While the interviewer does not pose the questions well, Massachusetts attorney general & senate candidate Martha Coakley is asked about conscience protections for those who do not want to dispense so-called "emergency contraception" - which can be abortifacient. Coakley voices clear opposition to conscience protections. With regard to religious freedom, she says "The law says that people are allowed to have that....You can have religious freedom but you probably shouldn't work in the emergency room" <www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ-ZeLSZPc8>
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
excerpts from Bishop Vasa's "Excommunication is a Declaration of Acts that Severs[sic] Ties"
"Excommunication is a declaration, based on solid evidence, that the actions or public teachings of a particular Catholic are categorically incompatible with the teachings of the Church. It is intended primarily as a means of getting the person who is in grave error to recognize the depth of his error and repent. A second reason, while somewhat secondary but no less important, is to assure the faithful who truly are faithful that what they believe to be the teaching of the Church is true and correct. Allowing their faith to be shaken or allowing them to be confused when Catholics publicly affirm something contrary to faith or morals, seemingly without consequences, scandalizes and confuses the faithful....
"This discouragement of the faithful is not insignificant. When we look at the word itself we see that its root is 'courage' and allowing someone’s courage to be dissipated, or 'dissed' as the young might say, is harmful to the person. En-couragement, by contrast, builds up the courage of the faithful and increases their strength for doing good....
"Allowing error, publicly expressed, to stand without comment or contradiction is discouraging. When that moral error is espoused publicly by a Catholic who, by the likewise public and external act of receiving Holy Communion, appears to be in 'good standing' then the faithful are doubly confused and doubly discouraged. In that case, the error is certainly not refuted. Furthermore, the impression is given that the error is positively condoned by the bishop and the Church....
"In such a case, private 'dialogue' is certainly appropriate but a public statement is also needed. In extreme cases, excommunication may be deemed necessary....
"The actions and words, contrary to faith and morals, are what excommunicate (i.e. break communion with the Church). When matters are serious and public, the Bishop may deem it necessary to declare that lack of communion explicitly. This declaration no more causes the excommunication than a doctor who diagnoses diabetes causes the diabetes he finds in his patient....
"In serious cases, and the cases of misled Catholic public officials are often very serious, a declaration of the fact that the person is de facto out of communion may be the only responsible and charitable thing to do. Failing to name error because of some kind of fear of offending the person in error is neither compassion nor charity....
"The teachings of the Church are well documented and consistent. Bishops and the pastors who serve in their Dioceses have an obligation both to lead their people to the truth and protect them from error."
"This discouragement of the faithful is not insignificant. When we look at the word itself we see that its root is 'courage' and allowing someone’s courage to be dissipated, or 'dissed' as the young might say, is harmful to the person. En-couragement, by contrast, builds up the courage of the faithful and increases their strength for doing good....
"Allowing error, publicly expressed, to stand without comment or contradiction is discouraging. When that moral error is espoused publicly by a Catholic who, by the likewise public and external act of receiving Holy Communion, appears to be in 'good standing' then the faithful are doubly confused and doubly discouraged. In that case, the error is certainly not refuted. Furthermore, the impression is given that the error is positively condoned by the bishop and the Church....
"In such a case, private 'dialogue' is certainly appropriate but a public statement is also needed. In extreme cases, excommunication may be deemed necessary....
"The actions and words, contrary to faith and morals, are what excommunicate (i.e. break communion with the Church). When matters are serious and public, the Bishop may deem it necessary to declare that lack of communion explicitly. This declaration no more causes the excommunication than a doctor who diagnoses diabetes causes the diabetes he finds in his patient....
"In serious cases, and the cases of misled Catholic public officials are often very serious, a declaration of the fact that the person is de facto out of communion may be the only responsible and charitable thing to do. Failing to name error because of some kind of fear of offending the person in error is neither compassion nor charity....
"The teachings of the Church are well documented and consistent. Bishops and the pastors who serve in their Dioceses have an obligation both to lead their people to the truth and protect them from error."
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
A Newsanchor Proclaiming Christianity as the Path to Redemption!
(Ironically, this was posted on YouTube by an atheists' group.)
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Use of Emergency So-Called Contraceptives in Catholic Hospitals for Those Reporting Rape
Book & Film Reviews, pt 1
Book & Film Reviews, pt 2
And yup, that's me!
(from page 1 of the NY Sun, 3/22/04)
March for Life 2010
