Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitate

Digest of Today's Posts (10 July 2009)

2009-07-10T23:59:00.005-05:00

Pope's Gift to President is Copy of Dignitatis Personae

Newsweek: Obama More Catholic Than the Pope

"The Passion of the Kmiec" ... The Saga Continues

Justice Ginsburg Says She Had Once Assumed Purpose of Roe to be Eugenics

Reprise of an Old Blog Favorite: Evangelical Catholicism is Back in Action

Caritas in Veritate [UPDATED]

Some Catching Up to Do

Pope's Gift to President is Copy of Dignitatis Personae

2009-07-10T13:42:00.002-05:00

Pope greets "Hope" with pro-life surprise:

Pope Benedict XVI gave President Barack Obama a surprise gift this evening: a copy of the Vatican’s document on bioethics and human dignity, which was published in December.

[More]

Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Newsweek: Obama More Catholic Than the Pope

Pope Hope I (a.k.a. "The Great")

Pope Greets "Hope"?

President Obama to Visit Vatican

Newsweek: Obama More Catholic Than the Pope

2009-07-10T11:18:00.009-05:00

Writing in Newsweek, dissident Catholic Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend (of American Catholicism's most prominent dissident Catholic clan) claims that Pope Benedict could learn a thing or two about the "real" Catholic faith (at least the variety as practiced here in the U.S.) ... from ... you guessed it ... the embodiment of the theological virtue of "Hope" itself ... President Barack H. Obama.

NewsBusters reports:

Newsweek took their criticism of Pope Benedict XVI to the next level on Thursday- not only did guest columnist Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend affirm that the pontiff could learn from President Obama (something Newsweek and their partners at the Washington Post agreed upon back in April), but also blasted the Bishop of Rome and the Catholic hierarchy for their supposed “disdain” towards women and homosexuals.

The former lieutenant governor of Maryland began her column, titled "Without a Doubt: Why Barack Obama represents American Catholics better than the pope does," with the context of the pope’s upcoming meeting with the American president, and how it was “much anticipated and in some circles frowned upon by American Catholics in the wake of Obama’s controversial Notre Dame commencement speech in May.” She then laid out her central thesis about these two leaders: “In truth, though, Obama’s pragmatic approach to divisive policy...and his social-justice agenda reflect the views of American Catholic laity much more closely than those vocal bishops and pro-life activists...[T]hey’ll politely disagree about reproductive freedoms and homosexuality, but Catholics back home won’t care, because they know Obama’s on their side. In fact, Obama’s agenda is closer to their views than even the pope’s.”

[More]

My Comments:
"Why Barack Obama represents American Catholics better than the Pope does"?

Does anyone doubt that Kennedy-Townsend's piece accurately reflects the sentiments of a huge segment (if not the majority) of the Catholic left in this country? It does, as The Cranky Conservative fecetiously pondered recently, make one "wonder who the Catholic Dems think should be kissing whose hands."

Not surprisingly, then, The Cranky Con has a little something to say about this story today.

(Hat tip: Creative Minority Report)

Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Pope Hope I (a.k.a. "The Great")

Pope Greets "Hope"?

President Obama to Visit Vatican

"The Passion of the Kmiec" ... The Saga Continues

2009-07-10T10:35:00.005-05:00

Poor little martyr Dougie Kmiec just can't get no respect.

It seems the Maltese may be somewhat unimpressed with the man President Obama has nominated as the new U.S. ambassador to their country:

Valletta, Malta, Jul 8, 2009 / 12:14 am (CNA).- The editor of a Malta newspaper has commented on President Barack Obama’s choice of Prof. Doug Kmiec as ambassador to Malta, describing the appointment as “somewhat of a poisoned chalice” and noting the controversies concerning Kmiec and his campaign to elect Obama to the American presidency.

Noel Grima, editor of the Malta Independent Online, said that though Kmiec was a Catholic and a pro-life person he has “fallen foul” of some Catholic leaders for his public stances on abortion and other pro-life issues.

