The Obama Administration backed down in the face of a pro-life uproar, and won’t be paying for abortions in Pennsylvania and New Mexico, as originally planned. More here. Prayers of gratitude are in order.
Tag: apologetics
Why Pray for the Faithful Departed?
I had lunch with a Baptist friend of mine, who was troubled about CCC 1271. Yeah, he’d been reading the Catechism (which puts him ahead of a lot of Catholics). He was very uncomfortable with the idea that the Eucharistic Sacrifice is offered for the faithful departed that they might enter Heaven. It had everything… Continue reading Why Pray for the Faithful Departed?
Illegal Immigration, Farm Labor, and Economics: A Response
Mark Krikorian, whose arguments on illegal immigration and farm equipment I’d criticized here responded to my post a few days ago. Here’s what he said: Sorry for the late reply – I’d seen your post but got sidetracked. On its face your concern make sense, but it doesn’t work out that way. Exactly the same… Continue reading Illegal Immigration, Farm Labor, and Economics: A Response
Tough New Vatican Guidelines on Sex Abuse
I. The Reform The Vatican codified tougher laws on sexual abuse in Normae de Gravioribus Delictis, a document dealing with the most serious offenses against the Catholic Faith. As regards sex abuse, the reforms include: an increase in the statute of limitations for reporting sexual abuse from ten to twenty years; the right to lift… Continue reading Tough New Vatican Guidelines on Sex Abuse
Soccer and Catholicism
Yesterday was my friend Carlos’ birthday, and he’s been asking me for weeks to do a post about “how soccer is like Catholicism,” without giving me even a hint where he’s seeing a connection. After giving it some thought, here’s what I’ve got: Catholicism is very diverse, but not in the way that Protestantism or… Continue reading Soccer and Catholicism
Daniel 2’s Proof for Jesus Christ and His Church
One of the great Christological prophesies is found in Daniel 2, and it involves the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar’s recurring nightmare. The back-story is worth reading, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll cut to the chase. Daniel, the Jewish Prophet, is able to not only interpret the dream, but tell him what he dreamed in… Continue reading Daniel 2’s Proof for Jesus Christ and His Church
John Henry Cardinal Newman on Faith and Obedience
Last night, my dad mentioned that he needed to read more of the Venerable John Henry Newman, because he had stumbled on a few quotes from him that he thought were very insightful (I think he stumbled on these in his Magnificat — a prayer aide I can’t encourage enough for anyone and everyone). This… Continue reading John Henry Cardinal Newman on Faith and Obedience
Illegal Immigration, Farm Labor, and Economics
Mark Krikorian at NRO’s The Corner has a pretty fascinating piece on immigration. I’m not sure he’s fully thought through what he’s saying, but he’s almost certainly correct: The United Farm Workers has launched a tongue-in-cheek lobbying campaign (to be highlighted tomorrow on Colbert’s show) called “Take Our Jobs.” In the words of the AP… Continue reading Illegal Immigration, Farm Labor, and Economics
Beauty as a Proof for God
The lead blogger behind Catholic Eye Candy has determined that he’s not called to be a priest after all, and has apparently left the seminary. He announced on Thursday that he’s closing the blog, although thankfully, leaving it up. He has determined that he is not, after all, called to the priesthood, although he seems… Continue reading Beauty as a Proof for God
Douthat on the Lasting Impact of the Sex Abuse Scandal on the Church
Ross Douthat wrote a short article for the Atlantic, where he used to work. Called “The Catholic Church is Finished,” he makes two points. Both are right, and few people seem to grasp both at once, much less articulate them this well: This was the year when the cover-up of priestly sex abuse, a long-simmering… Continue reading Douthat on the Lasting Impact of the Sex Abuse Scandal on the Church