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Ping. (As usual, if you would like to be added to or removed from my "conservative Catholics" ping list, just send me a FReepmail. Please realize that some of my "ping" posts are long.)

How many of those 65 million Catholics are actually observant?

Dissenting Catholic politicians' false statements, such as John Kerry’s, seem to carry more weight with dumbed down Catholics than all of the Popes since St. Peter.

Just one of the reasons I adopted my tagline.

a bump for the FR (not dumbed down) Catholics!

The Democratic Party is so bloody STUPID. They have a golden outreach opportunity! If they didn't stand for abortion, same-sex union benefits, global socialist new world order, federal intervention in public education, and destruction of the family and morals, I (and other traditionalists disenfranchised with Bush's budget woes) might consider voting Democrat this year.

In other words, if they completely destroyed and rewrote their platform, I'd vote for them. :)

Has anyone heard of The American Life League?
I found this on a Google search at http:/www.all.org.

Beacons of light
Two years ago, American Life League sent a copy of its Declaration on Truth and Life to each bishop in the United States. We asked them to sign or endorse (according to their personal policies) the Declaration, confirming their faithful flock that they understood and upheld the principle to protect every human being from the moment of fertilization without exception, without compromise.

Of the hundreds of bishops to whom we sent the Declaration on Truth and Life, 14 responded, proving that through love of the Church and faith in Her teachings, our leaders can remain powerful examples in the midst of weakness. Now in the context of the scandal that tears at the Catholic Church, they shine brighter, inspiring thousands to be bold and faithful.

We hear often in the throes of these scandals that there is so much darkness, that we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. We present to you 14 beacons of light who serve as examples of true leadership and humble submission to God's will.

Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke
Bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin

Bishop Burke was born in Richland Center, Wis. After studying at the Catholic University of America from 1968 to 1971, he studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained to the priesthood on June 29, 1975 at St. Peter's Basilica by Pope Paul VI. His first assignment was as associate rector of the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman in La Crosse. In 1980, he returned to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. After completing his studies he was named moderator of the Curia and vice chancellor of the diocese of La Crosse in April 1984.

He was serving as defender of the bond of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in 1994 when Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop-elect of the diocese of La Crosse. Bishop Burke's Episcopal ordination by Pope John Paul II took place at St. Peter's Basilica on Jan. 6, 1995.

Most Reverend Alex J. Brunett, Ph.D.
Archbishop of Seattle, Washington

Born in Detroit, Mich., Archbishop Brunett was the second oldest of 14 children. He studied for the priesthood at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and was ordained in Rome on July 13, 1958. Among the archbishop's many degrees and accomplishments is the postgraduate work he did at the Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem, the Institute Catholique in Paris, and the Goethe Institute in Radolfzell, Germany. From 1959 until 1968 he served as a parish priest in Michigan. In 1969, he was named as academic dean of St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Mich., where he served until 1973. Named a monsignor in 1990, Archbishop Brunett was appointed bishop of the diocese of Helena, Mont., by Pope John Paul II in 1994 and archbishop of Seattle on October 28, 1997.

Most Reverend Elden Francis Curtiss
Archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska

Archbishop Curtiss was ordained a priest in 1958 for the diocese of Baker City, Ore. He served as a pastor until 1970, when he was appointed director of pastoral formation at the Mount Angel Seminary in the archdiocese of Portland, Ore. The archbishop became rector/president of the seminary in 1972, and served in that capacity until he was appointed bishop of Helena (Western Montana) in 1976. In 1993, he was installed as archbishop of Omaha, Nebr. His Excellency has served on many committees and boards including nine years on the administrative board of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, six years as consultant for the Bishops' Pro-life Committee, and member of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Rome.

Most Reverend Thomas V. Daily
Bishop of Brooklyn, New York

Born in Belmont, Mass., Bishop Daily was ordained a priest of the diocese of Boston in 1952. By 1975, he was named an auxiliary bishop of Boston, and a year later appointed vicar general. In 1984, Bishop Daily left his native archdiocese when Pope John Paul II chose him to be the founding bishop of Palm Beach. Six years later, he was named the bishop of Brooklyn. Bishop Daily also serves as the supreme chaplain of the supreme council of the Knights of Columbus. The Most Reverend Daily also serves on various other committees including the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities in Washington.

