Saturday, October 29, 2011

CUA President letter to students on Muslim controversy: "Banzhaf has created the perception our Muslim students are offended"

The Catholic University Of America

Office of the President

Washington, DC 20064

October 28, 2011

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

You may have heard or read news accounts this week about a complaint filed with D.C.’s Office of Human Rights regarding our Muslim students. The complaint has been filed by John Banzhaf, a professor at a neighboring university who has no affiliation with us. In a press release he issued October 19, Mr. Banzhaf claimed that Catholic University has “illegally discriminated” against Muslim students. That charge is completely without foundation. Worse, Banzhaf has created the perception that it is our Muslim students themselves who are offended by the symbols of Catholicism on our campus, and that they object to the absence of worship space set aside specifically for them.

The fact is that no Muslim student at Catholic University has registered a complaint with the University about the exercise of their religion on campus. And today we learned from an article in the Washington Post that Mr. Banzhaf himself has not received any complaints from our Muslim students. Instead, according to today’s Washington Post, he based his complaint on an article that appeared in that newspaper in December 2010. Contrary to the impression Mr. Banzhaf would like to create, the December 2010 Post article spoke in overwhelmingly positive terms about the experience of Muslim students at Catholic University, and explained why they are attracted to us. A considerable part of the attraction stems from the fact that our community, because of its own outward expressions of Catholic faith, makes them feel comfortable living their faith among us. The evidence bears this out. Since 2007 our Muslim enrollment has more than doubled, from 56 to 122.

I want to reassure all of you that our Muslim students are welcome at our University. Our Catholic teaching instructs us to embrace our fellow human beings of all faith traditions. They enrich us with their presence and help to promote inter-religious and inter-cultural understanding. I regret very much that our Muslim students have been used as pawns in a manufactured controversy. I urge all of you continue to show one another the respect and goodwill that are the hallmarks of The Catholic University of America.

John Garvey

President

Sunday 31 A. "Now, O priests, this commandment is for you": performing good works of love whether seen or unseen

In the new English text for the Creed we profess our faith in things both visible and invisible, whereas the previous version translated the original Latin text "seen and unseen". What's the difference and why is it important?

There are realities in God that always remain invisible to us even if we enjoy their physical proximity. Angels, for example, have spirits as do we but do not have bodies as we do, therefore whether here or in heaven we have to believe they exist and are present even though we cannot detect them except through the power of faith.

There are, however, "unseen" things that are thus because they are happening at a place and a time different than the one we are inhabiting at any given moment. The Lord speaks of these kinds of things in the Gospel today when he excoriates with severity the religious leaders of his day who "performed religious works to be seen."

For the full text of the homily for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time visit Meeting Christ in the Liturgy by clicking here.

Thank your priest on 30 October, World Priest Day, sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter




Last Sunday in October
October 30, 2011

Welcome to the World Priest Day web site!

World Priest Day

BLESSING FOR A PREIST

This blessing is for use at a Sunday Liturgy on World Priest Day or any weekend during the month of October. Following the Prayer after Communion, a member of the parish pastoral council or any parish member(s) leads the community in blessing the Priest.

During the month of October we celebrate World Priest Day. Priests daily use the gifts of healing, counseling, preaching and celebrating the Eucharist to and for the benefit of Catholics everywhere. We pause today with a special prayer for Father _________, asking God to continue to bless him in his ministry. I invite you now to extend your hands toward Father as I (We) lead a prayer of blessing.

All in the assembly extend their hands as the leader continues:

All honor and glory to you, Lord our God, maker of all and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In your faithfulness and love, you sent your only Son to live with us and to save us by giving his life for us.

Today we offer you thanks and praise for choosing Father ________, to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus as he leads your flock with zeal and wisdom. We ask you to give him your fullest blessing in his priestly ministry. Help him to serve others as generously as Jesus did, in times of sorrow and in times of joy.

Caring God, bless Father _________, so that he may nourish us with your Word, lead us in prayer and worship, and sustain us as a shepherd and father.

Saving God, bless Father _________, so that he may instruct us by his teaching, inspire us by his preaching, and encourage us by word and deed to work with him for the good of our parish.

Loving God be close to your servant Father _________, as he follows your Son. Guide him in paths that are level and smooth. May your powerful grace make him strong in faith, joyful in hope, and fervent in love, this day and every day to come. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.



WeOur Priests!


Click here to read a letter from the WPD Coordinating Team.

Click here for the 2011 WPD Celebration Starter Kit. (PDF, 372KB)


WWME Logo World Priest Day is sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter.

World Priest Day is now celebrated concurrently with Serra Club's Priesthood Sunday:

Priesthood Sunday sponsored by Serra Club USA

Click here to find a Serra Club near you.


Have a question about World Priest Day? Contact the Coordinators.
Have a question about this web site? Contact the Webmasters.

CUA VP of Public Affairs: “We have not yet received any legal filing from the Office of Human Rights" referring to Mr. Banzhaf’s allegations

Intimidate the landlord into handing over a space free of charge on campus by fighting a battle for public sympathy in the press, get it designated "Muslim only", outgrow the space and come back demanding a larger beachhead, in a continuing process of reverse colonialism until, voila!, through higher rates of reproduction, continuous intimidation and a battle of wills, "The Muslim University of America". Don't think it's happened before?

((((..))))

Muslim Issue Hits National News

Amanda Pellegrino, Tower Staff
October 28, 2011
Filed under News, Top Stories

“We have not yet received any legal filing from the Office of Human Rights referring to Mr. Banzhaf’s allegations,” said Victor Nakas, Associate Vice President of Public Affairs. “No students have registered complaints about the exercise of their religions on our campus,” said Victor Nakas to FOX News.

For full story click here to go to The Tower, official newspaper of CUA.


Photo: CUA Gibbons Hall from The Tower website.

Pro-Life Saturdays: "I am the 10%"

This powerful message is making its way around Facebook. When I speak with friends who have a child with Down Syndrome, unfailingly they all say how much joy their child brings into their life. It makes me feel ashamed to live in a country that chooses death instead of life for 90% of babies who are diagnosed with Down Syndrome.

Read the story at CatholicVote here.

Friday, October 28, 2011

The Passion of the Lord on Fridays: Abbi misercordia di noi! / Have mercy on us!



Seconda stazione: Gesù è caricato della croce
"Dolores nostros ipse portavit"
Second station: Jesus carries the Cross.

Per la gentilezza do Fabrizio Diomedi / through the kindness of Fabrizio Diomedi.

Archbishop Broglio to celebrate Veterans' Day Mass 6 November in Upper Marlboro, MD

St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Upper Marlboro, MD, will hold their annual event to honor military Veterans and to observe Veteran's Day at the weekend Masses of November 5th and 6th 2011.

Archbishop Broglio will be the main celebrant at the 11:30 a.m. Mass on November 6th. The theme this year is "Heroes Among Us."

As part of the observance parish members will display memorial photos of veteran family members and others to honor their service.

Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church is located at 14908 Main Street in Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772. A map is located here.

More information about Archbishop Broglio and the Archdiocese for the Military Services is located at the website for the Archdiocese: www.milarch.org.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Dear "Coach Smith": About not getting "hung up" on the clothing rack

Dear Coach Smith,

Everyone who loves our Lord and the holy Mass also shares your concerns about behavior at Mass and would like to see respect as exemplified by arriving on time, departing after Mass ends, attending quietly and attentively. But these are not the only factors that affect the praying of the Mass and the worship of everyone present.

I am glad that you are not "hung up" about what others wear. None of us should be and I certainly don't recommend anyone get "hung up" about anything except God as being unhealthy and unhelpful for spiritual, psychological and other reasons. What it seems as though you are in fact saying here, however, is that others who bring up the subject of modest or appropriate clothing are in fact "hung up" on the subject. That is a judgment and I recommend that you avoid getting "hung up" on that, as well.

The Church has always encouraged the faithful to express love for God not necessarily by wearing fine clothing as an end in itself which may be taking money that could be spent for feeding or caring for the poor, for example. No, here the issue is not expense as an end in itself or wearing the best one can afford but, rather, only about avoiding the wearing of the least appropriate clothing one owns.

The Church also has a concern for modesty in dress at Mass as anywhere else.

I am assisting parents who tell me their children no longer go to Mass. I am beseeching them to recognize that every element in preparation, presence and participation is just as, and more important for worship, as it is for every other situation: there is appropriate garb for a wedding, a funeral, for any special event.

If at Mass we otherwise wear the most casual shorts and t-shirt or gym clothes in the closet we teach our children something by this that we may not intend and may later regret. I would not bring this up except that I have witnessed families return home after Mass, change into less casual garb and then return to the same church later in the afternoon
for the baptism of a friend's child. So, again, this is not about going "more formal"; it is simply a respectful request that our people shun the wearing of the most casual garb they possess in order to speak more powerfully, and to witness to our Faith more consistently, that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, and in the community of the faithful through His grace, at every Mass.

Asking that people exercise the same kind of care about their clothing at Mass as they do at work, or visiting friends, or attending other community events is not "going back" and is not a "rigid format": it's plain, simple common sense. Vatican II did not intend, and nowhere in the documents does it say, that common sense was to go out the window along with the beauty of the Church's immemorial worship as was tragically the case in so many places.

You recommend to me: "worry about yourself". I do. I vest at Mass as the Church asks me to and do so gladly as an opportunity to give glory to God and help to build up the faith of my neighbors.

The Church welcomes your liking for Latin and gives you opportunities to attend the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite through the document Summorum Pontificum in which Benedict XVI makes clear that any priest can say the latin Mass anywhere, for anyone.

You said that you respect other people's opinions. I welcome that and am glad of it but ask that you take care in future to also show that you do so by avoiding statements which might lead others to believe you are judging their motives. This will enable you as it does all of us to "worry about ourselves and our reflection with Jesus Christ" as you so laudably recommend we do.

God's blessing also be with you,
((((..))))

"Coachsmith"'s comments are reprinted below.

I am more concern that people come on time and leave after the last blessing, control their kids so as not to distrub others who are listening to the word. Don't hold conversation during the mass with your neighbors. Allow me and others five to ten minutes prior to the mass as a time of reflection. I am not hung up on what someone wears as I don't walk in my brothers shoes and the cloths they wear may be the best they have. I'm glad that they are at mass. I respect the individuals opinion but I'd be more concern with getting the twice a year Catholics back to mass on a regular basis. If you truely want to make it a rigid format then let's go back to Latin and have women once again ware a veil. In a lot of ways I preferred the Latin over the English mass however it was a change. Again, I respect the persons opinion however worry about yourself and your reflection with Jesus Christ and less with what others are wearing. God Bless.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Modesty at Mass: A Case for a Catholic Dress Code

By Ashley E. McGuire, October 20, 2011

In a few weeks, we will start hearing about the coming changes to the Catholic liturgy. Much to the surprise of the world, the Catholic Church is, in fact, capable of change. There will be a brief period of freak-out, but then everyone will calm down and before we know it, it will be liturgy as usual. People will forget they ever even said “And also with you,” instead of “And with your spirit.” The media will do its schizophrenic thing and claim that the Church is pushing people away with its top-down changes, but before long it will return to blaming the top for refusing to ever change.

What Catholics and the media alike seem to forget is that the Church is evolving all the time, not on fundamental issues of doctrine, but rather in the way the Church engages the culture of which it takes part. And today, the Church in America is a part of a culture where women like to dress like prostitutes, and men like to dress like gangsters and personal trainers.

So I would like to propose that while the Church is changing the liturgy it add another change to the docket: attire at Mass.

The way many people dress to Mass is completely offensive. Strapless tops, cleavage, skirts that hardly cover the derriere, shorts, tracksuits, cut-offs. Tank tops. Midriffs. Minis. How this became acceptable is a mystery. How to change it, is not.

A simple solution could restore churches everywhere to basic dignity: a dress code. Think this is radical? It’s not. The Vatican has one. The Vatican prohibits anyone from entering who is wearing:

· Shorts/skirts above the knee
· Sleeveless shirts
· Shirts exposing the navel
· Shirts for women that expose cleavage

Why don’t all Catholic churches have the same standards? It is the same Jesus Christ present in the tabernacle. It is the same discipleship the priests share with the pope. The human beings on their knees are the same people trying to live lives of holiness and chastity in a world that works to undermine them at every turn.

A Catholic dress code could be instituted with a relatively simple, three-step action plan:

Stage 1—Recruit code enforcement. The priests and deacons would recruit lay women of charitable but forceful demeanor, approximately two per Mass depending on the size of the parish, to enforce the dress code. These women would be trained to stand outside Mass and gently but firmly request those in violation of dress code to change. This stage would likely take eight weeks. I assure you, there would be no shortage of eager volunteers.

