Bob Casey, Catholic Democrat, Defends Vote for International Abortion Funding

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, considered by some to be one of the few pro-life Democrats in Congress, is defending his repeated votes for international abortion funding. He is defending his votes against the Mexico City Policy despite two rebukes from his Catholics bishop.
 
Bishop Joseph F. Martino of the Diocese of Scranton took Casey to task last month for voting to fund groups that promote and perform abortions overseas.

In a letter to the senator, Bishop Martino accused Casey of “cooperating with … evil” by casting the pro-abortion vote.

In the letter, published in Thursday’s edition of The Catholic Light, the diocesan newspaper, he urges Casey to live up to his Catholic faith by voting to “oppose abortion."

But Casey office continues to claim that his vote for foreign abortion promotion does not violate his pro-life views. (Full story at Lifenews.com)

To 'Encourage and Promote Diversity' in Communications

Posted by Bobby Eberle

When the Senate voted last week to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reinstituting the so-called "fairness doctrine," many folks breathed a sigh of relief. There had been much talk about the Democrats and their effort to bring back the measure which would force radio stations and other media outlets to set aside equal time for programs offering opposing viewpoints. In other words, if a conservative talk show was popular on a particular radio station and a liberal talk show wasn't, the radio station would be FORCED to broadcast both.

As it turns out, the celebration of the defeat of the fairness doctrine may be premature. Although the Senate defeated the fairness doctrine amendment, it also approved an amendment which is aimed at "encouraging and promoting diversity in communication media ownership." That's right... the federal government would be in the business of saying who can own what in America. Does that sound like America to you?  (Full story at GOPUSA.com)

Speaker Pelosi Backs Senate Amendment to Regulate Talk Radio

(CNSNews.com) – Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told CNSNews.com on Thursday that she supports an amendment to a Senate bill that would force the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to “take actions to encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership and to ensure that broadcast station licenses are used in the public interest.”

The amendment’s language is viewed by many media experts as a means to regulate conservative talk radio, particularly popular programs such as the Rush Limbaugh Show and the Sean Hannity Show, among many others. (Full story at CNSNews.com)

Pro-Life Groups: Obama Funding Embryonic Stem Cell Research Ignores Science

by Steven Ertelt

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama liked to bash President Bush during the presidential election for claiming that he was ignoring science. But pro-life groups say Obama's expected decision on Monday to fund embryonic stem cell research ignores science and they say it has yet to help patients.
 
As LifeNews.com reported, Obama is expected to sign an executive order on Monday that would overturn the limits President Bush put in place to prevent funding the science because it requires the destruction of human life.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council tells LifeNews.com the Obama decision ignores that science is moving away from embryonic stem cell research and towards alternatives that are both morally and ethically stronger.

"President Obama's policy change is especially troubling given the significant adult stem cell advances that are being used to treat patients now without harming or destroying human embryos," he said.  (Full story at Lifenews.com)


Other Related Articles:

President Barack Obama to Force Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research

 

Obama’s pro-life backers risk usurping bishops, critic says

Washington D.C., Mar 5, 2009 / 06:41 am (CNA).- Though some have hoped that pro-life Catholic supporters of President Barack Obama would persuade the president to moderate his “extremist” abortion agenda, they have instead attacked other pro-life advocates and have possibly usurped the place of bishops by redefining Catholic “life and action,” one commentator warns.

Catholic defenders of both Obama and the pro-abortion “rights” Catholic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius may even be assuming the place of bishops by redefining unrestricted abortion advocates as advocates of the true pro-life position, constitutional law attorney Matt Bowman claims in an essay at the American Spectator website.

Bowman, who also directs the website and blog www.AbortObama.com, writes that pro-lifers had hoped President Obama’s pro-life backers might “really oppose” his abortion policies, dreaming “that Doug Kmiec might actually do some good, by using Obama’s listening ear by convincing him to moderate his extremist abortion agenda.”  (Full story at CNA)

Paranoia, Pride, and Prejudice

By Elizabeth Scalia

Sr. Sandra M. Schneiders, plainly unhappy with a recently announced apostolic visitation of women’s communities in America, wrote an email to some of her colleagues and friends which she later approved for publication in the National Catholic Reporter.
In her email, Sr. Schneiders, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, writes,

I am not inclined to get into too much of a panic about this investigation—which is what it is . . . I do not put any credence at all in the claim that this is friendly, transparent, aimed to be helpful, etc. It is a hostile move and the conclusions are already in. It is meant to be intimidating. But I think if we believe in what we are doing (and I definitely do) we just have to be peacefully about our business, which is announcing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, fostering the Reign of God in this world. We cannot, of course, keep them from investigating. But we can receive them, politely and kindly, for what they are, uninvited guests who should be received in the parlor, not given the run of the house. When people ask questions they shouldn’t ask, the questions should be answered accordingly.