Most Reverend John F. Donoghue
Archbishop of Atlanta, Georgia

A native of Washington, D.C., Bishop Donoghue's early career of study and seminary was spent in that area. Through his studies he attained the academic degrees of bachelor of arts, bachelor of sacred theology, bachelor of canon law and licentiate of canon law. Archbishop Donoghue was ordained to the priesthood in St. Matthew Cathedral, Washington, in 1955. In 1965 he joined the staff of the Archdiocesan Chancery (Washington) where he was chancellor/vicar-general, and he served there until his appointment as bishop of Charlotte. In 1970, he was given the papal rank of chaplain to His Holiness with the title "Monsignor." Archbishop Donoghue became bishop of Charlotte and then assumed the rank of archbishop upon his installment as the fifth archbishop of Atlanta in 1993.

Most Reverend Thomas G. Doran, D.D., J.C.D.
Bishop of Rockford, Illinois

After a few years assigned to theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Bishop Doran was ordained to the priesthood in 1961. He returned to his native Rockford, Ill., as a priest, and remained there until 1975, when he returned to Rome to complete a doctorate in canon law. In the spring of 1986, he was appointed to be prelate auditor of the Roman Rota in Rome and served until 1994, when he was installed as the eighth bishop of the diocese of Rockford. In September 2000, the Holy Father recognized the diocese of Rockford and Bishop Doran by naming him a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. Bishop Doran serves on many committees and boards including the Congregation for the Clergy, NCCB's Canonical Affairs Committee, Commission on Science and Human Value and others.

Most Reverend John Adel Elya, B.S.O., D.D.
Eparch of Newton, Massachusetts

Bishop Elya was born in Maghdousheh, South Lebanon in 1928. He was ordained a priest in 1952 and studied for several years at Boston College. He was consecrated an auxiliary bishop for eparchy of Newton, Mass., on June 29, 1986. Most Reverend Elya was appointed regional bishop of Western/Mid-Western Region Melkite eparchy of Newton on September 1, 1990. In 1993 he was appointed third eparch of Newton for Melkites in the United States and installed at Annunciation Cathedral on January 25, 1994. Bishop Elya founded the Mission of Saint Jacob in San Diego and the Mission of the Virgin Mary in Temecula, Calif. Bishop Elya is well known throughout the eparchy as a bishop who is available to his clergy and all of his people who can reach him anytime day or night. He has taken as his work motto the ideal of Saint Paul who said: "I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more" (1 Cor. 19:19).

Most Reverend Alfred C. Hughes
Archbishop of New Orleans

After attending St. John's Seminary College where he earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1954, Bishop Hughes completed his seminary studies in 1958 at the Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained a priest in Boston in 1957 and after two parish assignments, returned to the Gregorian for a doctoral degree in spiritual theology. He served as vicar general under the archdiocese of Cardinal Law until he was appointed bishop of Baton Rouge in 1993. In 2001, Bishop Hughes was named coadjutor archbishop of the archdiocese of New Orleans.

The Most Reverend Edwin F. O'Brien, S.T.D, D.D.
Archbishop Archdiocese for the Military Services

Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Bishop O'Brien spent years in formation as a seminarian and as a priest. Ordained in 1965, he served as a parish priest/chaplain for the United States Military Academy at West Point. In 1970, he became an army chaplain, rank of captain. From 1971 to1972 he served as chaplain to the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st Cavalry in Vietnam. He returned to the United States and continued to serve the Church in various capacities including secretary to both Cardinals Terence Cooke and John O'Connor and as a rector to different seminaries in New York and Rome. Cardinal O'Connor ordained him auxiliary bishop of New York and titular bishop of Tizica in 1996. In 1997, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, named him archbishop for the military services.

Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmstead, J.C.D.
Bishop of Wichita, Kansas

Bishop Olmstead was ordained a priest in the diocese of Lincoln, Nebr., in 1972. Since 1974, he has been a member of the Jesus Caritas fraternity of priests and that experience, along with his many years in Rome, has fostered a devoted loyalty to the universal Church. Bishop Olmsted obtained a master of arts degree in theology and a doctorate in Canon Law in Rome. For nine more years he served as assistant at the Secretariat of State of the Holy See. In 1989, he returned home to become a pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Seward, Nebr. In 1997, he was named rector/president of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. From 1999 to 2001 he served as coadjutor bishop of the diocese of Wichita, Kans., and in October 2001 he was named its ordinary bishop.

"I readily agree that opposing contraceptive propaganda and in vitro fertilization are necessary components to building a Culture of Life."

Most Reverend Michael J. Sheehan
Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico

Bishop Sheehan was born in Wichita, Kans., but raised in Texarkana, Tex. He was ordained a priest to the diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth on July 12, 1964. From 1971 to 1976 he served as assistant general secretary for the National Conference for Catholic Bishops. In 1976, he was appointed rector of the Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas and served there until he was named pastor of a parish in Grand Prairie, Tex., in 1982. In 1983, he became the first bishop of Lubbock. He served the diocese until 1993 when he was appointed apostolic administrator for the historic archdiocese of Santa Fe. He has served on a variety of NCCB committees as well as authored a number of pastoral letters including the 12 pamphlet series entitled, "Why Be A Catholic?"

"As Catholics, we teach respect for life from conception to natural death. American Life League's activities help to spread this teaching."

Most Reverend Gilbert I. Sheldon, D.D., Min.
Bishop Emeritus of Steubenville, Ohio

One of 12 children, Bishop Sheldon was born in Cleveland. He served in the United States Army Air Force during World War II. Ordained to the priesthood in 1953, he served various parishes throughout his diocese before he was ordained to the episcopacy in 1976. As auxiliary bishop of Cleveland, he served as vicar to Marriage & Family Concerns, as a prosynodal judge, and in other capacities until 1992, when he was named bishop of Steubenville, Ohio. After faithfully serving the diocese of Steubenville as bishop for ten years, Bishop Sheldon retired and now serves as bishop emeritus of the diocese. He continues to serve on the board of directors for the Society of the Propagation of Faith, National Advisory Council for the NCCB Nominations Committee as well as the Bishops' Committee for Latin America.

Most Reverend Robert Francis Vasa, M.Div., J.C.L.
Bishop of Baker, Oregon

Bishop Vasa was ordained a priest in 1976 at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln, Nebr. As a priest of the diocese of Lincoln, Bishop Vasa served a long and dedicated career and was appointed vicar general of the diocese and moderator of the Curia in 1996. He continued to serve his native diocese as finance officer of the diocese for a five-year term. In 1999, he was named bishop of Baker, Ore., and was consecrated in January 2000.

Most Reverend Bernard W. Schmitt, D.D.
Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia

Bishop Schmitt was ordained to the priesthood May 28, 1955 and was appointed auxiliary bishop of Wheeling-Charleston and titular bishop of Walla Walla on May 31, 1988. He was ordained to the episcopacy on August 1, 1988, appointed seventh bishop of Wheeling-Charleston on March 30, 1989 and installed on May 17, 1989. Bishop Schmitt's dedication to his Mother Church and the defense of all human life is well known. In his coat of arms, he placed a rose to represent not only the Blessed Mother, but also to symbolize the sacredness of personhood, in witness to the Church's defense of all human life.

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Are any of these fine men your Bishop? Perhaps an e-mail would be in order. Seems like the good ones are here (My Uncle is one! I'm so proud).

This is one Catholic vote that he sure as hell will not get. He's a disgrace to Catholics (and all Christians, really) everywhere. What a sack of crap.

A little piece on an already oft told truth, but it struck me as well put so.... PING.

Sad but true. Thank you for the post.

The dumbed down catholics, by their own sins, are complicit; hence their sympathies are with Kerry.

Thus, we have the dumbing down of already lukewarm Catholics to the mental level of a Texas armadillo (not that I intend to degrade the hairy bellied armadillo's intelligence).

You know, a little Botox to smooth out those ridges might improve the armadillo's self-image.

See what it did for John Kerry:

Before . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .After