King of Saudi Arabia Wants United Nations to Take Action Against Insults to Islam

Barak Obama and Saudi King Abdullah: They seem to agree

Responsible investigative journalism in the United States has debunked White House and State Department claims that the terrorist murders at the Benghazi U.S. consulate Sept. 11 were a spontaneous reaction of Muslim faithful to a little known YouTube video criticizing the Prophet Mohammad. But Saudi Arabia's King
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is keeping the issue alive with a demand for action by the U.N. against "insults to religions and prophets."

Speaking on Oct. 27, King Abdullah demanded a UN resolution condemning insults on monotheistic religions."I demand a UN resolution that condemns any country or group that insults religions and prophets," he said during a meeting at his palace with religious figures and heads of hajj delegations in the Mina valley where pilgrims were performing final rituals of hajj.

"It is our duty and that of every Muslim to protect Islam and defend the prophets."

The king also called on Saturday for the "unity of the Islamic nation (and) rejecting division to face the nation's enemies" as he urged for dialogue among Muslims.

"Dialogue strengthens moderation and ends reasons of conflict and extremism," he said.
"The interconfessional dialogue center which we had announced in Mecca does not necessarily mean reaching agreements on the matters of belief, but it aims at reaching solutions to divisions and implementing co-existance among sects," he added.

The interconfessional dialog center could be put to good use toward developing agreement within Islam that there exists a civil society, outside of the purview of religious activity, in which citizens of modern nations  of all faiths may carry out their business and freely offer their opinions and efforts to solve problems and advance social well being. This method has worked well in the United States and other western nations, which uphold the principle of free speech.

King of Saudi Arabia Wants United Nations to Take Action Against Insults to Islam

Barak Obama and Saudi King Abdullah: They seem to agree

Responsible investigative journalism in the United States has debunked White House and State Department claims that the terrorist murders at the Benghazi U.S. consulate Sept. 11 were a spontaneous reaction of Muslim faithful to a little known YouTube video criticizing the Prophet Mohammad. But Saudi Arabia's King
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is keeping the issue alive with a demand for action by the U.N. against "insults to religions and prophets."

Speaking on Oct. 27, King Abdullah demanded a UN resolution condemning insults on monotheistic religions."I demand a UN resolution that condemns any country or group that insults religions and prophets," he said during a meeting at his palace with religious figures and heads of hajj delegations in the Mina valley where pilgrims were performing final rituals of hajj.

"It is our duty and that of every Muslim to protect Islam and defend the prophets."

The king also called on Saturday for the "unity of the Islamic nation (and) rejecting division to face the nation's enemies" as he urged for dialogue among Muslims.

"Dialogue strengthens moderation and ends reasons of conflict and extremism," he said.
"The interconfessional dialogue center which we had announced in Mecca does not necessarily mean reaching agreements on the matters of belief, but it aims at reaching solutions to divisions and implementing co-existance among sects," he added.

The interconfessional dialog center could be put to good use toward developing agreement within Islam that there exists a civil society, outside of the purview of religious activity, in which citizens of modern nations  of all faiths may carry out their business and freely offer their opinions and efforts to solve problems and advance social well being. This method has worked well in the United States and other western nations, which uphold the principle of free speech.

Islamic Terrorists Attack Again in Nigeria, 15 Killed, 150 Injured

St. Rita's Catholic Church in Nigeria following Tuesday's bombing

Our friends at Gateway Pundit report another terrorist attack on Christians in Nigeria Tuesday: A suicide bomber killed 15 Christians and injured 150 at Saint Rita’s Catholic Church in Malali.
90% of the victims were children.

All Africa reported, via Religion of Peace:

Kaduna State was yesterday thrown into another round of pandemonium following a suicide bomb blast that rocked the Saint Rita’s Catholic Church at Ungwa Yero in Malali, Kaduna North LGA. The church has a capacity to accommodate over 1,000 worshipers.
The blast, which affected mostly women and children, killed at least 15 people and severely injured about150 including the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Bonet Micah.
The victims were rushed to several hospitals within the Kaduna metropolis. Although details of the numbers could not be ascertained officially, our correspondents gathered that three dead bodies and 35 injured persons were taken to 44 Army Reference Hospital, four bodies and over 88 injured persons were taken to Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital, 14 injured persons were taken to Saint Gerard Catholic Hospital, one dead body and 14 injured persons were taken to Garkuwa Hospital, three injured persons were taken to Giwa Hospital, and two injured persons were taken to Yusuf Dantsoho Hospital…
…The Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna Diocese, His Grace Bishop Matthew Man-Ndagoso, visited the Saint Gerard Catholic Hospital where he expressed his displeasure. The bishop said: “I feel more pained in my heart over this unfortunate incident as 90 per cent of the victims are children. We pray for their quick recovery and fortitude to bear the loss of those who died in the process. My appeal is to the Christians, especially the Catholic youths, not to consider reprisal as an option as this will rather create more tension and add to the already bad situation”.

The view above shows St. Rita’s Catholic church in the Malali village, after a bomb attack, in Nigeria’s northern city of Kaduna October 28, 2012. A suicide bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into church during Sunday Mass. (Reuters)

Islamic Terrorists Attack Again in Nigeria, 15 Killed, 150 Injured

St. Rita's Catholic Church in Nigeria following Tuesday's bombing

Our friends at Gateway Pundit report another terrorist attack on Christians in Nigeria Tuesday: A suicide bomber killed 15 Christians and injured 150 at Saint Rita’s Catholic Church in Malali.
90% of the victims were children.

All Africa reported, via Religion of Peace:

Kaduna State was yesterday thrown into another round of pandemonium following a suicide bomb blast that rocked the Saint Rita’s Catholic Church at Ungwa Yero in Malali, Kaduna North LGA. The church has a capacity to accommodate over 1,000 worshipers.
The blast, which affected mostly women and children, killed at least 15 people and severely injured about150 including the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Bonet Micah.
The victims were rushed to several hospitals within the Kaduna metropolis. Although details of the numbers could not be ascertained officially, our correspondents gathered that three dead bodies and 35 injured persons were taken to 44 Army Reference Hospital, four bodies and over 88 injured persons were taken to Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital, 14 injured persons were taken to Saint Gerard Catholic Hospital, one dead body and 14 injured persons were taken to Garkuwa Hospital, three injured persons were taken to Giwa Hospital, and two injured persons were taken to Yusuf Dantsoho Hospital…
…The Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna Diocese, His Grace Bishop Matthew Man-Ndagoso, visited the Saint Gerard Catholic Hospital where he expressed his displeasure. The bishop said: “I feel more pained in my heart over this unfortunate incident as 90 per cent of the victims are children. We pray for their quick recovery and fortitude to bear the loss of those who died in the process. My appeal is to the Christians, especially the Catholic youths, not to consider reprisal as an option as this will rather create more tension and add to the already bad situation”.

The view above shows St. Rita’s Catholic church in the Malali village, after a bomb attack, in Nigeria’s northern city of Kaduna October 28, 2012. A suicide bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into church during Sunday Mass. (Reuters)

Bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin: Don't Vote for 'Instrinsic Evil' in November

Bishop David Ricken of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay

Bishop David Ricken, the leader of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, noted in a recent letter to parishioners that voting for candidates who support what he calls “intrinsically evil” positions, such as abortion and gay marriage, could “put your own soul in jeopardy.” This report comes from the Green Bay Press-Gazette of Oct. 26.

Ricken’s letter, dated Oct. 24, notes that the church has a responsibility to “speak out regarding moral issues, especially on those issues that impact the ‘common good.’” It goes on to note principles to keep in mind in the voting booth on Nov. 6, including abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning and gay marriage.

“A well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program that contradicts fundamental contents of faith and morals,” Ricken said in the letter. “Some candidates and one party have even chosen some of these as their party’s or their personal political platform. To vote for someone in favor of these positions means that you could be morally ‘complicit’ with these choices which are intrinsically evil. This could put your own soul in jeopardy.”

Ricken's letter specifically criticized the Obama administration's abortion mandate as a frontal attack on religious freedom, and an indicator "of a broader societal disposition to remove God from the public square and fom any relation to society whatever, It is precisely religion and the free exercise thereof  which has made this country great in the past."

While Ricken’s letter does not specify who should get parishioners’ votes, Republican candidates typically oppose abortion rights while Democrats, to a large degree, support them. On the abortion issue, for example, President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney have different views. The Democratic incumbent supports access to abortion without restriction, mandating free contraception for women and changing his mind this year to endorse gay marriage. Romney is socially conservative, opposing gay marriage and abortion rights and saying the government should not mandate free contraception.

Ricken’s guidance on these issues carry a lot of weight in this region — the diocese has 304,614 members in 16 counties. Across the state, Catholics make up more than 25 percent of the population, or 1.5 million people, according to the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies’ 2010 U.S. Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study.

 Read Bishop David Ricken's letter. 

Bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin: Don't Vote for 'Instrinsic Evil' in November

Bishop David Ricken of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay

Bishop David Ricken, the leader of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, noted in a recent letter to parishioners that voting for candidates who support what he calls “intrinsically evil” positions, such as abortion and gay marriage, could “put your own soul in jeopardy.” This report comes from the Green Bay Press-Gazette of Oct. 26.

Ricken’s letter, dated Oct. 24, notes that the church has a responsibility to “speak out regarding moral issues, especially on those issues that impact the ‘common good.’” It goes on to note principles to keep in mind in the voting booth on Nov. 6, including abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning and gay marriage.

“A well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program that contradicts fundamental contents of faith and morals,” Ricken said in the letter. “Some candidates and one party have even chosen some of these as their party’s or their personal political platform. To vote for someone in favor of these positions means that you could be morally ‘complicit’ with these choices which are intrinsically evil. This could put your own soul in jeopardy.”

Ricken's letter specifically criticized the Obama administration's abortion mandate as a frontal attack on religious freedom, and an indicator "of a broader societal disposition to remove God from the public square and fom any relation to society whatever, It is precisely religion and the free exercise thereof  which has made this country great in the past."

While Ricken’s letter does not specify who should get parishioners’ votes, Republican candidates typically oppose abortion rights while Democrats, to a large degree, support them. On the abortion issue, for example, President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney have different views. The Democratic incumbent supports access to abortion without restriction, mandating free contraception for women and changing his mind this year to endorse gay marriage. Romney is socially conservative, opposing gay marriage and abortion rights and saying the government should not mandate free contraception.

Ricken’s guidance on these issues carry a lot of weight in this region — the diocese has 304,614 members in 16 counties. Across the state, Catholics make up more than 25 percent of the population, or 1.5 million people, according to the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies’ 2010 U.S. Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study.

 Read Bishop David Ricken's letter. 

Live Action Video Documents Planned Parenthood Lies on Abortion Deaths

What happens when you call a Planned Parenthood clinic where a woman recently died after a horrific botched abortion, and ask if abortion is safe and if anyone has ever been hurt at the clinic?
That’s what the pro-life organization Live Action set out to find out in its latest undercover investigation. In addition to the Chicago facility where Tonya Reaves died earlier this summer, Live Action undercover investigators called abortion clinics in seven states that had recently botched abortions so badly that officials had to call 911 for emergency medical assistance.
In every case, officials at the clinics insisted abortion was safe, and that no one had ever been harmed at their clinics. 
“Our investigation exposes not only how unsafe Planned Parenthood clinics can be for women, but also how dishonest and untrustworthy Planned Parenthood is to the very women it claims to defend,” said Lila Rose, the group’s founder. “When it comes to the lethal dangers of its billion-dollar abortion business, no lie is too audacious for Planned Parenthood.”

Live Action Video Documents Planned Parenthood Lies on Abortion Deaths

What happens when you call a Planned Parenthood clinic where a woman recently died after a horrific botched abortion, and ask if abortion is safe and if anyone has ever been hurt at the clinic?
That’s what the pro-life organization Live Action set out to find out in its latest undercover investigation. In addition to the Chicago facility where Tonya Reaves died earlier this summer, Live Action undercover investigators called abortion clinics in seven states that had recently botched abortions so badly that officials had to call 911 for emergency medical assistance.
In every case, officials at the clinics insisted abortion was safe, and that no one had ever been harmed at their clinics. 
“Our investigation exposes not only how unsafe Planned Parenthood clinics can be for women, but also how dishonest and untrustworthy Planned Parenthood is to the very women it claims to defend,” said Lila Rose, the group’s founder. “When it comes to the lethal dangers of its billion-dollar abortion business, no lie is too audacious for Planned Parenthood.”

State of Texas Will Intervene to Defend Rights of Cheerleaders to Display Religious Banners

Cheerleaders in Kountze, east Texas, with their banners.

Governor Rick Perry of Texas  has announced that the state government will intervene to preserve the religious liberty of cheerleaders who display religious banners during school football games.

The cheerleaders and their parents filed a lawsuit against the school district in Kountze, east Texas, after it banned religious messages on the banners.

Texas is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit on behalf of a high school cheerleading team fighting to continue featuring religious messages on banners at football games, Greg Abbott, the state’s attorney general, said Oct. 24.Mr. Abbott and Rick Perry, the Texas governor, said at a press conference that they will work to ensure the cheerleaders’ freedom of expression.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot sought to intervene in the case in support of the cheerleaders’ rights, stating, “We will not allow atheist groups from outside of the state of Texas to come into the state, to use menacing and misleading intimidation tactics, to try to bully schools to bow down at the altar of secular beliefs.” Texas Governor Rick Perry stated, “Anyone who is expressing their faith should be celebrated, from my perspective, in this day and age of instant gratification, this me-first culture that we see all too often.

They sat in front of photos of football players taking the field by tearing through a banner held by cheerleaders that said “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

A petition filed with Texas District Court of Hardin County by Mr. Abbott said the state was seeking to intervene in order to defend the constitutionality of Texas statutes.
“The State also has an interest in defending laws that were specifically enacted to preserve religious liberty, because a challenge to those laws could potentially erode the religious liberties of all Texans,” it said.

The school district banned the religious messages after a Wisconsin group that seeks to enforce the separation of church and state wrote to the superintendent that the banners were an endorsement of religion by a public entity.
“We will not allow atheist groups from outside of the state of Texas to come into the state to use menacing and misleading intimidation tactics to try to bully schools to bow down at the altar of secular beliefs,” Mr. Abbott said.
The cheerleaders produce the banners on their own time with private supplies. Last month, the cheerleaders won a temporary order allowing the use of religious messages on banners. There will be a hearing Thursday.

State of Texas Will Intervene to Defend Rights of Cheerleaders to Display Religious Banners

Cheerleaders in Kountze, east Texas, with their banners.

Governor Rick Perry of Texas  has announced that the state government will intervene to preserve the religious liberty of cheerleaders who display religious banners during school football games.

The cheerleaders and their parents filed a lawsuit against the school district in Kountze, east Texas, after it banned religious messages on the banners.

Texas is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit on behalf of a high school cheerleading team fighting to continue featuring religious messages on banners at football games, Greg Abbott, the state’s attorney general, said Oct. 24.Mr. Abbott and Rick Perry, the Texas governor, said at a press conference that they will work to ensure the cheerleaders’ freedom of expression.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot sought to intervene in the case in support of the cheerleaders’ rights, stating, “We will not allow atheist groups from outside of the state of Texas to come into the state, to use menacing and misleading intimidation tactics, to try to bully schools to bow down at the altar of secular beliefs.” Texas Governor Rick Perry stated, “Anyone who is expressing their faith should be celebrated, from my perspective, in this day and age of instant gratification, this me-first culture that we see all too often.

They sat in front of photos of football players taking the field by tearing through a banner held by cheerleaders that said “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

A petition filed with Texas District Court of Hardin County by Mr. Abbott said the state was seeking to intervene in order to defend the constitutionality of Texas statutes.
“The State also has an interest in defending laws that were specifically enacted to preserve religious liberty, because a challenge to those laws could potentially erode the religious liberties of all Texans,” it said.

