Who would have thought that the USCCB (otherwise known as the Democrat Party at Prayer) would take this step?

Extracted from the Creative Minority Report:

This is big news. For months the bishops have been threatening to oppose the healthcare legislation as long as it included abortion funding. But, who would have expected this?

Wonderful news. Catholic.org reports:

An E-mail directive has been sent from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Pro-Life Activities Secretariat mobilizing every parish in the United States of America. It contains an urgent message which is to be distributed in every parish this weekend and announced at every single Mass. This massive and urgent appeal may be unprecedented in our history as Catholics in America. It is an effort to mobilize the Catholic faithful on an urgent matter of public policy concerning the fundamental and foundational human right to life.

The E-Mail specifically asks that no parish opt out of this initiative.


The bishops are urging all parishes to insert a document into all parish bulletins across the country. The pdf of the file is here. Print it out. Give it to your pastor if it's not in the bulletin. Pass it out. Make it known!



The text reads:USCCB NATIONWIDE BULLETIN INSERT

Tell Congress: Remove Abortion Funding & Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform

Congress is preparing to debate health care reform legislation on the House and Senate floors.

Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of conception until natural death. The U.S. bishops’ conference has concluded that all committee approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience, and do not provide adequate access to health care for immigrants and the poor. The bills will have to change or the bishops have pledged to oppose them.

Our nation is at a crossroads. Policies adopted in health care reform will have an impact for good or ill for years to come. None of the bills retains longstanding current policies against abortion funding or abortion coverage mandates, and none fully protects conscience rights in health care.

As the U.S. bishops’ letter of October 8 states:

“No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. It is essential that the legislation clearly apply to this new program longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience.

No current bill meets this test…. If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously.”

For the full text of this letter and more information on proposed legislation and the bishops’ advocacy for authentic health care reform, visit: www.usccb.org/healthcare.

Congressional leaders are attempting to put together final bills for floor consideration. Please contact your Representative and Senators today and urge them to fix these bills with the pro-life amendments noted below. Otherwise much needed health care reform will have to be opposed. Health care reform should be about saving lives, not destroying them.

ACTION: Contact Members through e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters.
-- To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to Congress go to www.usccb.org/action.
-- Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call your Members’ local offices.
-- Full contact info can be found on Members’ web sites at www.house.gov & www.senate.gov.

MESSAGE to SENATE:
“During floor debate on the health care reform bill, please support an amendment to incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights.

If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.”

MESSAGE to HOUSE: “Please support the Stupak Amendment that addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights in the health care reform bill. Help ensure that the Rule for the bill allows a vote on this amendment. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.”

WHEN: Both House and Senate are preparing for floor votes now. Act today! Thank you!

There's a lot more at Catholic.org

Update: It'll be interesting to see how this might affect the vote of some Catholic Senators who ran on a pro-life platform like Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey Jr. I just called Senator Casey's D.C. office but nobody answered the phone. The message said it's due to "extremely high call volume." Ha. Good.

Update II: Jack Smith at Catholic Key has lots of info on this as well.

Archbishop Dolan of NY writes:

The Rosary's Power

Two courageous women of deep, heroic faith have recently inspired the Church and the world.

The first is Immaculée Ilibagiza, caught in the middle of the vicious genocide that slew her family and her country of Rwanda last decade.

Immaculée was one of seven other women hidden by her pastor in a cramped latrine for 91 days. Those eight women—almost all of whom, like Immaculée, had seen their families butchered—turned that toilet into a catacomb, and for three months they prayed, encouraged one another and kept hope alive.

Now she has devoted her life to speaking of the horror of genocide, but also urging reconciliation, forgiveness and peace. Her moving book, "Life to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust," has become a best-seller, and her personal apostolate of speaking about her ordeal is bringing her all over the world.

The second prophetic woman is Ingrid Betancourt. A senator and presidential candidate in Colombia, she spoke out against corruption and the drug trade. Tragically, she was captured by rebels and held for six years, only to be released a little over a year ago.

Both of these courageous women tenderly speak of their reliance upon another woman, who also knew trial, sorrow, exile and witnessed the torture and death of her son: Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

Both especially described their devotion to the Rosary, and how it kept them focused, hopeful and connected. Senator Betancourt was so grateful to our Blessed Mother that, soon after her release, she traveled to Lourdes to thank Our Lady personally at that renowned shrine.

