A Light to the Nations
Although United Nations (UN) deliberations primarily concern international affairs, they still affect the lives of citizens in the United States. Prolife and pro-family organizations must be involved at the UN to be effective in shaping a culture of life here in America. The Holy See has asked that Catholic organizations become more active at the United Nations in order to help the Vatican’s efforts to establish a global “culture of peace.” This culture is brought about by promoting and defending respect for human life from conception until natural death as well as integral human development. Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) of … Continue reading
Ask CUF: Is All Smoking Sinful?
I fully admit that there are health risks in smoking a cigarette, but a Protestant friend insists that all smoking is sinful. A zero-tolerance approach to all tobacco use seems pharisaical, or at least puritanical. Is there an argument that at least opens the door to occasional smoking? While she warns against intemperate use of tobacco, the Church has not condemned smoking outright. There are, however, strong practical objections to cigarettes that might make the discussion brief. Over a billion people on earth smoke, but an increased awareness of health risks makes the choice seem less reasonable. For example, from … Continue reading
How Does the Church Elect a New Pope?
When the time has come for a new Holy Pontiff to be elected, the members of the college of cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel and have no contact with the outside world. After each vote they burn the ballots. If no Pope was elected, the smoke is black. If the election was successful, the smoke will be white. What is the College of Cardinals? The college of cardinals refers collectively to the cardinals of the Catholic Church. “College” comes from the Latin word “collegium,” meaning “society” and from which we derive cognates such as “collection” and “colleague.” Cardinals themselves … Continue reading
Mission: Possible–Five Undercover Pro-Life Saints Who Intercede, Encourage, and Inspire
When Catholics think of the pro-life movement, the stories and images frequently recalled are St. Gerard Majella (the Redemptorist priest who is now invoked as the patron saint of expectant mothers), Our Lady of Guadalupe (the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in which she appeared to Juan Diego as a pregnant Mother to Jesus, and Mother to ‘Juanito’ and all people, as she crushes the head of the serpent), St. Joseph (the husband of Mary who is also regarded as a patron of expectant mothers, as well as foster and adoptive parents), and St. Gianna Molla (the 20th century … Continue reading
Murder, By Any Other Name
When I was in medical school in the early 1980s, I saw a number of people die. But I only saw one human being deliberately killed. On a surgical rotation in my second or third year, two or three of us were instructed to go to another hospital in town and observe a procedure. We dutifully lined up against the back wall of an operating room and watched as a woman underwent some sort of suction procedure. It was only later that I was sickened to learn that what we had really witnessed was an abortion—one of 52 million that … Continue reading
The Incredible Versatility of Pro-Active Pro-Lifers
Pro-lifers only care about fetuses before they’re born. If they were really pro-life, they’d work to care for the mom and her children after the delivery, too!” If you’re pro-life, you’ve heard this comment a thousand times. I heard it again last night on Facebook: a prochoice fellow scoffed, “‘Pro-life’ is such a misnomer these days. I’m more pro-life than most self-proclaimed pro-lifers.” Genuinely curious, I asked him to be more specific. He responded: I tend to focus more on the lives of nonhumans, which are no less precious or important, and I make it a point to preserve life … Continue reading
The New Normal
As they were for so many families across the world, the 2012 summer Olympics were a highlight of my family’s summer. The thirtieth Olympiad was a great family experience as my children learned about sportsmanship, dignity in defeat, the thrill of victory, and commitment to excellence. The problem, however, was advertisements for new network shows, especially the deliberate promotion of “a new normal,” the homosexual lifestyle. This practice of bundling the “gay agenda” with wholesome family entertainment is a longstanding strategy that is used across all major networks. It is a campaign that has desensitized, confused, and even scandalized many … Continue reading
The Power of Faith
In this article Fr. Hardon reminds us that the power of Mary’s virginal conception by the Holy Spirit, as well as the baptismal conception and re-birth of believers as children of God, is a miraculous power that is conditioned on faith–the faith of His spouse, the ever-virgin Mary, the faith of His disciples and Apostles, and the faith of those of us today who consecrate ourselves to Him via the Immaculata who says to us, as she said to the servants at the wedding feast of Cana, “Do whatever He tells you!” —Michael Mohr It is not without deep reason … Continue reading
Who Wrote the Book of Love?: A Match Made in Eden
In 1958, Charles Patrick, lead singer of the doo-wop group The Monotones, famously sang: Tell me, tell me, tell me Oh, who wrote the book of love? I’ve got to know the answer Was it someone from above ? The resulting song, “(Who Wrote) The Book of Love?” quickly jumped to number five on the Billboard Top 100 that year. The Monotones were a one-hit wonder, but the question they asked is always at the top of the charts. Americans, even American Catholics, seem to be very confused these days about who wrote the Book of Love, and are re-writing … Continue reading
