USCCB President says Obama offered next to nothing; expresses disappointment with Sr. Keehan

From Catholic News Service

By Francis X. Rocca
Catholic News Service

ROME (CNS) -- Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan of New York said Feb. 13 that President Barack Obama's proposed revision to the contraceptive mandate in the health reform law did nothing to change the U.S. bishops' opposition to what they regard as an unconstitutional infringement on religious liberty.

"We bishops are pastors, we're not politicians, and you can't compromise on principle," said Cardinal-designate Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "And the goal posts haven't moved and I don't think there's a 50-yard line compromise here," he added.

"We're in the business of reconciliation, so it's not that we hold fast, that we're stubborn ideologues, no. But we don't see much sign of any compromise," he said.

"What (Obama) offered was next to nothing. There's no change, for instance, in these terribly restrictive mandates and this grossly restrictive definition of what constitutes a religious entity," he said. "The principle wasn't touched at all."

Obama's proposed revision of the Department of Health and Human Services' contraceptive mandate left intact the restrictive definition of a religious entity and would shift the costs of contraceptives from the policyholders to the insurers, thus failing to ensure that Catholic individuals and institutions would not have to pay for services that they consider immoral, Cardinal-designate Dolan said.

For one thing, the cardinal-designate said, many dioceses and Catholic institutions are self-insuring. Moreover, Catholics with policies in the compliant insurance companies would be subsidizing others' contraception coverage. He also objected that individual Catholic employers would not enjoy exemption under Obama's proposal.

"My brother-in-law, who's a committed Catholic, runs a butcher shop. Is he going to have to pay for services that he as a convinced Catholic considers to be morally objectionable?" he asked.

Cardinal-designate Dolan said he emailed Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who heads the Catholic Health Association, on Feb. 10 to tell her that he was "disappointed that she had acted unilaterally, not in concert with the bishops."

Read the rest at CNS: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1200596.htm

Further Reading:

• Six more things everyone should know about the HHS mandate (USCCB blog)
• Archbishops Kurtz and Chaput join protests over 'unacceptable' attack on religious liberty (N.C. Register)
• How the White House's 98% Contraception Figure for Catholics is Wrong (Tom Hoopes/Catholic Vote)
• Obama seen working to splinter Catholic community (Catholic Culture)
• Cardinal-Designate Dolan says bishops are not 'Obama Haters' (John Allen / I don't normally link to the NCR, but John Allen's articles are an exception because he is the exception there)
• Fr. Jenkins: Where is your signature? (Pat Archbold/N.C. Register)
• Just a minute Mr. President (Cardinal Roger Mahony)
• The Audacity of Power: President Obama vs. the Catholic Church (Charles Kadlec/Forbes)
• Intolerance is at the heart of Obamacare (James Taranto/WSJ)
• Obama has stranded the Catholic 'left' (Elizabeth Scalia / First Things)
• Democrats to Catholics: We don't want you (Rod Dreher)
• The pseudo-magisterium needs to be neutered (Te Deum Laudamus)

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Video and Text: Bp Slattery's response to Obama's "accomodation"

In the meanwhile, Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa, Oklahoma has released his own statement, and we may see other bishops doing the same.

Here is video; below is the text

My response to President Obama's HHS mandate "accommodation"
2/10/2012 - Bishop Edward J. Slattery
February 10, 2012
Saint Scholastica


Today, the President of the United States has issued what he referred to as an accommodation on the mandate from Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services issued on January 20 of this year. This mandate would have required - among other things - that religious institutions provide through their insurance policies hormonal contraception, abortifacients and direct sterilization, even though such a mandate violates our conscience and run counter to the 1st Amendment guarantee for the free exercise of Religion.


We are grateful that the President has begun to listen to the voices raised in opposition to this intrusion on our first amendment rights, and we are encouraged that he understands the urgency of this matter. However, we are dismayed that he does not understand the root issues which are involved here.

There will be a time, there must be a time, when Americans of good will and strong conscience discuss these points in a rational and non-idealogical conversation.

• First, no one is asking why it is that the Catholic Church is opposed to artificial birth control, direct sterilization and abortifacients. For two thousand years, the Church has understood that all of these methods that prevent life damage marriages and thereby weaken the fabric of society.

• Secondly, in describing artificial birth control, direct sterilization and abortifacients as “Preventive care” it is apparent that the ideology which underlies this governmental intrusion is that pregnancy is a disease and that the conception of life should be prevented.

• Thirdly, the question of who ultimately pays for this immoral coverage has remained unanswered by the President. Free coverage is never free; someone will have to pay for this coverage in their premium.

These three points will have to be addressed at some time, but what I want to address here is the constitutional issue. President Obama agreed that religious institutions would not compelled to directly pay for coverage which betrays their religious tenants or violates their conscience. This would include churches and those charitable institutions, schools and hospitals by which churches fulfill their mission.


However, the Constitution of the United States does not merely guarantee the freedom of religion to institutions, but to every American.


This includes every businessman or woman who willingly provides health insurance to his or her employees. It includes every single mother, every married couple, and every individual who does not wish to cooperate in this sin. No one should be required to betray their religious and moral beliefs or violate their conscience.


I want to encourage people not to be afraid of the sacrifices which are required to love one another with a genuine, faithful and life-giving love. Through these we are made holy and are formed more fully into what God wants us to be. Thank you.

The USCCB has issued a statement, which is, to my mind, a pass on making a more formal statement at this time. I'm perfectly fine with Dolan issuing his statement for the USCCB on Monday.  It will give him time to get buy-in on the language from other bishops.  I just hope he puts something out as good as what Bishop Slattery offered.

Before everyone gets upset thinking that +Dolan is giving in, you need to read very carefully.

February 10, 2012


New opportunity to dialogue with executive branch
Too soon to tell whether and how much improvement on core concerns
Commitment to religious liberty for all means legislation still necessary


WASHINGTON— The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sees initial opportunities in preserving the principle of religious freedom after President Obama’s announcement today. But the Conference continues to express concerns. “While there may be an openness to respond to some of our concerns, we reserve judgment on the details until we have them,” said Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of USCCB.


“The past three weeks have witnessed a remarkable unity of Americans from all religions or none at all worried about the erosion of religious freedom and governmental intrusion into issues of faith and morals,” he said.


“Today’s decision to revise how individuals obtain services that are morally objectionable to religious entities and people of faith is a first step in the right direction,” Cardinal-designate Dolan said. “We hope to work with the Administration to guarantee that Americans’ consciences and our religious freedom are not harmed by these regulations.”