October is the month of the Rosary.

We also have our trials. While nowhere near the tragedy of Immaculée's or Ingrid's, we do worry about tons of problems. Sometimes we're even tempted to wonder if Jesus has reneged on His promise to be with us "all days, even to the end of the world," but we of course know better. He never lets us down.

Like Ingrid and Immaculée, we turn to His Mother, our Mother, the Church's Mother.

Early on, it dawned on me that people I loved and respected very much were attached to the Rosary. I remember seeing the beads on the bedstand at both of my grandmas' homes; as dad would empty his pockets when he would come home from work, there it was again; the priests I looked up to would often be reciting the Rosary outside of church; and the Irish nuns would tell us how loyalty to the Rosary helped the faith in Ireland survive when Mass and the sacraments were outlawed. When I met Mother Teresa, she had a rosary in her hand; when I concelebrated Mass in the Holy Father's chapel, there it was in his kneeler. On almost every Communion call as a parish priest, I knew the sick person would have one close by; and, planning the wake of a kindergarten girl who was killed by a car while riding her bike, all the grieving parents requested was the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary; a few years ago, when my 11-year-old niece, Shannon—who had bone cancer—came back from Lourdes, she beamed as she told me she got to lead a decade at the grotto. So you see, from early on I got the message that the Rosary was a beloved, effective prayer. I would never let a day pass without saying it.

Think of the value of this prayer: it is simple, it is biblical, it is Jesus-centered, it can be prayed anywhere, it is communal in that at any given time thousands of others somewhere in the world are praying it, and, best of all, it is prayed in union with the Mother of Jesus.

Do yourself a favor: look in your drawers, your jewelry boxes, your storage closets, and find your old rosary. Teach it to your kids, start saying it again yourself. It never fails to bring us closer to Jesus and His Mother. It is indeed a source of "life, sweetness and hope."

let's help our protestant bretheren PROPERLY celebrate on October 31.

PCANews at the Christian Broadcasting Network website has come up with a way to overcome the satanic/occult aspects of Halloween - a Reformation Day party!

They explain it:

"...October 31 celebrates the day that the Reformation in Europe began with Martin Luther posting his 95 theses on the Wittenburg church door, leading to a firestorm response in Germany. Why not use this occasion for a celebration of our Reformed heritage. And yes, this can be fun for the kids too!

...Why not have a celebration at church where all get dressed up as characters from the Reformation such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, a peasant, and even John Tetzel (the salesman of those infamous indulgences)?

...When I couldn't get a 16th century idea then I dressed as a Bible character. You can transform the fellowship hall into Wittenburg, Germany or Geneva. Here is an opportunity to go over the great "solas" of the Reformation: by Scripture alone, by grace alone, by Christ alone, by faith alone, and to God be the glory alone. Have people explain them. Show a video of one of the reformers. Draw murals of Reformation events.

...Here are some other things our church has done over the years: Medieval line dancing (a lot like Scottish line dancing), Medieval relay races (put the indulgences in the bottle), bobbing for apples, German cover dish dinner, acting out your character (don't tell anyone who you are, but act it out -- the ideas are limited only by time and background)."

It's ironic that protestants are choosing Halloween to celebrate the Reformation, considering that many Catholic families celebrate All Souls Day the next day by dressing as Catholic saints. Of course - protestants probably won't be up for a good old-fashioned cult of the saints party like we are.

Then again, if protestants can play "put the indulgences in the bottle" to get in touch with their historical roots, and baptists can have bonfires burning Catholic bibles and books on spirituality by Catholic saints, maybe Catholics could celebrate Reformation Day by starting bonfires and burning figurines of protestant heretics to get in touch with our historical roots?

Just joking.

How milquetoastish can you be? Oh, to see some episcopal SPINE from time to time. Are these men shepherds protecting their flocks...or PR flacks trying to put the right (as in, 'pastorally sensitive') spin on things.

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WASHINGTON—Cardinal Francis George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued the following statement, October 20, following a Vatican announcement of a new provision concerning Anglican groups coming into the Catholic Church. His statement follows:

"Today the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has received word of the new Provision in the form of an apostolic constitution issued by the Holy See for the reception into full communion with the Catholic Church of groups from the Anglican tradition. The USCCB stands ready to collaborate in the implementation of that Provision in our country." [As well they should. It's not for them to decided whether or not to participate. That's out of their hands. Nothing like stating the obvious...]

