Among America’s amazing pantheon of founders, Patrick Henry stands out for his stirring speeches and fervent commitment to liberty, virtue, and small government. The Virginia planter, lawyer, and politician strongly denounced Great Britain’s political and economic control of the American colonies and played a leading role in the movement for independence. More controversially, Henry’s love […]
Unexpected things happen all the time but certain things have the power to convey a message to the collective psyche of a nation. Less frequently there are events that can alter the course of human affairs on a planetary scale. The killing of Archduke Francis Ferdinand that ushered a century of unspeakable violence was one […]
Today, hundreds of thousands of pro-life people gathered in Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life, commemorating the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that struck down existing state laws protecting unborn children. For those who have been on the March or seen footage of it on EWTN (you can hardly […]
An international commission committed to the promotion and protection of human rights in the Americas recently published two reports that challenge laws protecting life from conception in both North and South America. One report published by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights denies physicians the right to conscientiously object to performing an abortion, while the […]
I was a student at Saint Louis University School of Law when I learned of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v.Wade. It was in a class taught by the late Gerald T. Dunne. Dunne was a biographer of Supreme Court Justices Joseph Story and Hugo Black; he was a decorated Navy veteran of World War II (Silver […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 95:1-2,6-9; 1 Corinthians 7:32-35; Mark 1:21-28) Being Alert to the Attacks of the Evil One “Quiet!” (Mark 1:25) Today’s Gospel warns us to be on guard because evil spirits are constantly at work tempting us and harassing us. This warning is even more urgent […]
Who’s calling the shots over at the Girl Scouts? And where’s the organization headed? The questions matter for two reasons. First, it’s cookie season. Any day now some cute little girls wearing green sashes and bright smiles will knock on your door and sweetly seek support for their projects, badges, and activities. Do you write […]
Animated Pen WRITE the story of your life. Write the STORY of your life. Write the story of YOUR LIFE. Write with crayons gathered off the floor after a long day of Legos, carpools, and snack requests fulfilled. Write on bed sheets changed, and washed, and changed day after wet night, after night. […]
Thirty-nine years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in Roe v. Wade, that the laws outlawing abortion in Texas were unconstitutional because a woman had a right to privacy, guaranteed by the Constitution. Suddenly, the unborn had no legal protection in the United States. But Roe v. Wade did not just deny legal protection to […]
The struggle is over, I have been defeated The room here is covered with evil and gloom An unborn child in the womb of my mother A nurse and a doctor plan to tear me apart No crime was committed but my sentence is murder My mother lies scared and in terrible pain My father […]
The Flower Twisting, strangling itself To see The flower is mad Ever seeking the most beautiful Of seven different suns Moved by every wind Indulging every mad whim, sapped of strength Now weak and flattened to the grasses The flower must choose One Sun or die Michele Marie
The politically approved scientific use of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) for research and experimentation has plagued our quest for recognition of intrinsic human rights ever since the first such experiment became public in 1993. In 1998, a University of Wisconsin press release touted a discovery by UW researcher James Thomson and stated, “The dream […]
Before seminary I worked as a reporter. In the news business we used a saying to determine whether a story merited front-page coverage or should be placed on the back page. “If it bleeds, it leads.” In newspaper jargon, it means, “If you want blood, we’ve got it,” and never let the facts get in […]
Friday, January 20, 2012, the Obama administration announced that faith-based institutions must cover free contraception for employees. While mainstream media tries to pass this off as merely covering “the pill,” it also includes sterilization and abortifacients. (See the AP story here.) Regardless, Catholics (and other religious denominations) are being forced to accept insurance coverage for […]
Republican Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich’s comments during the Presidential Republican debate on January 19, 2012 and the audience’s reaction are telling, and saddening. An angry Newt Gingrich criticized the media at the start of tonight’s Republican presidential debate for focusing on questions about his personal life, including allegations that he asked for an “open marriage” […]
An interview with Catholic author, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, on Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Welcome , Donna-Marie! As you know, I’m a devoted fan of your books, so it’s an honor to have you join us to chat about your absolutely superb new booklet through Ave Maria Press, Bringing Lent Home With Mother Teresa: Prayers, Reflections, […]
Although many Muslim leaders openly articulate their efforts as part of a larger picture—one that culminates in the resurrection of a caliphate adversarial by nature to all things non-Muslim—many Western leaders see only the moment, either out of context or, worse, in a false context built atop wishful thinking. Among other things, this myopia causes […]
My husband gets a local newspaper generated from the town in which his parents and grandparents resided. There is a feeling of “keeping in touch” with his roots in this, that I envy. His mother’s extended family still get together every so often for reunions and we’ve always enjoyed attending these and catching up with […]
Yesterday, according to press reports, the Obama administration refused to change a controversial rule that would require religious institutions, in violation of their conscience, to pay for contraceptive drugs— including those that could cause an abortion. Instead, the administration merely delayed the effective date of the rule by one year. The rule is currently subject to […]
Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on today’s announcement from the Obama administration that it is going forward with its original “Obamacare” policy that mandates coverage of sterilization and contraceptive services in most healthcare plans: Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius said today that aside from houses of worship, all other religious agencies […]
GOP presidential hopefuls – most notably Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry – have been attempting to derail Golden Boy Mitt Romney’s campaign momentum by attacking his background as a venture capitalist, deriding as “vulture capitalism” the practice of acquiring businesses through leveraged buyouts and attempting to increase their value through cutting costs, laying off workers and […]
University of Chicago biologist Jerry Coyne has an interesting post over at his blog “Why Evolution Is True,” which hits on something I care a lot about: science and religion. Specifically whether they go together or not. Coyne mentions two posts from the New York Times blogs, one against naturalism and one in favor of […]
Americans United for Life (AUL) has released its seventh annual “Life List” — a ranking of all 50 states based on the way each deals with a comprehensive list of life issues — from abortion to euthanasia. For the second time in three years, Louisiana tops the list, followed closely by Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and […]
Generosity is dramatically exemplified by the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem. I’m guessing their arrival on the scene was a surprise to Mary and Joseph, an unscheduled blessing. Nothing announced the Magi’s coming. They read the signs of their times—and the stars in the sky—and took it upon themselves to visit and offer gifts […]
