Manassas, Va. – The University of Notre Dame gave financial assistance to five students to participate in Sunday’s national gay rights demonstration, which was organized in part to advocate homosexual “marriage,” a campus newspaper has reported.
The “National Equality March” on Sunday, October 11, in Washington, D.C., was sponsored by Equality Across America, which aims to build a national grassroots network asserting homosexual couples’ “right to marry” as well as other demands. The Catholic Church believes that marriage is possible only between a man and a woman.
“Faithful Catholics will ask whether Notre Dame has learned its lesson from the scandalous commencement ceremony last spring,” said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society. “What university seeking to reassure families of its Catholic identity would pay for students to attack the family and oppose Catholic teachings on marriage?”
Students from Notre Dame’s Progressive Student Alliance (PSA) petitioned the Student Activities Office and were granted funding to travel to and participate in the demonstration. The Notre Dame students marched two miles across D.C. and then joined gay rights activists for a Capitol Hill rally.
The president of the Progressive Students Alliance told The Observer, “The fact that we were University-approved was surprising but it was a wonderful surprise. The University hasn’t always been entirely receptive in the past.” [reference]
For those so inclinded, the MP3 of my appearance on Catholic Answers Live is now on their website.
Washington D.C., Oct 12, 2009 / 07:03 (CNA).- Twice last week White House spokesman Robert Gibbs stated that federally funded abortions will not be included in the government’s health care reform due to the Hyde Amendment, a statement which is in direct opposition to two recent letters sent to Congress by the U.S. Catholic bishops.
CNA reported that last Wednesday, Gibbs claimed that the Hyde Amendment will also apply to health care reform legislation. The Hyde Amendment, named after the late pro-life advocate Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), prevents federal funds that are appropriated through the annual Health and Human Services appropriation bill from paying for abortions.
Gibbs’ first assertion that abortions will not be paid for with taxpayer funds in the new health care reform bill came last Wednesday at press briefing at the White House. The White House spokesman had said at the time, “there’s a fairly well documented federal law that prevents it.”
…Then, on Thursday the U.S. bishops sent a letter to members of Congress asking them to “exclude mandated coverage for abortion,” and include “policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights.”
The bishops noted that they “remain apprehensive when amendments protecting freedom of conscience and ensuring no taxpayer money for abortion are defeated in committee votes. If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously,” they insisted.
The following day, Gibbs contradicted the bishop’s letter at a White House press briefing.
CNSNews.com addressed Gibbs saying, “You said on Wednesday that the Hyde amendment would prevent abortion funding through the health bill. The Catholic bishops have repeatedly said that the Hyde amendment would not apply to the health care bill and yesterday in the letter that they sent to Congress they said that if language expressly prohibiting abortion funding is not added to the health care bill, they will vigorously–‘vigorously oppose’–that’s a quote–the bill. My question on that, does the President support the bishops on this? And to eliminate this as an issue, will he call on Congress to have an explicit prohibition of abortion funding?”
Gibbs answered that his answer is the same as it was on Wednesday. “There may be a legal interpretation that has been lost here, but there’s a fairly clear federal law prohibiting the federal use of money for abortion. I think it is–again, it’s exceedingly clear in the law.”
Lucas then followed up his question, asking, “But the Hyde amendment is only for direct appropriations for HHS, and that’s…”
Gibbs replied quickly, “Again, I think that law is exceedingly clear.”[reference]
Well even if the Hyde amendment did prevent funding of abortion in this regards, it is rather a side issue. This amendment gets voted on each year and could simply be voted down. The Hyde amendment is not a statue and requires annual congressional approval. So to talk of it as a safeguard is rather disingenuous. Though the fact that is specifically applies to the HHS makes the point moot since it does not apply.
Our legislators certainly don’t think it applies since they vote down any amendment to the current healthcare bill that would put a similar restriction on it. As usual the president wants to have it both ways. To talk like their is no abortion funding in the bill while at the same time making no effort to get his party behind him and placing such a restriction in the bill.
What they want to do is to pass a Jekyll and Hyde amendment. That is make the health care bill seem innocuous while it is really a monster.
Father Z on the same article.
Update: Jack Smith at the Catholic Key Blog responds to Michael Sean Winters who tried to talk as if the Hyde Amendment is settled law. I remember when Mr. Winters expressed so much outrage initially at the Federal funding of abortion and that he was never going to vote for them again, It did not take long before it went back to his standard operation of defending the indefensible. I liked him better when he was rightly outraged.
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput’s address to the Envoy Institute of Belmont Abbey College “Envoy of the Year” award banquet last Thursday, October 8th, in Charlotte.
