Free Republic

The Catholic hierarchy, from the Pope down, must stop leading Catholics to believe they can vote for politicians who support violence in the womb.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) held a national day of fasting and praying the rosary last Friday in response to the leaking of the draft Supreme Court decision that could nuke the Roe v. Wade precedent. Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the USCCB, and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, invited the faithful to unite in penance and prayer for the nation,...

On January 19, Pope Benedict addressed bishops from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, and the Virgin Islands. These U.S. bishops were in Rome for their periodic “ad limina” visits, which included meetings with the pope and Vatican officials, covering a wide range of pastoral matters.His words provide some sober reflection for us. As is usually the case, I would like to provide excerpts of the Pope’s remarks from a CNS News Article and then present my own comments in red.Pope Benedict XVI warned visiting U.S. bishops that “radical secularism”...

Every November, including this one, American Catholics -- who constitute approximately 25% of the U.S. population -- are asked to contribute to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).  The Catholic faithful have been told that their donations will go to fight poverty. Little do most of them realize what their money will actually fund.  CCHD is the brainchild of Saul Alinsky, the "father of community organizing."  Alinsky (1909-1972) had numerous connections in the Catholic community of his native Chicago, some of them nearly as radical as he was.  He helped start CCHD in 1969. Unfortunately, the benevolent-sounding term "community...

Without a Doubt Why Barack Obama represents American Catholics better than the pope does. By Kathleen Kennedy Townsend Jul 9, 2009 Tomorrow Pope Benedict XVI and President Barack Obama meet for the first time, an affair much anticipated and in some circles frowned upon by American Catholics in the wake of Obama's controversial Notre Dame commencement speech in May. Conservatives in the church denounced Obama's appearance as a nod by the premier Catholic university to a conciliatory politics that heralds the start of a slippery moral slope.

Pope Benedict XVI and the American Catholic Revolution By E.F. Winlsow 4-22-2005 The elevation of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to the office of Pope has been hailed by conservatives as a guarantor that the Roman Catholic Church will not sway to the unpredictable and frequently fickle winds of cultural change. As head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he has a reputation for holding unwaveringly to the foundational tenets of his faith, and rooting out movements and philosophies that fall outside of the pale of orthodoxy. As important as this is during the time in which we live,...

ALBANY -- Elaine Ranc attends Mass every week and describes herself as a faithful disciple of the Catholic Church. But she also believes in a woman's reproductive rights. She thinks gays should be able to marry. And she has no problem with using contraception. "The church has helped me with some decisions in life," said Ranc, 36, of Voorheesville. "But I don't always agree with everything they say. I think women have the right to become priests, and that priests have the right to get married." Ranc is among a number of Catholics in the Capital Region who believe the...

U.S. Catholics Conflicted Over Papal Power By RICHARD N. OSTLING AP Religion Writer Whether they are lay persons or clergy, independent-minded American Catholics have sometimes chafed about the level of control the Vatican exercised over the U.S. church during Pope John Paul II's tenure. How the new pontiff handles power-sharing with local bishops - known in church-speak as "collegiality" - will have important implications for the church in America over the coming years. Under the next pope, says the Rev. Thomas Reese of America magazine, "the church must return to a fuller collegiality that treats bishops as more than echoes...

LOS ANGELES, April 8 - Lily Velazquez, who turned 18 on Thursday, is the sixth of 12 children of Mexican immigrants in a poor suburb of Los Angeles. She considers herself both a devoted Catholic and a hopeless sinner. She attends Mass every Sunday but has had two children out of wedlock. She thinks abortion is murder but chafes at the Vatican's ban on birth control. She mourns the death of Pope John Paul II but hopes his successor will be "new and different." "My mom gets mad if I don't go to church," Ms. Velazquez said, as her 2-year-old...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Patrick Reilly, PresidentCardinal Newman Society (703) 536-9585 Patrick ReilleCatholic Colleges Invite 'Scandalous' Commencement Speakers, Awardees FALLS CHURCH, VA - A national Catholic organization has called on American Catholics to protest 17 inappropriate commencement speakers and awardees at 14 Catholic colleges and universities. "Despite the U.S. bishops' clear call for reform of Catholic higher education, it seems that a significant minority of Catholic college leaders simply aren't listening," complained Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, a national organization seeking the renewal of Catholic identity at Catholic colleges and universities. "Several of this year's speakers and...