First, I don't think it's all bad for a more formal statement to come out early next week. 

What I want to point out here is that the USCCB, in this, "we'll talk to you when we're ready" statement, Dolan talks about it being a "step in the right direction". Well, pay attention to the "it" he is talking about. I don't believe he is talking about the President's words, but the fact that Obama is recognizing something needs to change. Further up in the statement he says that the USCCB continues to express concerns. Stay tuned early next week for a more thorough response.

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USSCB: White House Misrepresents it's Own Contraceptive Mandate

From the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

February 3, 2012
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued the following response to the February 2 post on the White House blog.


Full text follows:


The Obama administration, to justify its widely criticized mandate for contraception and sterilization coverage in private health plans, has posted a set of false and misleading claims on the White House blog (“Health Reform, Preventive Services, and Religious Institutions,” February 1).In what follows, each White House claim is quoted with a response.


Claim: “Churches are exempt from the new rules: Churches and other houses of worship will be exempt from the requirement to offer insurance that covers contraception.”


Response: This is not entirely true.To be eligible, even churches and houses of worship must show the government that they hire and serve primarily people of their own faith and have the inculcation of religious values as their purpose.Some churches may have service to the broader community as a major focus, for example, by providing direct service to the poor regardless of faith.Such churches would be denied an exemption precisely because their service to the common good is so great.More importantly,the vast array of other religious organizations – schools, hospitals, universities, charitable institutions – will clearly not be exempt.


Claim: “No individual health care provider will be forced to prescribe contraception: The President and this Administration have previously and continue to express strong support for existing conscience protections.For example, no Catholic doctor is forced to write a prescription for contraception.”


Response: It is true that these rules directly apply to employers and insurers, not providers, but this is beside the point:The Administration is forcing individuals and institutions, including religious employers, to sponsor and subsidize what they consider immoral.Less directly, the classification of these drugs and procedures as basic “preventive services” will increase pressures on doctors, nurses and pharmacists to provide them in order to participate in private health plans – and no current federal conscience law prevents that from happening.Finally, because the mandate includes abortifacient drugs, it violates one of the “existing conscience protections” (the Weldon amendment) for which the Administration expresses “strong support.”


Claim: “No individual will be forced to buy or use contraception: This rule only applies to what insurance companies cover.Under this policy, women who want contraception will have access to it through their insurance without paying a co-pay or deductible.But no one will be forced to buy or use contraception.”


Response: The statement that no one will be forced to buy it is false.Women who want contraception will be able to obtain it without co-pay or deductible precisely because women who do not want contraception will be forced to help pay for it through their premiums.This mandate passes costs from those who want the service, to those who object to it.


Claim: “Drugs that cause abortion are not covered by this policy: Drugs like RU486 are not covered by this policy, and nothing about this policy changes the President’s firm commitment to maintaining strict limitations on Federal funding for abortions. No Federal tax dollars are used for elective abortions.”


Response: False.The policy already requires coverage of Ulipristal (HRP 2000 or “Ella”), a drug that is a close analogue to RU-486 (mifepristone) and has the same effects.[i] RU-486 itself is also being tested for possible use as an “emergency contraceptive” – and if the FDA approves it for that purpose, it will automatically be mandated as well.


Claim:“Over half of Americans already live in the 28 States that require insurance companies cover contraception: Several of these States like North Carolina, New York, and California have identical religious employer exemptions.Some States like Colorado, Georgia and Wisconsin have no exemption at all.”


Response: This misleads by ignoring important facts, and some of it is simply false.All the state mandates, even those without religious exemptions, may be avoided by self-insuring prescription drug coverage, by dropping that particular coverage altogether, or by taking refuge in a federal law that pre-empts any state mandates (ERISA).None of these havens is available under the federal mandate.It is also false to claim that North Carolina has an identical exemption.It is broader:It does not require a religious organization to serve primarily people of its own faith, or to fulfill the federal rule’s narrow tax code criterion.Moreover, the North Carolina law, unlike the federal mandate, completely excludes abortifacient drugs like Ella and RU-486 as well as “emergency contraceptives” like Preven.


Claim: “Contraception is used by most women: According to a study by the Guttmacher Institute, most women, including 98 percent of Catholic women, have used contraception.”


Response: This is irrelevant, and it is presented in a misleading way. If a survey found that 98% of people had lied, cheated on their taxes, or had sex outside of marriage, would the government claim it can force everyone to do so? But this claim also mangles the data to create a false impression.The study actually says this is true of 98% of “sexually experienced” women.The more relevant statistic is that the drugs and devices subject to this mandate (sterilization, hormonal prescription contraceptives and IUDs) are used by 69% of those women who are “sexually active” and “do not want to become pregnant.”Surely that is a minority of the general public, yet every man and woman who needs health insurance will have to pay for this coverage.The drugs that the mandate’s supporters say will be most advanced by the new rule, because they have the highest co-pays and deductibles now, are powerful but risky injectable and implantable hormonal contraceptives, now used by perhaps 5% of women.The mandate is intended to change women’s reproductive behavior, not only reflect it.


Claim: “Contraception coverage reduces costs: While the monthly cost of contraception for women ranges from $30 to $50, insurers and experts agree that savings more than offset the cost.The National Business Group on Health estimated that it would cost employers 15 to 17 percent more not to provide contraceptive coverage than to provide such coverage, after accounting for both the direct medical costs of potentially unintended and unhealthy pregnancy and indirect costs such as employee absence and reduced productivity.”


Response: The government is violating our religious freedom to save money?If the claim is true it is hard to say there is a need for a mandate: Secular insurers and employers who don’t object will want to purchase the coverage to save money, and those who object can leave it alone.But this claim also seems to rest on some assumptions: That prescription contraceptives are the only way to avoid “unintended and unhealthy pregnancy,” for example, or that increasing access to contraceptives necessarily produces significant reductions in unintended pregnancies.The latter assumption has been cast into doubt by numerous studies (see http://old.usccb.org/prolife/issues/contraception/contraception-fact-sheet-3-17-11.pdf).


Claim: “The Obama Administration is committed to both respecting religious beliefs and increasing access to important preventive services. And as we move forward, our strong partnerships with religious organizations will continue.”


Response: False.There is no “balance” in the final HHS rule—one side has prevailed entirely, as the mandate and exemption remain entirely unchanged from August 2011, despite many thousands of comments filed since then indicating intense opposition.Indeed, the White House Press Secretary declared on January 31, “I don’t believe there are any constitutional rights issues here,” so little was placed on that side of the scale.The Administration’s stance on religious liberty has also been shown in other ways.Recently it argued before the Supreme Court that religious organizations have no greater right under the First amendment to hire or fire their own ministers than secular organizations have over their leaders– a claim that was unanimously rejected by the Supreme Court as “extreme” and “untenable.”The Administration recently denied a human trafficking grant to a Catholic service provider with high objective scores, and gave part of that grant instead to a provider with not just lower, but failing, objective scores, all because the Catholic provider refused in conscience to compromise the same moral and religious beliefs at issue here.Such action violates not only federal conscience laws, but President Obama’s executive order assuring “faith-based” organizations that they will be able to serve the public in federal programs without compromising their faith.


[i] See A. Tarantal, et al., 54 Contraception 107-115 (1996), at 114 (“studies with mifepristone and HRP 2000 have shown both antiprogestins to have roughly comparable activity in terminating pregnancy when administered during the early stages of gestation”); G. Bernagiano & H. von Hertzen, 375 The Lancet 527-28 (Feb. 13, 2010), at 527 (“Ulipristal has similar biological effects to mifepristone, the antiprogestin used in medical abortion”).

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USCCB Fall General Assembly is underway

It's been a favorite pastime of many Catholic bloggers: The USCCB Fall General Assembly.

The bishops of the US are meeting in Baltimore right now. Many are watching with interest.

I'm stuck on a netbook while my main computer is in for repair and I can't deal with how slow the clicks are taking online. Therefore, while i have a day off, I will not be tweeting and taking notes throughout.

If you are interested, I would encourage you to turn on EWTN right now if you have it. It is also being streamed online, and the USCCB is live-tweeting and on Facebook. Go here to see the many ways you can follow what the bishops are discussing. You can also see what is being voted on and how those turn out.

Here is the schedule:


Monday, November 14 Schedule
■Morning Session - 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (EST)

■Press Conference - 12:30 - 1 p.m. (EST



■Afternoon Session: 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. (EST)

■Press Conference - 5 - 5:30 p.m. (EST)



Tuesday, November 15 Schedule
■Morning Session - 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. (EST)

■Press Conference - 10:30 - 11 a.m. (EST

■Afternoon Session: 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. (EST)

■Press Conference - 5 - 5:30 p.m. (EST)

NOTE: All times are approximations, times may vary slightly from schedule.


COVERAGE ON TWITTER

Some are watching and tweeting important points. In fact, Bishop Christopher Coyne of Indianapolis has been live tweeting from the meeting itself. Below are some twitter feeds you might check on. If you have a Twitter account, just follow them. They are re-tweeting what others are offering, as well (rather funny to see the USCCB feed re-tweeting Bishop Coyne's tweets.  They can't keep up with this bishop who is a regular on Twitter, whom I recommend following for what he puts out each morning. 

• USCCB-Live
• Bishop Christopher Coyne
• Father Z
• Kathy Schiffer
• Rocco Palmo
• Greg Erlandson (OSV)

Bloggers will have varying interests.  I recommend watching some major portals and visiting blogs that are highlighted there:

• New Advent
• National Catholic Register (not the "Reporter")
• Patheos (Catholic section)
• Our Sunday Visitor

I thought Bishop Dolan had a very strong opening address.  There were some things I would like to revisit later and if I can find those points tweeted, I will re-tweet them, so look at my feed.

http://twitter.com/TeDeumBlog


UPDATES:

- Here is the full text of Archbishop Dolan's opening address at the blog of Rocco Palmo.  I'm not sure why the USCCB's page for this does not have a documents section where such things are uploaded once they are given.  http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2011/11/kings-speech.html

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Bishop Soto to head CCHD - Yes, THAT Bishop Soto

Some news on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) escaped the notice of many last Friday and is just starting to circulate. There has been a change in leadership.  It is Bishop Jaime Soto.

Yes, that Bishop Jaime Soto!   <= This is a link - click to see a very good story about this bishop and how he operates.



The USCCB just finished it's fall plenary session in Baltimore.  There was a brief public update given on CCHD by the former chairman, Bishop Roger Morin of Biloxi.  There was a more extensive meeting on the beleaguered arm of the US bishops's conference, but it was a closed-door session. 

Here is the press release from the USCCB.

Bishop Soto Named Chairman of Subcommittee on Catholic Campaign for Human Development


WASHINGTON (November 19, 2010) — Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, California, has been named the new chairman of the Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the domestic anti-poverty program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The appointment was announced November 17, during the executive session of the Fall General Assembly of the USCCB.


“I am honored to have the confidence of my brother bishops as I assume the chair for the subcommittee for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development,” said Bishop Soto of the appointment. “CCHD has been an important national pastoral enterprise dedicated to infusing American Society with the Catholic values of human dignity, solidarity, and communion.”


Bishop Soto succeeds Bishop Roger Morin of Biloxi, Mississippi, who in his last public report to the bishops said, “At this time of growing poverty, we need a renewed, strengthened, faithful CCHD more than ever.” The bishops expressed their gratitude for Bishop Morin’s leadership in challenging times.


On the recent Review and Renewal of CCHD, Bishop Soto said, “I am grateful for the work of the previous committee that has re-tooled CCHD so that it can be even more effective in its mission. I am eager to have CCHD serve as an agent for bringing the pastoral priorities of the USCCB to the neighborhoods and towns where Catholic people strive to practice their faith, especially those who are poor and marginalized.”


He added, “My committee will continue to monitor the progress for the implementations of the new guidelines. God's people are the Church's best resource for the mission of New Evangelization. CCHD will continue to invest in them so that they can be the protagonists of the Gospel, announcing the joy and hope of the Lord Jesus to a weary world.”


Bishop Soto has served as bishop of Sacramento since 2008. He is chairman of the USCCB Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, a member of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, and a consultant to the Committee on International Justice and Peace. He has also served as chairman of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) for the past four years.


Founded in 1969, CCHD’s mission is to address the root causes of poverty in the United States by promoting community self-help organizations and transformative education. To learn more about CCHD, visit: www.usccb.org/cchd/

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Major upset in USCCB Presidential Election - Reactions

This post will be updated with  more reactions than I have listed below, so check back later tonight.

I'm blogging from my iPhone on my lunch hour, so I am very limited in what I can do.

It has been traditional for the bishops to elect the current VP to the presidency. Three years ago, Cardinal George ascended from that role with about 88% of the vote on the first ballot.

Bishop Kicanis, the current VP should have been a shoe-in. But concerns were raised in Catholic media and blogs in recent days whether he had the right vision (considered a protege of the late Cardinal Bernardin). He was also mired in controversy, much of which I did not blog on because I was unfamiliar with it, and him.

I prayed last night that God's will be done, and offered many impromptu Hail Marys since then.

It took 3 ballots. Archbishop Dolan of NY won out over Kicanis 128-111.

Bishop Kicanis was not permitted to have the VP seat again, so his  name was removed from the 9 remaining candidates, which included Detroit's Archbishop Vigneron and Denver's Archbishop Chaput. It was Bishop Kurtz who won out over Archbishop Chaput for the VP seat.

Here are a few posts with more background and reactions.

• Cardinal O'Connor's Revenge (George Neumayr - Catholic World Report) New
• Archbishop Dolan Speaks (NC Register) New
• Abp. Dolan's latest service will be a great one (Ed Peters, JD, JCD)
• US Bishops break precedent, elect Archbishop Dolan as President (Catholic Culture)
• Bishop's Shocker: Tim Wins (Whispers)
• Getting to know Archbishop Dolan and Bishop Kurtz (NC Register)
• Shock & Awe: Archbishop Dolan Elected USCCB President (AmP at Catholic Vote)
• Church Analyst: Election of Archbishop Dolan signals desire for strong leader (CNA)

Here's a pic of a tweet by Italian jouranlist Paolo Rodari with an interesting note.  Rodari says, "Also in the Vatican great surprise for Dolan's election... in the secretary of state were waiting for Kicanas"

The "liberal" wing is not happy.  That's a pretty good indicator that the right thing happened.  Here are voices from traditionally dissident sources.

• Catholycs for Equality threw the ultimate nutty New
• Tuscon's Kicanis loses to NY's Dolan (America Magazine)
• Hey - you know it's a good decision when the NY Times is throwing a nutty 
• One reaction at dotCommonweal
• USA Today: Upset victor N.Y. Archbishop Dolan a smiling force for conservatives

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Outgoing USCCB President heads out with a bang

Cardinal George at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral
following the installation of Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron
(see my photos of the day here)

Francis Cardinal George's term as USCCB President is coming to an end.  Tomorrow, the bishops will elect a new head. 

Here is an excerpt of Cardinal George's statement.  See full text here.

The second issue is ecclesiological: who speaks for the Catholic Church? We bishops have no illusions about our speaking for everyone who considers himself or herself Catholic; but that is not our job. We speak for the apostolic faith, and those who hold it gather round. We must listen to the sensus fidei, the sense of the faith itself in the lives of our people, but this is different from intellectual trends and public opinion. The faith has its own warrants in Scripture and tradition, and we consult them and listen to the apostolic voices of those who have gone before us as carefully as we must listen to those whom the Lord has given us to govern on our watch, in our day, as they strive to work out their salvation in the midst of contemporary challenges. The bishops in apostolic communion and in union with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome, speak for the Church in matters of faith and in moral issues and the laws surrounding them. All the rest is opinion, often well-considered and important opinion that deserves a careful and respectful hearing, but still opinion.


The third issue is practical: how should faithful Catholics approach political issues that are also moral? The debate made clear, to me at least, that, at a certain point, there were those who started with the faith in its integrity and all its demands and fit their political choices into the context of the fullness of the Church’s teaching, and there were those for whom a political choice, even a good choice, was basic and the Church was judged useful by whether or not she provided foot soldiers for their political commitment, whether of the left or the right. For too many, politics is the ultimate horizon of their thinking and acting. As we know, fidelity to Christ in his body the Church calls for two responses on the part of those who would call themselves his disciples: orthodoxy in belief and obedience in practice. In 1990, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger quoted now Blessed John Henry Newman that, “the whole duty and work of a Christian is made up of these two parts, faith and obedience; ‘looking unto Jesus’ (Hebrews 2:9) and acting according to his will.” Orthodoxy is necessary but not enough; the devil is orthodox. He knows the Catechism better than anybody in this room; but he will not serve, he will not obey. There can be mistakes in our thinking, but there can be no self-righteousness in our will, for this is the sin against the Holy Spirit. We should not fear political isolation; the Church has often been isolated in politics and in diplomacy. We need to be deeply concerned, however, about the wound to the Church’s unity that has been inflicted in this debate and I hope, trusting in the good will of all concerned, that means can be found to restore the seamless garment of ecclesial communion.

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USCCB Chief Clarifies Church's position on "New Ways Ministries" - it ain't Catholic

Cardinal Francis George in Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit on the occasion of Archbishop Allen Vigneron's installation. 

I hope we see more of this kind of action out of our bishops, and I"m glad to see Cardinal George taking care of it on behalf of the US Bishops.  Too many people are being misled by these groups claiming to be Catholic, when are not in the good graces of the Church because they are obstinate in spreading error. 

Let's pray the US Bishops, led by Cardinal George, can take on the National Catholic Reporter and the doctrinal error spread there next.

Back in 1999, the founders of New Ways Ministries were sanctioned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which issued a notification.  Here is how it ends after the relevant background is provided in that notification:

Given the failure of the repeated attempts of the Church's legitimate authorities to resolve the problems presented by the writings and pastoral activities of the two authors, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is obliged to declare for the good of the Catholic faithful that the positions advanced by Sister Jeannine Gramick and Father Robert Nugent regarding the intrinsic evil of homosexual acts and the objective disorder of the homosexual inclination are doctrinally unacceptable because they do not faithfully convey the clear and constant teaching of the Catholic Church in this area. Father Nugent and Sister Gramick have often stated that they seek, in keeping with the Church's teaching, to treat homosexual persons "with respect, compassion and sensitivity". However, the promotion of errors and ambiguities is not consistent with a Christian attitude of true respect and compassion: persons who are struggling with homosexuality no less than any others have the right to receive the authentic teaching of the Church from those who minister to them.

The ambiguities and errors of the approach of Father Nugent and Sister Gramick have caused confusion among the Catholic people and have harmed the community of the Church. For these reasons, Sister Jeannine Gramick, SSND, and Father Robert Nugent, SDS, are permanently prohibited from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons and are ineligible, for an undetermined period, for any office in their respective religious institutes.

The Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II, at the Audience of May 14, 1999, granted to the undersigned Secretary, approved the present Notification, adopted in the Ordinary Session of this Congregation, and ordered its publication.

Rome, from the Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, May 31, 1999.

+ Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect
+ Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., Archbishop emeritus of Vercelli, Secretary

Apparently, it was clear enough to some and clarification was needed on the organization they founded,  New Ways Ministries.  Rocco Palmo reports:

It might be late on a Friday afternoon, with snow bearing down on the capital... so it seems, though, the Mothership's still whirring away.

Just before 4pm Eastern, a "clarification" emerged from the USCCB President, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, on the ecclesial standing of New Ways Ministry, the "gay-positive" outreach for Catholic gays and lesbians whose founders were sanctioned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1999 and barred from further ministry to the community.

Apparently motivated by New Ways' criticism of "efforts by the church to defend the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman" and the group's call for "Catholics to support electoral initiatives to establish same-sex 'marriage,'" here's George's statement in full:

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I, archbishop of Chicago and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued the following statement on the status of the organization "New Ways Ministry":

New Ways Ministry is an organization based in Mount Rainier, Maryland, that describes itself as "a gay-positive ministry of advocacy and justice for lesbian and gay Catholics and reconciliation within the larger Christian and civil communities." From the time of the organization's founding in 1977, serious questions have been raised about the group’s adherence to Church teaching on homosexuality. In 1984, the archbishop of Washington denied New Ways Ministry any official authorization or approval of its activities. At that time, he forbade the two co-founders of New Ways Ministry, Sr. Jeannine Gramick, SSND, and Fr. Robert Nugent, to continue their activities in the Archdiocese of Washington. In the same year, Sr. Gramick and Fr. Nugent were ordered by their superiors to separate themselves from New Ways Ministry. Although they resigned from leadership posts, they continued their involvement in New Ways Ministry activities until 1999, when the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that because of errors and ambiguities in the approach of Sr. Gramick and Fr. Nugent they are permanently prohibited from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons.

In reference to his decision not to grant any approval or authorization to New Ways Ministry in the 1980s, Archbishop James Hickey of Washington cited the organization's lack of adherence to Church teaching on the morality of homosexual acts. This was the central issue in the subsequent investigation and censure of the founders of New Ways Ministry, Sr. Jeannine Gramick and Fr. Robert Nugent. This continues to be the crucial defect in the approach of New Ways Ministry, which has not changed its position after the departure of the cofounders.

New Ways Ministry has recently criticized efforts by the Church to defend the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman and has urged Catholics to support electoral initiatives to establish same-sex "marriage." No one should be misled by the claim that New Ways Ministry provides an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching and an authentic Catholic pastoral practice. Their claim to be Catholic only confuses the faithful regarding the authentic teaching and ministry of the Church with respect to persons with a homosexual inclination. Accordingly, I wish to make it clear that, like other groups that claim to be Catholic but deny central aspects of Church teaching, New Ways Ministry has no approval or recognition from the Catholic Church and that they cannot speak on behalf of the Catholic faithful in the United States.

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U.S. Bishops Call on Parishes to Help Stop Abortion Funding in Health Care Reform

From the USCCB:

WASHINGTON—In a nationwide call to Catholics to prevent health care reform from being derailed by the abortion lobby, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has sent bulletin inserts and pulpit announcements to almost 19,000 parishes across the country.

“As long-time advocates of health care reform, the U.S. Catholic bishops continue to make the moral case that genuine health care reform must protect the life, dignity, consciences and health of all, especially the poor and vulnerable,” the insert says. “Health care reform should not advance a pro-abortion agenda in our country.”

As Congress negotiates a final health care bill, the insert encourages Catholics to contact their Senators and Representatives, urging them to keep longstanding restrictions against federal funding of abortion and full conscience protection in the legislation. If these criteria are not met, Catholics are asked to urge Congress to oppose the final bill.

The bulletin insert and pulpit announcement can be found in English and in Spanish at www.usccb.org/healthcare. Catholics can contact their legislators online by going to www.usccb.org/action.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

USCCB Plenary Session News....

EDIT: Forgive my many typos - it's been a long day.  I'm too tired to fix 'em.

The bishops were discussing and voting on a number of things - all very important, yet it was the session  on the liturgical translations that was most popular with viewers.  More on that in a moment....

First, some are wondering who ended up as head of the USCCB's Committee on Divine Worship.  The two bishops on the ballot were Archbishop Vigneron and Bishop Gregory Aymond.  He edged out Archbishop Vigneron by a mere 16 votes.  I was delighted to see Bishop Robert Carlson, formerly of Saginaw and now of St. Louis won by a very narrow margin to head the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, Vocations (Burbidge 114, Carlson 118).  Bishop Burbidge is like the new kid on the block, but netted an awful lot of votes.  He's  fine bishop too from all that I have read online. 

The numbers I was observing in the lower left hand corner of the video feed had the numbers up around 300-400 much of yesterday.  I checked in before heading off to work this afternnoon in the late morning and there again, the numbers were around 400.  But, those numbers skyrocketed in the late afternoon to around 1000 as the most anticipated part of the session took place:  Voting on the Roman Missal -  Third Edition to be sent to Rome. 

In the meanwhile, I will draw your attention to a couple of posts that focused on actual discussions:

Fr. Z captures very well what happened around the late in the day on a motion put forth by Bishop Donald Trautman that would have resulted in yet another delay. It was intense.  See:  Liturgical translation drama at the USCCB. Is it finally over?   In the same post, Fr. Z talks about how Telecare dropped the feed right at the moment the crucial votes were coming in.  It was like watching a "Hail Mary" pass go off into the end zone and losing the signal as the ball is thrown.  He learned about it as I did, through a text feed. 

The feed I got was coming from Rocco Palmo who is an American correspondent for that bitter pill - the UK Tablet.  Rocco was typing fast and furious with far more texts than what Fr. Z was seeing with USCCB Media on Twitter.  That brings me to the next set of posts worth looking at.  Rocco has saved his text in a scroll box so you can see some of the exchanges that were taking place.   He has one post for the morning session and another for the afternoon session (this covers some of the discussion and voting on the letter on marriage which passed by by 5 votes 180-45, and on liturgical translations that passed 5 for 5).

Here's hoping these On Demand feeds work.  If you don't get it now, try at another time when viewers are not peaking.  I got in momentarily to copy an embed link for the afternoon session (I hope), but then it locked up and said there were too many viewers.  I only saw 50 in the lower left hand corner so apparently they dropped the number who could view these feeds.