One of the parishes we sometimes go to has a school next it that was built in 2000. When the school was completed under the name of the school in big letters was 2000 C.E. C.E. stands for Common Era which is a secular way not to have to refer to Christ. Though I always thought it was rather silly since it starts as what was reckoned as the birth of Christ. I guess they couldn’t go whole hog like the French Revolution that increased the number of the days of the week and changed the names in the calendar. I mean if you were to really choose a date for the common era it would certainly start sooner than zero A.D.
Regardless every time I would see C.E. used on this Catholic school it always puts me in a mood for a rant which is not a good thing on the way to Mass. Today I was in for a pleasant surprise. The C.E. had been replaced by A.D. (Anno Domini – Year of the Lord). I guess I was not the only person annoyed by this.
Now many people mistake A.D. for meaning After Death as I use to think. I was wondering if maybe we should apply the same style mistake to the secular B.C.E and C.E. Anybody that has to work in a secular environment having to use this can just refer to them as Before Christ Era and Christ Era. We should do it often enough that it sticks and the secular form is forgotten. After all the secular world has stolen a bunch of stuff from us so why not reverse this?
A PHARMACIST has stopped selling contraceptives because of his strong religious beliefs.
Trevor Dal Broi is telling women using oral contraceptive pills for birth control to take their scripts to another chemist.
He removed condoms from his East Griffith Pharmacy several weeks ago and has banned the sale of emergency contraception morning-after pills.
These pills have been available without a prescription for between $20 and $30 since 2004.
Mr Dal Broi is handing out a leaflet to women with scripts for the contraceptive pill saying that he accepts the official teaching of the Catholic Church against the use of artificial contraception and has a moral objection to dispensing them.
Mr Dal Broi, who is married with four children, yesterday refused to comment.
Not surprised he refused to comment considering how negative the rest of the article is. I say “Three Cheers for Me. Broi!”
More from another article.
“As a practising Catholic, it is my obligation to accept the official teaching of the Catholic Church against the use of artificial contraception,” he said.
“When I dispense an oral contraceptive pill I will ask the lady to sit at our counselling desk where I explain that there is a leaflet in the box regarding our pharmacy policy on the pill.
“It explains that I accept the teachings of the Catholic Church against the use of artificial contraception, and asks the lady to respect my view on the use of artificial contraception and have it filled elsewhere next time if it is being taken for contraceptive purposes.”
Mr Dal Broi said the pharmacy would continue to dispense the pill to women taking it for other medical purposes, such as painful or irregular periods, and hormonal and skin problems. [reference]
Sent in from a reader.
MARQUETTE – This is the statement of Bishop Alexander K. Sample of the Catholic Diocese of Marquette, issued this morning:
“I attempted to handle this matter in a private, respectful and fraternal manner with Bishop Gumbleton. It is unfortunate that what should have remained a private matter between two bishops of the Catholic Church has been made available for public consumption.
“I want to first of all say that my decision to ask Bishop Gumbleton not to come to Marquette had absolutely nothing to do with the group who invited him to speak, Marquette Citizens for Peace and Justice, nor with the topic of his publicized speech, since the Church is a strong advocate of peace and justice. I am sorry for the negative impact this has had on those planning this event.
“There is a common courtesy usually observed between bishops whereby when one bishop wishes to enter into another bishop’s diocese to minister or make a public speech or appearance, he informs the local bishop ahead of time and seeks his approval. I have had no communication whatsoever from Bishop Gumbleton.
“As the Bishop of the Diocese of Marquette, I am the chief shepherd and teacher of the Catholic faithful of the Upper Peninsula entrusted to my pastoral care. As such I am charged with the grave responsibility to keep clearly before my people the teachings of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals. Given Bishop Gumbleton’s very public position on certain important matters of Catholic teaching, specifically with regard to homosexuality and the ordination of women to the priesthood, it was my judgment that his presence in Marquette would not be helpful to me in fulfilling my responsibility. I realize that these were not the topics upon which Bishop Gumbleton was planning to speak. However, I was concerned about his well-known and public stature and position on these issues and my inability to keep these matters from coming up in discussion.In order that no one becomes confused, everyone under my pastoral care must receive clear teaching on these important doctrines.
“I offer my prayers for Bishop Gumbleton and for all those who have been negatively affected by this unfortunate situation.” [reference]
Disney worker puts last touches to new Hall of Popes at Disneyworld.
Pope John Paul II gets ready for appearance in Futurama.
Pope John Paul II tries out for part in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Pope Benedict XVI cheers him on.
“Some of his policies are simply wrong, and those moments we do what we can in a free country which is to criticize the polices of our government”.[reference]