Free Republic

I have a vanity question for anyone who is schooled in Roman Catholic theology and well-versed in USCCB decisions. My brother is getting married in a Society of St. Pius X church next month. He and his wife are practicing Roman Catholics, but the bride's family is Society of St. Pius X. They got a dispensation of form (for venue change), but since SSPX is not really in harmony with Rome, are any of us Catholics allowed to receive communion in the SSPX church during the mass? Since I as a Catholic know that this communion is either illicit or...

WEST PALM BEACH — No vote has been scheduled on a proposed buffer around West Palm Beach medical clinics. No public hearing has been held. No matter: An organized pro-buffer letter-writing campaign already has begun to flood City Commission President Kimberly Mitchell's mailbox. At issue is whether keeping protesters away from clinics performing abortions, as well as their patients and workers, will promote safety and, perhaps, damp accusations and counter-accusations of harassment. The proposal comes from the Presidential Women's Center, which asked the city in August to consider a 30-foot buffer. Clinic owner Mona Reis and Bob Van Reeth, assistant...

Just thought I'd let you all know that I'm doing my part when it comes to tax reform. Congressman Randy Neugebauer from the 19th district is touring my office here in town. I made sure to tell Mr. Neugebauer that I really appreciate his efforts to revise the tax system in this country, specifically with the FairTax system. He said that they were trying to do what they can (the response I expected from a politican). In any case, I told him I received a notification from FairTax telling us to thank our congressmen, so I just did. I hope...

Ruthless, unconventional foes are not new to the United States of America. More than two hundred years ago the newly established United States made its first attempt to fight an overseas battle to protect its private citizens by building an international coalition against an unconventional enemy. Then the enemies were pirates and piracy. The focus of the United States and a proposed international coalition was the Barbary Pirates of North Africa. Pirate ships and crews from the North African states of Tripoli, Tunis, Morocco, and Algiers (the Barbary Coast) were the scourge of the Mediterranean. Capturing merchant ships and holding...