There's so much more to say, and simply no time to blog on it.  So I leave you with these.  The first is a study that was presented to the bishops:

• John Jay Researchers Offer Update On Causes And Context Study; Early Findings Confirm Steep Decline In Sexual Abuse Cases After 1985, Emphasize the Importance Of Seminary Training
• Bishops Elect Chairs-Elect of Five Committees, Members of CRS and CLINIC Boards
• USCCB's website for the 2009 Fall General Assembly

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

EWTN's response on not providing Telecare feed on USCCB Meeting

Rocco Palmo over at Whispers texted in the following from the USCCB meeting:

....as so many of you have asked, just spoke with Michael Warsaw -- president of EWTN, who's here with the crew... in a nutshell, Warsaw said that, as was its right, the conference transferred its coverage contract to Telecare and that, on seeing the latter's plans, the 'Bama-based outlet ultimately decided to just run a preview and wrap-up on their own instead of gavel-to-gavel. (EWTN had been running the cameras and the feed here for some two decades.) Apparently, the transfer call was communicated to the network quite late in the game -- word around says mid-to-late October... and, well, that's your story; Arroyo & Co. will run their wrap on The World Over, Friday night at 8. Tuesday November 17, 2009 5:05

There is so much to say about the USCCB's session on the liturgy.  So many people were trying to watch via the web, that the darn thing crashed at some crucial moments.

I'll try to provide some very quoteworthy things, and link you to some articles and blogposts by others later.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

US Bishop's Conference Blankets Parishes with Inserts Against Expansion of Abortion Through Health Care Reform

From the USCCB website

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Bishops' Conference Blankets Parishes with Inserts Against Expansion of Abortion Through Health Care Reform

Bulletin inserts sent to churches nationwide


Dramatic graphic drives home point that abortion is not health care


Solution: Language to guarantee federal money won’t pay for elective abortions



WASHINGTON—In an extraordinary call to Catholics to prevent health care reform from being derailed by the abortion lobby, the United Sates Conference of Catholic Bishops has sent bulletin inserts to almost 19,000 parishes across the country.

"Health care reform should be about saving lives, not destroying them," the insert states. It urges readers to contact Senate leaders so they support efforts to "incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights" in health reform legislation.

"If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed," it adds.

The insert highlights the Stupak Amendment from Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) that, it states, "addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights."

"Help ensure that the Rule for the bill allows a vote on the amendment," the insert states. "If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed."

A dramatic ad of a pregnant woman notes that the Hyde Amendment, which passed in 1976, has prevented federal funds from paying for elective abortions, yet healthcare reform bills that are advancing violate this policy. The ad message: "Tell Congress: Remove Abortion Funding and Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform."

The insert also directs readers to www.usccb.org/healthcare.

Bulletin inserts were distributed to dioceses October 29, the day Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) unveiled the House health care reform bill and in expectation that they will show up in parishes in early November. Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the USCCB; Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chair of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-life Activities; Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, chair of the Committee on Migration; and Bishop William Murphy of Rockville, Centre, New York, chair of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development urged fellow bishops to promote this campaign in their dioceses.

"The bishops want health care reform, but they recoil at any expansion of abortion," said Helen Osman, USCCB Secretary for Communications, who helped organize the campaign. "Most Americans don’t want to pay for other people’s abortions via health care either. This impasse on the road to reform of health care can be broken if Congress writes in language that assures that the Hyde Amendment law continues to guide U.S. federal spending policy."

The Catholic bishops have a long history of support for health care reform based on its teaching that health care is essential for human life and dignity and on its experience providing health care and assisting those without coverage.





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Canon lawyer takes on the NCR's attack of the USCCB over marriage

Orthodox Catholics have begun to notice that the dissident wing of the Catholic Church is coming unglued as orthodoxy among bishops is increasing.  More and more, bishops, and the faithful with them, are functioning as they should, with the mind of the Church.  However, some want the Church to mind them and it doesn't work this way.

It wasn't too long ago that only a handful of bishops would stand up to dissidents- at least publicly.  Granted, just as a parent should discipline a child in privacy to preserve their dignity, a bishop will always work privately with someone who is out of line. 

The tide is shifting and not only do many more bishops have the mind of the Church, they are willing to endure persecution for the sake of Truth. By this, we know that the Holy Spirit has come to rest on them.  In charity, please pray for them daily, and for their missions.

The dissidents  - that is, those who want Catholicism to have as many truths as there are people who hold different views of the same thing - are in a panic.  They want to make Catholicism into a designer religion whereby everyone gets to decide their own  version of truth.  The articles at places like the National Catholic Reporter are getting more ridiculous and laughable.  Relativism and consequentialism permeate the works there.  Much of what is found in op-ed pieces, can be refuted with the Compendium of the Catholic Catechism. 

For example, Canon Lawyer, Ed Peters just analyzed one such article that came out a few days ago in which the editors attacked the US bishops for a draft of their Pastoral Letter on Marriage which was leaked to them.  Obviously, it was leaked by someone who did not like what they were reading, otherwise, why would it be leaked to a dissident paper like NCR?  It is an unvirtuous act to begin with - to leak a working document intended to be between bishops to an online magazine  - in particular to one with a reputation for distortion of Catholic teaching.  As an aside, I must say, that any time the NCR has gotten their dander up over something bishops are doing, there's a pretty good chance that humble, loyal Catholics will value the work and study it.

When the editors of NCR can't get a basic Catholic fact straight, how serious can you take the rest of their argument?  Go read: The NCRep's "simple fact" about marriage is simply wrong by Ed Peters, J.D., J.C.D. 

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

USCCB's website for "Year for Priests"

As the "Year of St. Paul" comes to a close, Pope Benedict XVI has designated this coming year as the "Year for Priests". It will begin on June 19th, the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Also, St. John Vianney, who was the patron saint of diocesan priests, has been expanded by His Holiness, to include all priests. This is especially endearing to me, having been devoted myself to St. John Vianney since I learned about him when I was in my teens. Priests, especially young priests, have everything to gain by learning about the life and priestly work of the Cure d'Ars, who was dismissed as a nutcase by those whose dissident mold he did not fit. St. John Vianney was indeed a priest's priest.

There are some fascinating stories in the life of the Cure d'ars - St. John Vianney. I plan on sharing some of my favorites in the coming year.

The USCCB has opened a website in anticipation of the Year of the Priest. Do bookmark it and visit it periodically.