Further along she adds,

I have come to the conclusion that Congregations like ours [the kind represented by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in this country] have, in fact, birthed a new form of Religious Life. 

 (Full story at First Things)

Obama to Sign Executive Order Monday Opening Public Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research

By John-Henry Westen
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - President Barack Obama plans to rescind the Bush policy limiting federal funding for embryo destructive research on Monday. The Bush policy had allowed federal funding for experiments on already existing lines of embryos, but forbade the funds from being used to create new embryos for experimentation.

According to news reports, a signing ceremony will take place on Monday at 11 am.  Details about the Executive Order are not available, but according to the Washington Post, "proponents expect Obama will simply lift the restriction without caveats and let the NIH work out the details."

Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council commented on the news, saying, "Today's news that President Obama will open the door to direct taxpayer funds for embryonic stem cell research that encourages the destruction of human embryos is a slap in the face to Americans who believe in the dignity of all human life."

(Full story at LifeSiteNews.com)

Sen. Casey rejects Bishop Martino's criticism on Mexico City policy

From CatholicCulture.org


A spokesman for Senator Robert Casey Jr. has said that the Pennsylvania lawmaker stands by his vote against extension of the federal Mexico City policy, despite the public criticism by his bishop. Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton has twice rebuked Casey for his vote, and said that politicians who support legal abortion will not be allowed to receive Communion in the Scranton diocese. But Casey spokesman Larry Smar said that the Mexico City policy was a question of support for family planning, not for abortion. Bishop Martino had explicitly rejected that argument in an open letter to Casey, saying: "The Mexico City Policy is, first and foremost, about abortion, not about family planning."

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Pennyslvania Bishop Warns Sen. Casey on His Support for Ending Mexico City Policy (CNSNews)
• Bishop Martino again chastises Senator Casey (CWN, Feb 27)

Catholic Professors Cheerleading for Pro-Abortion Obama Pick

Cardinal Newman Society (www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/)

These professors are giving comfort and aid to those whose stated goals are to advance policies directly opposed to Catholic teachings on life issues.

 

MANASSAS, VA (Cardinal Nemman Society) - Half of the 26 Catholic activists, scholars and theologians who signed a statement publicly supporting President Barack Obama’s selection of pro-abortion Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services are professors employed by Catholic universities, The Cardinal Newman Society revealed today.

“These professors are giving comfort and aid to those whose stated goals are to advance policies directly opposed to Catholic teachings on life issues, and they do it under the guise of fidelity to Jesus Christ,” said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society.

(Full story at Catholic Online)

From CatholicCulture.org

Following up on a massive postcard campaign, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has announced a pro-life e-mail campaign to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act and support pro-life legislation.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Pro-Life E-Mail Campaign to Congress Expands National Postcard Effort (USCCB)
• National Committee for a Human Life Amendment (NCHLA)

Influential nun calls for 'non-violent resistance' against Vatican apostolic visitation

This just saddens me. No wonder their vocations are dwindling. I believe she is convicted by her own words.

from CatholicCulture.org

Mar. 4, 2009 (CWNews.com) -
An influential American nun has called for "non-violent resistance" against a Vatican investigation of women's religious orders. In an email message to colleagues that has now been published by the National Catholic Reporter, Sister Sandra Schneiders, who teaches at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California, says that the apostolic visitation recently announced by the Vatican will be "aggressive and dishonest." She acknowledges that American religious orders cannot prevent the Vatican inquiry. However, she recommends:

But we can receive them, politely and kindly, for what they are, uninvited guests who should be received in the parlor, not given the run of the house. When people ask questions they shouldn't ask, the questions should be answered accordingly.

Sister Schneiders, a members of the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, argues that most women's religious orders have found an entirely new way of living their vocations since Vatican II. "So, let's be what we are," she writes: "Religious who are not cloistered and ministers who are not ordained." She rejects criticism that was aired last year at a seminar held at Stonehill College, at which Cardinal Franc Rodé-- the prefect of the Congregation for Religious-- warned that some orders seemed to "have simply acquiesced to the disappearance of religious life or at least of their communities." That conference, Sister Schneiders said, was "a pep rally for those convinced they are right and can only be right if people not like them are wrong."