The school district banned the religious messages after a Wisconsin group that seeks to enforce the separation of church and state wrote to the superintendent that the banners were an endorsement of religion by a public entity.
“We will not allow atheist groups from outside of the state of Texas to come into the state to use menacing and misleading intimidation tactics to try to bully schools to bow down at the altar of secular beliefs,” Mr. Abbott said.
The cheerleaders produce the banners on their own time with private supplies. Last month, the cheerleaders won a temporary order allowing the use of religious messages on banners. There will be a hearing Thursday.

Catholic Bishops Send Message from Rome Synod to Chinese Bishop and His Flock

Chinese Catholics pray at the Wangfujing Cathedral during Christmas midnight mass in Beijing

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 24, 2012 (Zenit.org).- The Synod of Bishops has sent a message yesterday to Bishop Lucas Ly Jingeng of Fengxiang in mainland China, who was unable to attend the Synod in Rome. The Chinese prelate had written a letter to Pope Benedict XVI at the opening of the assembly assuring the Holy Father of his prayers for the success of the Synod.

"With great pleasure, the Synodal Fathers celebrating the XIII Ordinary Synod of Bishops on New Evangelization and the Transmission of Faith received your Letter, with which you wished to make your voice heard from within the Democratic Republic of China. Your intention was greatly appreciated, notwithstanding the fact that there are some Bishops coming from Hong Kong and Taiwan among the Synodal Fathers," the statement read.

The letter acknowledged the "suffering, the prayers and joy of being Christian in China", saying that it has encouraged Christians all over the world. While informing them of the events throughout the Synod, such as the 50thanniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the opening of the Year of Faith, the letter stated that while the Catholic Bishops of China could not intervene, they are considered "spiritually present" at the gathering of bishops.

"We ask all the Bishops, Priests and faithful of this great Nation to live the Year of the Faith with generosity and commitment. We thus recommend that the evangelization of the Chinese People and the re-evangelization of all those who have become lukewarm towards or lost their faith, be taken to heart in a special way," the letter stated.

The letter from the Synod of Bishops concluded by stating their desire the Church in China may be able to attend future synods in Rome.

"The Holy Father Benedict XVI sends a special blessing to you, to your priests and faithful, as well as to the entire, well-loved Church in China," the letter stated.

Catholic Bishops Send Message from Rome Synod to Chinese Bishop and His Flock

Chinese Catholics pray at the Wangfujing Cathedral during Christmas midnight mass in Beijing

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 24, 2012 (Zenit.org).- The Synod of Bishops has sent a message yesterday to Bishop Lucas Ly Jingeng of Fengxiang in mainland China, who was unable to attend the Synod in Rome. The Chinese prelate had written a letter to Pope Benedict XVI at the opening of the assembly assuring the Holy Father of his prayers for the success of the Synod.

"With great pleasure, the Synodal Fathers celebrating the XIII Ordinary Synod of Bishops on New Evangelization and the Transmission of Faith received your Letter, with which you wished to make your voice heard from within the Democratic Republic of China. Your intention was greatly appreciated, notwithstanding the fact that there are some Bishops coming from Hong Kong and Taiwan among the Synodal Fathers," the statement read.

The letter acknowledged the "suffering, the prayers and joy of being Christian in China", saying that it has encouraged Christians all over the world. While informing them of the events throughout the Synod, such as the 50thanniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the opening of the Year of Faith, the letter stated that while the Catholic Bishops of China could not intervene, they are considered "spiritually present" at the gathering of bishops.

"We ask all the Bishops, Priests and faithful of this great Nation to live the Year of the Faith with generosity and commitment. We thus recommend that the evangelization of the Chinese People and the re-evangelization of all those who have become lukewarm towards or lost their faith, be taken to heart in a special way," the letter stated.

The letter from the Synod of Bishops concluded by stating their desire the Church in China may be able to attend future synods in Rome.

"The Holy Father Benedict XVI sends a special blessing to you, to your priests and faithful, as well as to the entire, well-loved Church in China," the letter stated.