Stage 2—Announce the coming change. Just as the Church has been doing with the coming liturgy changes, parishes would include a weekly insert into the bulletin explaining the simple, four-pronged dress code. Priests would alert parishioners at every Mass. (The media would help with its usual hit pieces.) This would be done for four weeks consecutively before dress code beings.

Stage 3—Grace Period. For two weeks there would be a grace period, where the newly trained women would give warnings to those not dressed appropriately that in the future, such attire will not be accepted, but still allow them into the House of God. This allows them to practice confronting those dressed inappropriately and allows the stubborn, skimpy dressers to avoid the humiliation of actually being sent home.

Once the dress-code period becomes official, there will no doubt still be much angst. People will wail and gnash their teeth in their desire to attend Mass dressed in PJs or two-inch skirts. People will claim the Church is so draconian and unwelcoming and that Jesus would never send people away!

Sure, Jesus spent time with residents of the red-light district. But let’s not forget, Jesus also flipped tables in a rage when he saw his Father’s house disrespected. He also reminded us in a parable in a recent gospel that the man who showed up to a royal wedding not wearing the proper attire met a dreadful fate. Jesus was clear throughout the gospels: What you wear matters. He went to his own death in a garment so fine that men gambled for it.

The Vatican is clear, too. So are lots of other houses of worship for that matter. When I was in Egypt, I visited a mosque dressed in what I thought was modest attire. The women at the entrance still took my pashmina from my bag and swaddled my arms so no skin above my elbows was exposed. I was swaddled so tightly I couldn’t move. Women and men whose attire was beyond salvageable were asked to wear a giant, floor-length green sheet with a hole through the top for their head.

Mormon Temples have dress codes. I asked a Mormon friend what would happen if a woman tried to enter a Mormon Temple in a mini-skirt and she said, “In theory, that’s not supposed to happen.”

Oh for the day when mini-skirts in Mass are a thing of theory instead of reality!

Even I am embarrassed of my idea of Sunday Best when my husband and I drive home from Mass. Our route home takes us past a black, Baptist church where the men and women are dressed as if they were going to tea at Buckingham Palace. We often slow down to admire the men in three-piece suits and the women in bright, colorful hats. No exposed boobies or hairy man legs to be found there.

A Vatican insider told me that when a United States Supreme Court Justice showed up for a visit in shorts, he was turned away. On another occasion, a high-ranking woman showed up for an event with the pope in a low-cut top and Vatican officials sewed up her shirt in the car on the ride over. If St. Peter’s can turn away a Supreme Court justice and make a famous woman sew up her blouse for the Pope, then surely our local parishes can ask women to grab a shawl on their way out the door. Heck, put a basket of them inside the door and hand them out. Just like Jewish synagogues often have flimsy yarmulkes for men who show up with bare heads.People would freak out about the dress code. And then, suddenly, it would stop. People would move on. Girls would begrudgingly grab that shawl on the way out the door. Parents everywhere would breathe easily again knowing they won’t have to fight their children to dress appropriately for Sunday Mass. And then the House of God would actually start to look like the House of God again.

It’s just an idea.

Ashley E. McGuire is editor-in-chief of AltCatholicah.Photo Courtesy Nick Lucey.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Pope Benedict XVI receives military Ordinaries

22/10/2011 13.40.23

On Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI received the participants in a conference celebrating the 25th anniversary of Blessed John Paul II reform of the military Ordinariates – the structures that provide for the spiritual care of soldiers and their families all around the world.

The occasion for the meeting was the sixth International Congress of Military Ordinariates and the third International Formation Course in Humanitarian Law for Military Chaplains, which took place this week under the joint sponsorship and organization of the Congregation for Bishops and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

In his remarks to the participants, Pope Benedict XVI said the 25th anniversary of Blessed John Paul II’s document, Spiritali militum curae is an excellent opportunity to pause and reflect on the quarter-century of development that the Pope’s reform stirred. “In expressing my heartfelt encouragement,” said Pope Benedict, “I would draw your attention to the need to ensure that men and women of the Armed Forces receive spiritual assistance that meets all the requirements of a consistent Christian life and mission.”

“The issue,” he went on to say, “is one of forming Christians who have a deep faith, who live a committed religious practice, and are true witnesses of Christ in their community.” The Holy Father said that, to achieve this goal, the military chaplains and bishops should feel responsible for proclaiming the Gospel and administering the sacraments wherever there are soldiers and their families.

“The work of evangelization in the world of the military,” said Pope Benedict, “requires a growing assumption of responsibility, so that, in military life as well, there be an ever new, convicted and joyful proclamation of Jesus Christ, the one hope for life and peace for all humanity.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Thieves steal 2-ton bell from St. Mary's garden in San Francisco

(10-24) 13:16 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A historic, 2-ton bell has been stolen from the garden at San Francisco's St. Mary's Cathedral, police said today.

The bell, the size of the Liberty Bell, disappeared from the cathedral at Gough and Geary streets sometime over the last month, said police Inspector Brian Danker.

"Nobody can swear on a Bible and say the last time they saw the bell," he said.
Metal thieves, eager to sell the copper to smelters, probably stole the $500,000 bell, Danker said. How they lifted or hauled it is not known. No security cameras are pointed at the area.

"The theft of metal is a low-life, unscrupulous, rather-steal-metal-than-get-a-job type of thing," Danker said.

The bell was cast in 1889 by a foundry in Baltimore, Danker said. It hung in old St. Mary's Cathedral on Van Ness Avenue until that church burned down in 1962. When the new cathedral was completed in 1970, the bell was mounted on a stump in the garden.

The cathedral is offering a reward for information leading to the return of the bell.
"My concern isn't about making an arrest, but about the getting the bell back," Danker said.

Anyone with information should call Danker at (415) 614-3463 or (415) 575-4444. Anonymous tips can also be texted to TIP411, he said."It is a priceless artifact," Danker said. "It belongs back with the parishioners."

E-mail Will Kane at wkane@sfchronicle.com.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/24/BAPU1LLIPU.DTL#ixzz1bkmehRRK

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Rev Adam Parker of Archdiocese of Baltimore named Monsignor

Archbishop Edwin O'Brien made the announcement this evening at the Archdiocesan schools dinner. The new Monsignor Parker is Archbishop O'Brien's long-time personal secretary and can be seen in the accompanying photo on the left assisting the Archbishop at the yearly Chrism Mass. Congratulations and best wishes to this newest honorary member of the papal household.

Archbishop O'Brien currently serves as Apostolic Administrator in Baltimore until his successor is named, having been appointed the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. He will take the formal title of pro-Grand Master until he is named to the College of Cardinals, which is expected to happen at the next consistory. He will replace Cardinal John Foley, who had been the Order's Grand Master since 2007, and resigned, due to ill health, earlier this year.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Solemn High Mass marks feast of Blessed Emperor Karl of Austria in Washington, DC

Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite was celebrated this evening at the Church of Saint Mary, Mother of God, in Washington, DC, to mark the feast of Blessed Emperor Karl of Austria. Here his relic and image are placed before the ambo.

Faithful filled the church.








The Mass was celebrated by priests of the Fraternity of Saint Peter assisted by priests of the Archdioceses of Washington and New York.



Susan desparately seeking ...

Absolutely hilarious...
((((..))))

Desperation

John White

by John White
14 hours ago



It happens. All of a sudden you wake up one day and realize that from now on, it’s all downhill. Career? Stagnant at best. Husband life partner? Not any more. Movie star looks? Buh-bye. Suddenly the realizations come cascading down, wave after wave of stark reminders that your time in the spotlight is no more. But this can’t be! I am someone! At least, I was…

Panic sets in. You jump up, scratching cucumber slices from your eyes as you begin typing furiously at the keyboard. You’ll just Google yourself…instant affirmation…here we go…and…oh no. Is this true? You want to laugh it off, to scoff at the absurdity of it, but you know. Everyone knows that the internet never lies. And there it is. The top story. An appearance at an anti-war rally. In 2005. You want to scream. So you do. At Raul, the pool boy. But Raul is gone too, and your shrieking demand for a tart cherry and lentil smoothie echoes hauntingly through the cold halls of your modest mansion in the Hills.

Fear grips your heart, and in desperation you reach out to the one person you know will always be there for you. Because you pay him a lot. Your publicist picks up at the other end, the awkward gulping betraying his constant struggle to reconcile a hyperactive, caffeine-driven intensity with a fondness for chili cheese fries. Quick, you command, get your tail over here, it’s urgent. You tell him. My career is on life support, I have no real principles or convictions that would give my life meaning outside of the self-indulgent social activism circuit, and I need a jumpstart. I need to be noticed again. So be here in five, and I want ideas from you. Click.

He’s there in four and a half, and you’ve managed not to drive your hybrid into the swimming pool in the meantime. He hands over some scribbled notes, and as your eyes race down the list, you start to relax. These are all good ideas, each capable of landing you squarely back in the limelight where you belong. And you only need one. A little shot of adrenaline, that’s all it takes. In no time, you’ll be back in the saddle, between the middle and the top of the A-list, baby.

1. Start a campaign for a Strom Thurmond memorial on the mall in Washington, D.C.

2. Occupy Hollywood Hills.

3. Sell your own line of industrial grade caulk.

4. Give a speech at Harvard on why there aren’t many black quarterbacks in the NFL.

5. Dancing With The Stars.

6. Thelma and Louise 2.

7. Spearhead a movement to invest in energy-saving solar panels.

8. Call the Pope a Nazi.

And there it is, the last one on the list. Of course, why hadn’t you thought of that yourself? So pithy, so controversial, so utterly asinine. So you. A sigh of relief. You dismiss your publicist like the paid slave he is, and decide you need some fresh cucumber slices. Where’s Raul?

Marriage Does Not Need Redefinition: Marriage in Maryland Needs Your Support

Marriage in Maryland Needs Your Support Now

Take Action!

Tell Your State Delegates that You Care How They Vote
Issue: You raised your voices earlier this year and stopped the redefinition of marriage in our state. And the whole country took notice. We need you to stand strong and make your voices heard again. Maryland's General Assembly is meeting this week in special session and it is time to remind legislators that Maryland's Catholics support the long-held definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.

You will receive two CAN alerts from the Maryland Catholic Conference. One will target your delegates, who sent the same-sex marriage bill back to committee without taking a vote. The second alert will target your state senator, who either voted for or against the bill. Please open both alerts and make your voice heard!

Two weeks ago a statewide poll showed an 8 percentage-point swing against same-sex marriage since January. Before the legislative session began in January and before people realized how close the General Assembly was to redefining marriage, 51% of respondents said that they would favor same-sex marriage with 44% against. Now, the numbers are flipping with 49% opposed to same-sex marriage and 48% in favor.

Marriage, recognized by societies throughout human history, originates in a simple biological fact. This unique union of one man and one woman is the only human relationship capable of creating children and nurturing them together as father and mother.

Treating heterosexual and same-sex relationships differently is not unjust discrimination, and upholding the truth of marriage does not ignore the rights or the equal dignity of all human persons. Instead, stripping marriage of its unique connection to parenthood erases a child's right to a mother and father, and ignores an essential question of why government favors marriage between one man and one woman over all other relationships.

Action: Please click the blue "take action" link near the top right corner of the page or click here now. Urge your state delegates to support traditional marriage and oppose same-sex marriage.

It’s easy to stay connected: Follow the MCC on Twitter and LIKE us on Facebook for legislative updates, information and action.

Visit our marriage website for more information on marriage.

*****

To ensure that you continue to receive alerts, please add kdempsey@mdcathcon.org to your approved senders' list.


If you no longer wish to receive mail from us, please click here.
The Maryland Catholic Conference
10 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
410.269.1155 / 301.261.1979
410.269.1790 (fax)

info@mdcathcon.org

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Vocation Thursdays: Priest finds joy in work that no material thing can give

By Monsignor Robert J. Panke
I love being a priest. When I shared this fact in a homily a few years back on a college campus, a young man came to me after Mass and told me he had never heard that from a priest. He had no idea priests were happy. He respected the sacrifices of priests, was grateful for the ministry they provided, but the thought of priests as happy never entered his mind. I am happy to report that most priests do experience a great deal of joy in their life amidst the sacrifices. Priests live a life in deep relationship with God and in service to the people they serve. It is in this receiving from God and the gift of self that one finds the joy that no material thing in the world can give.
I experienced this truth firsthand in my life. I was blessed to have been raised in a strong Catholic family, going to public schools until attending the Catholic University of America. After graduating, my life on paper looked pretty good. I was working in Chicago, had a great apartment, and good friends. But I was experiencing an inner lack of joy and could not figure out why. I believed in God, but my faith had waned considerably. It was a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine in Europe that changed my life. I realized the one thing missing in my life was the most important relationship one can have: God was missing me, and without knowing it, I was missing him.
I was pretty much living for myself at that time in my life, and the empty feeling that came from my selfishness was replaced by the generous love of our Lord. God gave me a taste of the happiness and peace that comes from living a life centered on him and others and not on self, and so I pursued that path, which eventually led to the priesthood. People often ask why I chose the priesthood, and I reply with great confidence that I did not choose the priesthood, God chose it for me. It is God who calls the priest through an interior desire, as he did the early apostles, and I am convinced that following the will of God brings one the greatest happiness and freedom.
Once I remember rushing to the hospital late one evening to anoint a woman who was about to die. Just moments before, she was happily having dinner with her family. These are the difficult moments in life that our Lord very frequently asks the priest to enter. After reassuring the family of God’s deep love for her and reminding them of the promise of eternal life and a great family reunion in heaven that is sure to take place if we trust in God, her husband remarked, “Thanks for bringing Christ to us.” It is in these moments that I realize why God called me to this life of sacrifice, to bring Christ to the world. There are so many moments when the priest brings Jesus to the people through teaching, service, and the sacraments. It is hard to explain the deep joy and satisfaction that one receives in the priesthood but it is evident to me and to the overwhelming majority of priests who are good and faithful in their vocation. I love being a priest.
(Recommended reading: “Why Priests Are Happy: A Study of the Psychological and Spiritual Health of Priests” by Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, associate dean for seminary and ministerial programs and clinical associate professor of pastoral studies at the Catholic University of America.)
Monsignor Robert J. Panke is rector of Blessed John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C. He received a B.A. in financial management from the Catholic University of America in 1989 and worked in the hotel and restaurant management industry before entering the priesthood.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò named US Nuncio

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has named His Excellency Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò apostolic nuncio to the United States as indicated in this morning's Vatican bulletin.

The Pope has also named, as Bishop of Bismarck, Monsignor David D. Kagan, priest of the Diocese of Rockford and serving until now as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia.


NOMINA DEL NUNZIO APOSTOLICO NEGLI STATI UNITI D’AMERICA
Il Santo Padre ha nominato Nunzio Apostolico negli Stati Uniti d’America S।E. Mons. Carlo Maria Viganò, Arcivescovo tit. di Ulpiana.

Il Papa ha nominato Vescovo di Bismarck (USA.) Mons. David D. Kagan, del clero della diocesi di Rockford, finora Vicario Generale e Moderatore della Curia.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Sancti Lucae Evangelistae: "Opera manuum eius annuntiat firmamentum"

In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum: et in fines orbis terra verba eorum. Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei: et opera ejus annuntiat firmamentum.
-- Ps. 18, 5 et 2

Photo: Blessed John Paul II rose by MCITL.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Holy Mass for Blessed Karl of Austria to be celebrated in Washington, DC, on 21 October 2011

Solemn High Mass for Blessed Karl of Austria will be celebrated at the Church of Saint Mary, Mother of God, in Washington, DC, on Friday, 21 October at 7:30 pm. Members of the Hapsburg family will be present and a reception will follow.

Medal for Bravery, bronze (Bronzene Tapferkeitsmedaille), Emperor Karl I, 1917-1918 issue.


Blessed Charles I of Austria and his wife Zita, who bore him eight children, are good patrons of marriage and family life.

Blessed Emperor Karl with consort Zita and son Otto.

"Karl was a great leader, a prince of peace, who wanted to save the world from a year of war; a statesman with ideas to save his people from the complicated problems of his empire; a king who loved his people, a fearless man, a noble soul, distinguished, a saint from whose grave blessings come." - Herbert Vivian

Let us pray

O Blessed Emperor Karl, you accepted the difficult tasks and burdensom challenges God gave you during your life. In every thought, decision and action you trusted always in the Holy Trinity.
We pray you to intercede for us with the Lord our God to give us faith and courage, so that even in the most difficult situations of our earthly lives we may not lose heart, but continue faithfully in the footsteps of Christ.
Ask for us the grace that our hearts may be molded into the likeness of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Help us to work with compassion and strength for the poor and needy, to fight with courage for peace in our homes and in the world, and in every situation to trustingly place our lives in the hands of God, until we reach Him, as you did, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Imprimatur: Archdiocese of Vienna, May 18, 2004

"give back to God what belongs to God": every human being bears the “image” of God and so belongs to Him


We are what we worship.

From José Antonio Pagola:

The question that some Pharisees put to Jesus, in collaboration with the Herodians, was evidently aimed to trap him: “Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

If he said that it was licit, Jesus would be discredited before the people who would turn against him, and become easy prey for the Pharisees. If he said that it was not licit, he could be accused of being an agitator of the people against the Romans – who had flocked to the streets of Jerusalem for the Easter celebrations. Any such provocation could result in a rebellion against Caesar.

Without getting into any argument, Jesus just asked them, “Let me see the money you pay the tax with.” And he added, “Whose head is this, whose name?” They replied: “Caesar’s Tiberius, son of the divine Augustus.” Jesus, with that simple question, left them speechless.

Jesus, then, drew his own conclusion: if that image belongs to Caesar, “Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.” Return the coin to Caesar, as a symbol of his political power. You have been using the coins as barter in all your business transactions. Just follow those rules.

Jesus, however, is not subject to the Emperor of Rome, rather “seeking the kingdom of God and his justice”, and so he adds something that nobody had asked him: “Very well, give back to God what belongs to God.” That coin had the image of Tiberius, but every human being bears the “image” of God and so belongs to Him. Never sacrifice humans to any power. On the contrary, protect them.

Friday, October 14, 2011

News Alert: Kansas City Bishop Is Indicted for Failing to Report Abuse

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Friday, October 14, 2011 -- 3:27 PM EDT
-----

Kansas City Bishop Is Indicted for Failing to Report Abuse

The Roman Catholic bishop of Kansas City, Robert Finn, and the diocese he leads have been indicted by a state grand jury on a charge of "failure to report suspected child abuse" in the case of a priest who had been accused of taking lewd photographs of young girls.
The indictment is the first ever of a Catholic bishop in the 25 years since the scandal over sexual abuse by priests first became public in the United States.
Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/us/kansas-city-bishop-indicted-in-reporting-of-abuse-by-priest.html?emc=na

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Thursday, October 13, 2011

"Comunque, siamo amici": Requiescat in pace Monica di Maulo


A wife and mother, a woman who loved to dance and who loved America and made many friends here, has departed this life. She leaves behind a good man who is her husband and their two daughters.

Once, early in our acquaintance, when the idea of friendship can seem quite tenuous and one can be unsure of its progress, she said a very generous and beautiful thing: "Comunque, siamo amici", that is to say, "anyway, we are friends".

Yes, we are friends: in all ways, always, and despite all.

Already, we pray, she is performing the most beautiful dance of her life for the most wonderful audience of all: God and His angels and saints.

We pray you rest in the peace of Christ, the Lamb of God, who is seated upon the throne and we pray you now hear Him say these wonderful words to you, "Comunque, siamo amici".

Rest in peace, Monica, as the friend now of Christ the Lord forever and ever. Amen.

In photo: Monica, left, with friends. Courtesy of Facebook friend Ana Lozar.

ACLJ: ObamaCare biggest expansion of abortion in US since Roe v. Wade

Dear Reader,
ObamaCare is the biggest expansion of abortion in the United States since Roe v. Wade. It has the potential of funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into abortion businesses – using our tax dollars.
am pleased to report that there is a new effort in Congress to strip most of the abortion funding provisions out of ObamaCare. A bipartisan group in Congress, led by Congressmen Joe Pitts and Dan Lipinski, has introduced the Protect Life Act, H.R. 358. The bill is clear and unambiguous; it makes it illegal for taxpayer dollars to fund abortion or abortion insurance coverage.
This critical piece of pro-life legislation is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives on Thursday, October 13th. We will once again have an opportunity to see which Members of Congress who claim to be pro-life are truly pro-life.Pro-abortion opponents of this bill claim that ObamaCare doesn’t fund abortion – which just isn’t true. All truly pro-life Members of Congress should support this bill, to ensure once and for all that no taxpayer will be required to subsidize the heinous practice of abortion.
As a matter of fact, in addition to preventing funding for abortions, the Protect Life Act provides conscience protection for health care providers who refuse to participate in abortions, prohibiting them from being discriminated against for their pro-life views.
While we will continue fighting against all of ObamaCare’s unconstitutional provisions as it makes its way to the Supreme Court, it is important that we cut off ObamaCare’s pro-abortion provisions immediately.
The ACLJ strongly supports the Protect Life Act and we encourage you to contact your Member of Congress to let them know that you support this critical pro-life legislation.
The ACLJ has provided an easy-to-use tool for finding and contacting your Member of Congress on our website. Please use our Contact Congress page to urge your Member of Congress to support the Protect Life Act, H.R. 358 today.Thank you for your active support for the lives of the unborn. I will continue to keep you informed about this life-saving bill.
Jay Sekulow
ACLJ Chief Counsel
To ensure that you continue to receive e-mails from the ACLJ,please add jsekulow@action.aclj.org to your address book.Connect to ACLJ Connect to Jay Sekulow
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American Center for Law and Justice
P.O. Box 90555, Washington, D.C. 20090-0555
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Vocation Thursdays: Most Priests Are Happy, Appreciate Celibacy

ZE11100501 - 2011-10-05
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-33600?l=english

Study: Most Priests Are Happy, Appreciate Celibacy

Interview With Monsignor Stephen Rossetti

By Genevieve Pollock

WASHINGTON, D.C., OCT. 5, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Priests in general are among the happiest members of society, says Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, and contrary to secular opinion, most embrace celibacy as a positive aspect of their vocation.

These were some of the conclusions outlined by Monsignor Rossetti in his book, “Why Priests Are Happy” (Ave Maria Press), which will be released Wednesday.

The author, who is currently serving as associate dean for seminary and ministerial programs at The Catholic University of America, also wrote “Born of the Eucharist,” “The Joy of Priesthood,” and “When the Lion Roars.” As a licensed psychologist, Monsignor Rossetti previously worked as president and CEO of Saint Luke’s Institute, a treatment and education center for clergy and religious.

The author surveyed 2,500 priests, and made discoveries that modern society might find surprising.

In this interview with ZENIT, he explained some of these findings, including the correlation between a priest’s happiness and his relationship with God and others, and the signs of hope for the future of the priesthood.

Read the whole story at Zenit.org.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Requiescat in pace: Dr. Luigi Giacometti

Dr. Luigi Giacometti

NIH Scientist and Scholar

Dr. Luigi Giacometti, 85, who retired as chief of the Center for Scientific Review at the National Institute of Health after serving at NIH for 28 years, died at Potomac Manor Care on October 9, 2011 of natural causes.

A resident of Rockville, Maryland for over thirty years, Dr. Giacometti was born and raised in the small village of Gubbio, in Umbria, Italy, where as a young boy during World War II, he was an eyewitness to Hitler’s visit to Rome in May of 1938. Later, once the war began, he joined his older brother and became a member of the “Partisan Resistance”, the underground Italian resistance movement, working with the Allies to fight the Nazi occupation. While serving as a guerilla fighter in the Apennine Mountains, he and a group of other partisans were captured by Nazi soldiers. Dr. Giacometti escaped execution when a local priest convinced the Nazis to release the young teenager. After his release, Dr. Giacometti continued to serve as a Partisan Resistance fighter, ferrying critical messages between the Partisan Resistance forces and the British Army until the war ended.

After the war, Dr. Giacometti completed his studies, received a degree in biology, and married his wife, Filippina Mannucci. In January of 1956, when Filippina was 8 months pregnant, Dr. Giacometti and Filippina emigrated to the United States on the Italian liner the Andrea Doria, and while crossing the Atlantic Ocean their first daughter, Andrea, was born on board the ship.

On arriving in the United States, Dr. Giacometti became the chief of the perinatal laboratory at Providence Lying-In Hospital in Rhode Island. Soon thereafter he became a pre-doctoral fellow at Providence Hospital, enrolled in the graduate program at Brown University, and earned his M.Sci. and Ph.D. in biology in 1964. Dr. Giacometti then spent 5 years as a scientist at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center in Beverton. His groundbreaking research focused on the structure and function of skin in humans and primates, and he was noted for his accomplishments in the field of Langerhans cells in human skin, previously thought to be lifeless until Dr. Giacometti demonstrated they were living cells. He also conducted innovative and unique research on Egyptian mummies, identifying for the first time remnants of red blood cells in ancient tissue samples, and pioneering methods for retrieving cells from mummies.

In 1969 Dr. Giacometti became associate professor of dermatology at the University of Oregon Medical School and scientific director of the Oregon Zoology Research Center. In addition to his noted skin research he coordinated research devoted to developing animal models for human diseases and for conserving wildlife species. From 1968 until 1972 he also served as honorary Italian vice-counsel for the government of Italy in Portland, Oregon.

Dr. Giacometti moved to Rockville in 1972 after accepting a grant from NIH to study diseases related to the human eye. From 1973 to 1977, he served as director of the Extramural Corneal Disease and Cataract Program at the National Eye Institute. In 1977 he became chief of the visual sciences study session at the Division of Research Grants, and then ultimately became chief of the Center for Scientific Review.

Dr. Giacometti was an accomplished author, writing several books and articles on various topics from religion and politics to art and science, including a treatise on Jesus Christ “Who Was Jesus of Nazareth”. He spoke fluent Italian and English, taught courses in the Italian language and on Italian art. He was a member of Parliamo Italiano, an Italian language club based in Potomac, Maryland.

Beloved husband of Filippina Mannucci, he is survived by two daughters, Andrea R. Giacometti, MD, of Arlington, Virginia, and Elena F. Kennedy, Esq. of Potomac, Maryland; two grandchildren Brian and Christina Kennedy; and many devoted friends and former colleagues.

Family and friends will be received at PUMPHREY’S BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE FUNERAL HOME, 7557 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814 on Thursday, October 13, 2011 from 3-5PM and 7-9PM. Mass of Christian burial will be offered at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church, 1592 Kimblewick Road (Falls and Dunster Roads) Potomac, MD20854 on Friday, October 14 at 10AM. Interment Gate of HeavenCemetery following Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his honor to Potomac Manor Care, 10714 Potomac Tennis Lane, Potomac, MD 20854 Attn: Kara Noble. Please view and sign the family guestbook at www.pumphreyfuneralhome.com. In addition, there will be a reception - tentatively planned to be held in Bethesda - after the burial service, details of which will be provided at the burial service.

Zenit to lose independence from Legionaries of Christ

Note: All six editors of Zenit have quit the organization. This after the Legionaries of Christ asked for the resignation of the founding editor. If Zenit is to be no longer a trusted, objective news source for the universal Church, and instead an organ for promoting the exclusive organizational interests of the LCs, it would be a significant loss.

--((((..))))


Zenit’s editors quit over Legion decision

8 Comments

Rome, Italy, Oct 10, 2011 / 10:24 am (CNA/EWTN News).-

Zenit news service’s six editors resigned their positions Oct. 7, citing their disagreement with the Legionaries of Christ’s plans to increase the outlet's ties to the order.


In a statement signed by the six editors, and addressed to Zenit readers, the editors state, "After years of fruitful collaboration with the Legionaries of Christ, we disagree with the decision of the congregation to underline the institutional dependence of the agency on the Legion. "The initial vision of ZENIT was never to make it a service of a particular congregation, but rather of the universal Church. This has been the spirit with which we have worked throughout the years, and the spirit we could not betray." "We warmly thank all our readers for their loyalty and support throughout the years, and we hope to be able to continue to work for the Church and for all those who seek the truth, in another manner, but always with the same spirit," they said.

Gisèle Plantec (French), Mirko Testa (Italian), Inma Álvarez (Spanish), Karna Swanson (English), Alexandre Ribeiro (Portuguese) and Tony Assaf (Arabic) have all informed the CEO of Zenit, Alberto Ramírez Puig, of their departure. The position of editor in German is vacant.

Zenit is a news service promoted by the Legionaries of Christ, which has expressed its desire to change the identity of Zenit from an independent news agency at the service of the Church to one with a more institutional dependence on the congregation. In 1997, Jesús Colina founded Zenit and asked the Legionaries of Christ to act as spiritual advisors to ensure fidelity to the magisterium.

For the past 14 years, the agency has worked independently of the congregation. Colina was informed earlier this year that the Legionaries wanted to change the identity of the agency, and asked for his resignation, which he tendered Sept. 27. At the time, he cited a lack of mutual trust and transparency between himself and the Legion, in both editorial and financial matters, and a fundamental disagreement with the future direction of Zenit.

Zenit publishes in seven languages and sends its daily service to some 450,000 subscribers.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

All is ready... Come to the feast


Fr Dawid in procession to celebrate his first wedding banquet of the lamb: the holy Sacrifice of the Mass. A tradition in Poland, young women walk with the newly ordained priest and his mother to the church where the first Mass will be celebrated.

Friday, October 7, 2011

"Ave Maria": Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary



A blessed feast day to all of Mary's children in the Church militant, suffering and triumphant..

Thursday, October 6, 2011

The false category of "Pre-Vatican II": "there cannot be a pre-Conciliar and post-Conciliar Church"

Yours will probably be the first generation that will correctly interpret the Second Vatican Council, not according to the "spirit" of the Council, which has brought so much disorientation to the Church, but according to what the Conciliar Event really said, in its texts to the Church and to the world.

There is no Vatican II different from the one that produced the texts we have in our possession today! It is in those texts that we find that will of God for his Church and it is to them that we must refer, accompanied by two thousand years of Tradition and Christian life.

Renewal is always necessary for the Church, because the conversion of her members, poor sinners, is always necessary! But there cannot be, nor could there be, a pre-Conciliar Church and a post-Conciliar Church! Were it thus, the second one - ours - would be historically and theologically illegitimate!

There is only one Church of Christ, of which you are part, that goes from Our Lord to the Apostles, from the Blessed Virgin Mary to the Fathers and the Doctors of the Church, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, from Romanesque to Gothic to Baroque, and thus until our days, uninterruptedly, without any solution of continuity, ever!

And all that because the Church is the Body of Christ, it is the unity of His Person that is given unto us, her members!

You, most dear Seminarians, will be priests in the same Church of Saint Augustine, of Saint Ambrose, of Saint Thomas Aquinas, of Saint Charles Borromeo, of Saint John Mary Vianney, of Saint John Bosco, of Saint Pius X, up to Saint Padre Pio, Saint Josemaría Escrivá and Blessed John Paul II. You will be priests of the same Church that has been made up of so many holy Priests who, throughout the centuries, have rendered the face of Christ, Lord of the world, luminous, beautiful, radiant, and, therefore, easily recognizable.

"These were the main words of the powerful address delivered by Cardinal Piacenza, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, to seminarians in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on October 4 - the address is available in Italian and in Spanish in the Congregation's website"

-- Thanks to Rorate Caeli

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

No Same-Sex Weddings at West Point's Catholic Chapel, Says Military Archdiocese

By Pete Winn
October 3, 2011
Subscribe to Pete Winn's posts

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. (Photo courtesy of the archdiocese.)

(CNSNews.com) – Will same-sex marriage ceremonies be allowed at the Catholic Chapel of the Most Holy Trinity at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point?

“The answer is ‘no,’” said Taylor Henry, director of public affairs and media relations for the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and spokesman for Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who certifies all Catholic chaplains for the armed services.

“Holy Trinity is an actual Catholic parish, unlike the non-denominational chapels that are found on other military installations, and the only services held there are Catholic services. The Catholic Church does not perform the sacrament of matrimony for same-sex couples,” he said.
What about other Catholic chapels on other military bases?

“What non-Catholic chaplains do in nondenominational chapels on U.S. military grounds around the world will be up to the military, but no Catholic chaplain is authorized to perform a same-sex marriage under any circumstances,” Henry added.

Archbishop Broglio, meanwhile, has denounced directives issued last week by Under Secretary of Defense Clifford Stanley and DoD General Counsel Jeh Johnson clearing military chaplains to perform same-sex weddings in military chapels.

“The Pentagon's new policy, as outlined in these two memos, appears to ignore the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which was signed into law 15 years ago and remains in effect,” Broglio said in a statement released last week.

“Undersecretary Stanley cannot say, on the one hand, that chaplains may take part in any private ceremony as long as it is ‘not prohibited by applicable state and local law,’ and on the other, say nothing of the federal law.

“Nor can DOD's General Counsel say that determinations regarding use of military facilities should be made on a 'sexual-orientation neutral basis, provided such use is not prohibited by applicable state and local laws' while neglecting to take DOMA into account.
Broglio pointed out that voters in 29 states have affirmed marriage as the union of one man and one woman by referendum – and 41 states total have adopted laws or constitutional amendments protecting marriage. .

“Fundamentally the new policy seeks to circumvent the clear will of the majority, whose unquestionable sovereignty has the last word in the system of government enshrined in the Federal Constitution,” Broglio said.

“It cannot be forgotten that the 1996 enactment of DOMA was due to the efforts of a substantial, bi-partisan majority in Congress and to then-President Clinton. As a Nation we walk down a dangerous path when appointed officials are allowed to thwart the will of the people.

He added: “The women and men I am privileged to serve place their lives on the line every day to defend the Country whose government is of the people, by the people, and for the people. Let us pray that the millions who have died to ensure those liberties did not die in vain."

The Archdiocese for the Military Services is the sole endorser (certifier) of Roman Catholic chaplains to the United States government. A Roman Catholic priest cannot serve within the United States military as a priest without the express permission of the Archdiocese.

As of 2008, there were 285 Roman Catholic priests certified for active-duty military service.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Support of Susan G. Komen Foundation can be a scandal because of abortion ties

"... the Foundation allows its affiliates to offer financial support to abortion providing facilities, publicly denies studies showing abortion as a contributing cause of breast cancer, and endorses embryonic stem cell research. Therefore, parishes should not participate in activities that benefit Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure."

Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Baltimore Statement

Below is a statement from the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Baltimore on the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization, along with a “Frequently Asked Questions” statement.

Please feel free to share with those who are interested in or concerned about the Race for the Cure activities.

Archdiocese of Baltimore| Position Statement on Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
Issued January 7, 2011.

The Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Baltimore acknowledges the beneficial work of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in the area of breast cancer detection, prevention, research and treatment. Due to its policy allowing affiliates to offer financial support to abortion providing facilities, its public denial of studies showing abortion as a contributing cause of breast cancer, and its endorsement of embryonic stem cell research, the Respect Life Office neither supports nor encourages participation in activities that benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This position is based on the following facts:

1) Public records indicate that Susan G. Komen for the Cure (“Komen”) affiliates (as of 2010 Maryland is not among them) provided grants to local Planned Parenthood chapters for breast health care services.1 Money donated to Planned Parenthood for a specific service, i.e. breast health care, directly frees up funds to support other areas of the organization’s operation, i.e. contraception and sterilization services, “safe” sex education and abortion. In addition, Komen’s website states: “A minimum of 25 percent of the net proceeds from any Komen Affiliate event directly supports Komen’s (national) Research Grants and Awards Program. Any not-for-profit organization may apply for a grant from Komen.” In 2007 Komen-Maryland sent 50% of the funds raised here ($2.6 million) to the national office.
Though Komen’s grants were for breast health care services, Planned Parenthood (the largest single abortion provider in the country) stated in its 2007-2008 annual report that 31,729 fewer breast exams and 15,560 more abortions were provided in 2007 than in 2006.2

2) The Komen website dismisses the link between procured abortion and increased risk of breast cancer.3 However, multiple studies indicate otherwise. Recent studies include those of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center4, Joel Brind, Ph.D., a professor of Endocrinology and founder of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute5, and the work of Dr. Janet Daling, a leading cancer epidemiologist. Daling, a pro-choice advocate, said, “I would have loved to have found no association between breast cancer and abortion, but our research is rock solid, and our data is accurate. It’s not a matter of believing, it’s a matter of what is.”6 As part of a comprehensive search for a cure, we encourage Komen to either fund further studies on the link between breast cancer and abortion, or avoid prematurely denying any possibility of a connection.

3) Komen endorses embryonic stem cell research, which requires the destruction of embryonic human life, stating that, “embryonic stem cells are currently considered to have the most potential for use in the regeneration of diseased or injured tissues” for cancer stem cell research.7 The destruction of human life at any stage of development is never morally acceptable. As of this writing, embryonic stem cell research, unlike adult stem cell research which has a proven record of cures and treatments, has yet to be effective in treating a single disease.

The Respect Life Office encourages you to contact Susan G. Komen for the Cure (5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250 ▪ Dallas, TX 75244) and urge the organization to end to all associations between Komen (and its affiliates) and Planned Parenthood, to support further studies of the link between breast cancer and abortion, and to end the endorsement of research that leads to the destruction of any human life.

The patients and families who are victims of this terrible illness remain in our prayers, and we encourage all to continue supporting all those who are suffering or in spiritual, physical or financial need. As of this publication date, we believe the following organizations support morally licit breast cancer research and prevention, however, as with all charitable contributions, we encourage you to obtain the most current information possible before offering your support.

The Breast Cancer Prevention Institute 30 Rehill Avenue, Suite 3400 Somerville, NJ 08876 USA 1-86-NO CANCER (1-866-622-6237) www.bcpinstitute.org

Coalition on Abortion / Breast Cancer P.O. Box 957133 Hoffman Estates, IL 60195-3051 1-877-803-0102 www.abortionbreastcancer.com

1 Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Research and Grants. Retrieved June 3, 2010 from http://ww5.komen.org/GrantDescription.aspx?CID=29029, and
http://ww5.komen.org/FindAGrantResults.aspx?location=&keywords=planned.