- USCCB's website for the Year for Priests

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

USCCB addresses Reiki: Not Compatible with Christianity

Whoa! Who knew this was coming???

I have not read this in full yet. My own ordinary, Archbishop Allen Vigneron is one of the signing members (though he is listed as the bishop of Oakland, and probably still was when this was drafted). It was released on March 25, 2009.

I am going to read the entire document when I find time and encourage you to do the same. This is LONG overdue and there are a few other new age practices that have crept into Catholic hospitals and retreat centers that we ought to pray get addressed by the USCCB or Vatican.

If you want some background and commentary, Tom McFeely has a blogpost up at the National Catholic Register: Enough with Reiki Retreats

Let's cut to the chase:

III. CONCLUSION
10. Reiki therapy finds no support either in the findings of natural science or in Christian belief. For a Catholic to believe in Reiki therapy presents insoluble problems. In terms of caring for one's physical health or the physical health of others, to employ a technique that has no scientific support (or even plausibility) is generally not prudent.

11. In terms of caring for one's spiritual health, there are important dangers. To use Reiki one would have to accept at least in an implicit way central elements of the worldview that dergirds Reiki theory, elements that belong neither to Christian faith nor to natural science. Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, however, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's-land that is neither faith nor science.9 Superstition corrupts one's worship of God by turning one's religious feeling and practice in a false direction.10 While sometimes people fall into superstition through ignorance, it is the responsibility of all who teach in the name of the Church to eliminate such ignorance as much as possible.

12. Since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy.

Source: GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING REIKI AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY


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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

USCCB Head, Cardinal George meets with Obama; releases video

A meeting took place quietly between President Obama and Cardinal George. It was so private, that it never showed up on the President's schedule. It ran about 30 minutes. On the same day, Cardinal George released this video on the USCCB's website, urging people to contact the government over the conscience protection clause.



From LSN: Head of USCCB Meets with Obama: Also Releases Video Saying Decision on Conscience Protection a Move Towards "Despotism"

By John Jalsevac

March 17, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On the same day that Cardinal Francis George released a video expressing, on the behalf of all American bishops, his deep concern about the Obama administration's decision to rescind conscience protection regulations put in place by the Bush administration, he has met with President Obama at the White House.

News of the private, half-hour meeting between the two was only released late this afternoon. The meeting was not included in President Obama's daily schedule.

The statements from the White House and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) give few details about what the Cardinal and the President spoke about, although the timing of the release of the Cardinal's video may indicate that the conscience protection regulations were at the top of the agenda.

"The president and Cardinal George discussed a wide range of issues," stated the White House release, "including important opportunities for the government and the Catholic Church to continue their long-standing partnership to tackle some of the nation's most pressing challenges."

The statement from the USCCB said: "The meeting was private. Cardinal George and President Obama discussed the Catholic Church in the United States and its relation to the new administration."

Cardinal George, the president of the USCCB, taped the video released today after the Obama Administration announced in early March that it was rescinding the regulations which guarantee that health workers cannot be forced to provide services that violate their consciences, including abortions.

"As Catholic bishops and American citizens, we are deeply concerned that such an action on the government's part would be the first step in moving our country from democracy to despotism," says the Cardinal in the video.

"Respect for personal conscience and freedom of religion as such ensures our basic freedom from government oppression. No government should come between an individual person and God - that's what America is supposed to be about. This is the true common ground for us as Americans. We therefore need legal protection for freedom of conscience and of religion-including freedom for religious health care institutions to be true to themselves."

The Cardinal observed that the country respects conscientious objection in the case of those who object to war, "even though it's good to defend your country," and for physicians who do not want to participate in the death penalty.

"Why shouldn't our government and our legal system permit conscientious objection to a morally bad action, the killing of babies in their mother's womb?" he asks. "People understand what really happens in an abortion and in related procedures - a living member of the human family is killed - that's what it's all about - and no one should be forced by the government to act as though he or she were blind to this reality."

The Cardinal concluded by urging concerned citizens to contact the government and tell them to retain the conscience protection regulations: "I ask you please to let the government know that you want conscience protections to remain strongly in place. In particular, let the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington know that you stand for the protection of conscience, especially now for those who provide the health care services so necessary for a good society. "

A 30 day public comment period on the administration's decision to rescind the conscience protection regulations is currently underway. Comments may be submitted by email at proposedrescission@hhs.gov.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

The USCCB's Perfect Storm: So-called Catholic politicians, educators, and journalists

If you were out in boat as three storms were about to converge over you, would you not drop to your knees and pray?

There are many attacks on the Catholic Church today. Groups of so-called Catholics are working in concert to generate a perfect storm for our bishops.

The consciences of these so-called Catholics are either uninformed or malformed, or their intellect has been clouded through their own sinful desires and actions.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But, this group would have us believe that Jesus is ever changing with the world over time. They advance "all sorts of strange teachings" (Heb 13:9) working to convince us that truth is something which can be designed by our own desires. They are undermining our bishops, feeding the media "doctrines" that are completely foreign to clear and consistent teachings. They take what is simple and make it complex so as to confuse the flock.

It amounts to "designer-morality" yet these people do not realize that the Church is not like Burger King where you get to "have it your way". They hold virtue as a vice, and value the ways of the world. Being politically correct is of great importance, even if it means being morally incorrect.

Is it any wonder why certain segments of the Church have been indifferent or even hostile toward's the Blessed Virgin Mary? She was a model of humility and obedience. Christ was obedient unto death, death on a cross? Perhaps that is why some so-called Catholics have made every effort to eliminate the cross not only from our parishes, but from or consciences.

The bishops have their work cut out for them. Pray for them. Pray that they:

"...proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. " (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

Do we need any further evidence that the time is here?

• Maddening: 26 prominent Catholics back Sebelius pick

MORE EXAMPLES

So-called Catholic Politicians:

• Sebelius Nomination a Test for New Progressive Catholic Groups (US News & World Report)
• Catholic governor criticized by archbishop nominated as HHS secretary (CNS)
• Kathleen Sebelius Explains Being a Pro-Choice Pro-Lifer (US News & World Report)
• BREAKING: Bishop Martino sends second letter to Sen Bob Casey; Issues Official Notice on Worthy Reception of Holy Communion
• Granholm's Stem-cell "Shock" (National Catholic Register)
• Pelosi on Kids: They're an economic drain (Catholic League)

So-called Catholic Educators

• Scranton Shepherd, Bishop Martino, calls for dissolution of Misericordia's "Diversity Institute"
• As Lent Begins, 3 Prominent Catholic Universities Celebrate Porn, Promiscuity (LifeSiteNews)
• Bishop Demands Evidence of University’s Fidelity to Catholic Teaching (Cardinal Newman Society)
• UPDATE: Catholic Cabrini College Gives Award to Catholic Bashing Media Personality (Cardinal Newman Society)
• A talk with The Rev. Richard P. McBrien (Boston Globe)
• Fr. Z analyzes theologians criticism of EWTN in What some Catholic Colleges have in their theology departments

So-called Catholic Journalists

• Canonist Ed Peters analyzes "I am a pro-choice Catholic" in the National Catholic Reporter in a blogpost entitled, Young Voices, old canards, and Canon 1369
• See my An Open Letter to US Catholic Bishops regarding National Catholic Reporter's Article: I am a Pro-Choice Catholic
• Our journey to a same-sex holy union (Kate Childs Graham, National Catholic Reporter)
• Female power and the power of God (National Catholic Reporter - Young Voices)
• I'll be voting for the Democrat -- and the bishops be damned (Joe Feuerherd - NCReporter)
• The 2008 Presidential Election (Richard McBrien)

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

An Open Letter to US Catholic Bishops regarding National Catholic Reporter's Article: I am a Pro-Choice Catholic

To all who read this open letter to US Bishops and the article about which it is written: Please consider emailing this post to your local bishop's office or printing it and sending it via mail. Be sure to include a printout of the linked article at the National Catholic Reporter. You may also contact the USCCB's office for pro-life activities at: prolife@usccb.org. Above all....pray that they read it.

Here is a permalink to this blogpost

EDIT: This post will be updated with additional links as articles and commentaries are made available. Be sure to read the commentary by Ed Peters, JD, JCD under my open letter to the US bishops at the bottom of this post.

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To US Catholic Bishops:

I wish to express my greatest desires that you receive many graces during this Lenten season. I thank all of you for your service and dedication as successors to the apostles.

I ran across something this morning that left me deeply troubled and would like to share my concern.

My attention was drawn to an article which was published online by the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) on February 26, 2009, by Kate Childs Graham, entitled: I am a Pro-Choice Catholic. It is in a high-traffic section of the site, namely - it's blog, under Young Voices. This, in itself, leads me to believe that young people are being exploited by dissident Catholics.

This article, published online by a Catholic newspaper, is an essay by a young woman about her journey from a pro-life position and activity, to a so-called, "pro-choice" position. After giving several reasons for her change of heart, she concludes (emphasis mine in bold):

Finally, I am a prochoice Catholic because my Catholic faith tells me I can be. The Catechism reads, “[Conscience] is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.” Even St. Thomas Aquinas said it would be better to be excommunicated than to neglect your individual conscience. So really, I am just following his lead. After years of research, discernment and prayer, my conscience has been well informed. Being a prochoice Catholic does not contradict my faith; rather, in following my well-informed conscience, I am adhering to the central tenet of Catholic teaching -- the primacy of conscience.

First, neither Ms. Graham nor the editors at the National Catholic Reporter apparently understand that conscience must be properly formed with the mind of the Church. Upon a quick review of the article, you will see that there are many areas where the mind of the Church is absent and Her teachings distorted.

It brings into question the suitability of those responsible for it's publication to serve as editors and publishers of any Catholic newspaper. It also calls into question the suitability for the National Catholic Reporter to be sold or distributed in any Catholic diocese, at the parish level, or otherwise. In this instance, and I believe in others, the NCR is being used as an instrument to sow dissent and to undermine the efforts of our shepherds to teach the truths of our Catholic faith.

Second, Ms. Graham's erroneous position on conscience, citing St. Thomas Aquinas, comes months after similar arguments were brought forth by pro-choice Catholic politicians and educators. Is this a fruit of those efforts made publicly visible?

Her letter is a sad manifestation of the state of poor catechesis in the United States. The author deserves our deepest prayers, as do the misguided publishers and staff of the National Catholic Reporter who have brought it to the world online [EDIT: If it disappears, feel free to request a copy through my email address below. I have downloaded it for permanent reference].

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:9). Yet, the National Catholic Reporter, with this publication, will have us believe that Our Lord is ever changing with the world. While Scripture admonishes us to "beware of all sorts of strange teachings", the same newspaper does not promote sound doctrine, but feeds on man's fallen nature for people to follow "their own desires and insatiable curiosity". Authors at the NCR "stopped listening to the truth" and it's readers are feeding heavily on their dissenting arguments (2 Tim 4:3-4).

There is a propensity of certain Catholic newspapers and periodicals, including the NCR, to advance the ideals, wishes and desires of poorly catechized people, in direct conflict with clear and consistent Catholic teaching. Many of these things are nothing more than the pursuit of the very things to which our fallen human nature is attracted. Rather than aiding people in developing virtue to fight the effects of Original Sin these sources enable readers to persist in this misguided pursuit. In the process, they pull in more people every day.

It is my hope that you will read the article in it's entirety, and consider a formal review of some of the leading Catholic newspapers and periodicals in the United States. I am not asking for an exhaustive review of every single publication as this would be impossible. However, we need our bishops to inform us of sources that are advancing teachings which are foreign to our faith. This could easily be made available on the USCCB website.

In the meanwhile, I hope and pray the USCCB will see it prudent to address this particular article given it's status on the world wide web. I am sending a copy of this post to prolife@usccb.org. Please consider the volume of Catholic readers who visit the National Catholic Reporter online, as well as the many Catholics who read the print edition.

Be assured of my deepest prayers for all of you. I continue to ask my readers, as I do now in this blogpost, to make a holy hour each week for US Catholic Bishops. May our prayers help you with the many crosses you carry, especially for what lies ahead in our country.

Thank you for taking the time to read my open letter.

Diane M. Korzeniewski, OCDS
TeDeumBlog@gmail.com

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UPDATES with coverage from others:

• H/T to Patrick Madrid: The 5 Most Pathetic Words: I am a Pro-choice Catholic
• Added 01-Mar-09: Young Voices, old canards, and Canon 1369 (Canonist Ed Peters)
• Added 01-Mar-09: Abortion Rhetoric (Jeff Pinyan)

NOTE added 02-Mar-09: Same journalist, Kate Childs Graham also authored this post, published in the National Catholic Reporter in December 2008: Journey of our same-sex holy union.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!