"This step by the Holy See is in response to a number of requests received in Rome from groups of Anglicans seeking corporate reunion. The application of the new Provision recognizes the desire of some Anglicans (Episcopalians) to live the Catholic faith in full, visible communion with the See of Peter, while at the same time retaining some elements of their traditions of liturgy, spirituality and ecclesial life which are consistent with the Catholic faith."

"This Provision, at the service of the unity of the Church, calls us as well to join our voices to the Priestly Prayer of Jesus that ‘all may be one’ (Jn 17:21) as we seek a greater communion with all our brothers and sisters with whom we share Baptism. For forty-five years, our Episcopal Conference has engaged in ecumenical dialogue with The Episcopal Church, which is the historic Province of the Anglican communion in North America. The Catholic Bishops of the United States remain committed to seeking deeper unity with the members of The Episcopal Church by means of theological dialogue and collaboration in activities that advance the mission of Christ and the welfare of society.”
[Seems to me that preaching the truth, admitting no error, all the while praying for reunification without compromise on the Doctrine would be a good place to start.]

What a great day for our Church, and especially as it relates to the brilliance and true pastoral efforts of our Holy Father, Benedict. This, from the Press Office of the Holy See (with comments and emphasis):
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NOTE OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH ABOUT PERSONAL ORDINARIATES FOR ANGLICANS ENTERING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH , 20.10.2009

With the preparation of an Apostolic Constitution,[the Church’s most authoritative type of document] the Catholic Church is responding [NB: responding… not initiating… responding…] to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion.

In this Apostolic Constitution the Holy Father has introduced a canonical structure that provides for such corporate reunion by establishing Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony. Under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution, pastoral oversight and guidance will be provided for groups of former Anglicans through a Personal Ordinariate, whose Ordinary will usually be appointed from among former Anglican clergy. [Does this not sound like a possible structure also for the SSPX? However, you know that the appointment would ultimately be by the Holy See.]

The forthcoming Apostolic Constitution provides a reasonable and even necessary response to a world-wide phenomenon, by offering a single canonical model for the universal Church which is adaptable to various local situations and equitable to former Anglicans in its universal application. [Not to mention the SSPX.] It provides for the ordination as Catholic priests of married former Anglican clergy. [Married clergy.] Historical and ecumenical reasons preclude the ordination of married men as bishops in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The Constitution therefore stipulates that the Ordinary can be either a priest or an unmarried bishop. The seminarians in the Ordinariate are to be prepared alongside other Catholic seminarians, though the Ordinariate may establish a house of formation to address the particular needs of formation in the Anglican patrimony. In this way, the Apostolic Constitution seeks to balance on the one hand the concern to preserve the worthy Anglican liturgical and spiritual patrimony and, on the other hand, the concern that these groups and their clergy will be integrated into the Catholic Church.

[Interesting. Doesn’t this simply raise all of the Church’s boats by raising the water level?]

Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which has prepared this provision, said: "We have been trying to meet the requests for full communion that have come to us from Anglicans in different parts of the world in recent years in a uniform and equitable way. With this proposal the Church wants to respond to the legitimate aspirations of these Anglican groups for full and visible unity with the Bishop of Rome, successor of St. Peter."

These Personal Ordinariates will be formed, as needed, in consultation with local Conferences of Bishops, and their structure will be similar in some ways to that of the Military Ordinariates which have been established in most countries to provide pastoral care for the members of the armed forces and their dependents throughout the world. [In other words, they have no geographical borders, but are aimed at groups of people who may be scattered around. Thus, there could be an Ordinariate for, say, the USA or for Nigeria or for England, etc.] "Those Anglicans who have approached the Holy See have made clear their desire for full, visible unity in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. At the same time, they have told us of the importance of their Anglican traditions of spirituality and worship for their faith journey," Cardinal Levada said.

The provision of this new structure is consistent with the commitment to ecumenical dialogue, which continues to be a priority for the Catholic Church, particularly through the efforts of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. "The initiative has come from a number of different groups of Anglicans," Cardinal Levada went on to say: "They have declared that they share the common Catholic faith as it is expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and accept the Petrine ministry as something Christ willed for the Church. For them, the time has come to express this implicit unity in the visible form of full communion." [You should notice that folks such as Card. Kasper were not the presenters for this press conference. Consider that the true aim of ecumenism must ultimately be for all people to become Catholic. Along the way there are various stages of dislogue… but there can only be one goal: bring people to the fullest way of following their path to salvation, which – though we know God saves whom it pleases Him to save - is always and only through Christ and mediated through the Catholic Church He founded. And that Catholic Church has, as a necessary part of its structure, the Petrine Ministry.]

According to Levada: "It is the hope of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, that the Anglican clergy and faithful who desire union with the Catholic Church will find in this canonical structure the opportunity to preserve those Anglican traditions precious to them and consistent with the Catholic faith. Insofar as these traditions express in a distinctive way the faith that is held in common, they are a gift to be shared in the wider Church. The unity of the Church does not require a uniformity that ignores cultural diversity, as the history of Christianity shows. Moreover, the many diverse traditions present in the Catholic Church today are all rooted in the principle articulated by St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: ‘There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism’ (4:5). Our communion is therefore strengthened by such legitimate diversity, and so we are happy that these men and women bring with them their particular contributions to our common life of faith."

[In that statement, above, think about substituting "Anglican" elements with SSPX/traditional Catholic elements.]

Background information

Since the sixteenth century, when King Henry VIII declared the Church in England independent of Papal Authority, the Church of England has created its own doctrinal confessions, liturgical books, and pastoral practices, often incorporating ideas from the Reformation on the European continent. The expansion of the British Empire, together with Anglican missionary work, eventually gave rise to a world-wide Anglican Communion.

Throughout the more than 450 years of its history the question of the reunification of Anglicans and Catholics has never been far from mind. In the mid-nineteenth century the Oxford Movement (in England) saw a rekindling of interest in the Catholic aspects of Anglicanism. In the early twentieth century Cardinal Mercier of Belgium entered into well publicized conversations with Anglicans to explore the possibility of union with the Catholic Church under the banner of an Anglicanism "reunited but not absorbed".

At the Second Vatican Council hope for union was further nourished when the Decree on Ecumenism (n. 13), referring to communions separated from the Catholic Church at the time of the Reformation, stated that: "Among those in which Catholic traditions and institutions in part continue to exist, the Anglican Communion occupies a special place."

Since the Council, Anglican-Roman Catholic relations have created a much improved climate of mutual understanding and cooperation. The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) produced a series of doctrinal statements over the years in the hope of creating the basis for full and visible unity. For many in both communions, the ARCIC statements provided a vehicle in which a common expression of faith could be recognized. It is in this framework that this new provision should be seen.

In the years since the Council, some Anglicans have abandoned the tradition of conferring Holy Orders only on men by calling women to the priesthood and the episcopacy. [So, the ordination of women helped spark this…] More recently, some segments of the Anglican Communion have departed from the common biblical teaching on human sexuality—already clearly stated in the ARCIC document "Life in Christ"—by the ordination of openly homosexual clergy and the blessing of homosexual partnerships. [The blessing of sodomy has also sparked this…] At the same time, as the Anglican Communion faces these new and difficult challenges, the Catholic Church remains fully committed to continuing ecumenical engagement with the Anglican Communion, particularly through the efforts of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.

In the meantime, many individual Anglicans have entered into full communion with the Catholic Church. Sometimes there have been groups of Anglicans who have entered while preserving some "corporate" structure. Examples of this include, the Anglican diocese of Amritsar in India, and some individual parishes in the United States which maintained an Anglican identity when entering the Catholic Church under a "pastoral provision" adopted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope John Paul II in 1982. In these cases, the Catholic Church has frequently dispensed from the requirement of celibacy to allow those married Anglican clergy who desire to continue ministerial service as Catholic priests to be ordained in the Catholic Church. [There is a progression from individuals, to parish groups, to larger groups under an "ordinary".]

In the light of these developments, the Personal Ordinariates established by the Apostolic Constitution can be seen as another step toward the realization the aspiration for full, visible union in the Church of Christ, one of the principal goals of the ecumenical movement.

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Who can help but be amazed at this progress?