Noting Kmiec’s past as a law school dean, a law professor, and a member of the Reagan and George H.W. Bush presidential administrations, Grima then discussed Kmiec’s transformation into a supporter of President Barack Obama, an open proponent of abortion rights.

***
Listing Kmiec’s defense of Obama’s embryonic stem cell policy, the president’s pro-abortion appointees, and his recent proposal to end state recognition of marriage, Grima also noted that the nominated ambassador has engaged in controversies with several Catholic prelates.

According to Grima, Kmiec has criticized Archbishops Raymond Burke and Charles Chaput and Bishop Joseph Naumann for saying Catholics who support abortion should be denied Communion. Kmiec has called this denial a form of “intimidation.”

Kmiec also labeled as “intrusive” Pope Benedict XVI’s comments to pro-abortion rights Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic and Speaker of the U.S. House. His defense of President Obama’s embryonic stem cell research policy also brought criticism from Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

(emphasis added)

The Passion of the Kmiec - A Pro Ecclesia Timeline:

July 2009
"The Passion of the Kmiec" ... The Saga Continues

May 2009
Kmiec Tells Another Lie in Service of Obama

Robert P. George on "Obama and His Pro-Life Apologists"

Robert George vs Douglas Kmiec: How Should a Pro-Life Citizen Respond to Obama? [UPDATED]

April 2009
Cardinal Rigali Calls Out Kmiec on His ESCR Lies

A New Front in the Church's Civil War

Fr. Z Fisks Pathetic Sycophant Kmiec on Notre Dame's Obama Invite

Prof. George Schools Prof. Kmiec ... Again

March 2009
Scholar vs. Hack: Prof. George Schools Prof. Kmiec re: "Did Obama Allow Human Cloning?"

Kmiec Brushes Aside Another Non-Negotiable by Coming Out Against Prop 8

February 2009
Kmiec Calls Pope's Comments "Intrusive"

Catholic World Report: "Douglas Kmiec and His Misinformation Offensive for Barack Obama"

January 2009
Kmiec Claims He's In the Loop for Vatican Post

American Papist's Open Letter to Prof. Kmiec

Kmiec the Martyr

Prof. Kmiec Eulogizes Fr. Neuhaus in a Manner That is All About Prof. Kmiec and Justifying his Obama Vote [UPDATED]

December 2008
Prof. Bainbridge on Doug Kmiec and U.S. Diplomatic Relations with the Holy See

November 2008
Vatican Official Says Kmiec Will Not Become New Vatican Ambassador

The Kmiec Catholic Re-Education Camp

Former Student of Prof. Kmiec Calls Him Out on "Revealing His True Colors"

A Modern-Day "Vicar of Bray"

Douthat Smacks Kmiec

Amy's "Wrap-Up" of Pre-Election Abortion Coverage

Pathetic

October 2008
George Weigel on Kmiec's "Flawed Thinking"

Archbishop Chaput: Kmiec Doing a "Disservice to the Church"

Mainstream Media Compliant in Obama's "Faith Outreach" Pitch

Bill Donohue: "I'm Catholic, Staunchly Anti-Racist, and Support David Duke" [UPDATED]

Debate Over at Amy's: Should Catholics Work for Legal Restrictions on Abortion?

Deacon Fournier Puts Smack Down on Prof. Kmiec

Kmiec's Payoff? [UPDATED]

September 2008
The Obama-Kmiec Magical Mystery "Faith Tour"

Deacon Fournier: "Doug Kmiec’s ‘Can a Catholic Support Him?’ Asks the Wrong Question"

Ponnuru Raps Kmiec for Defending Obama's Born-Alive Vote

"Separate But Equal" Redux - Pro-Life Edition

Mark Stricherz: "Why the Democratic Abortion Strategy is Worse"

Whither the "Catholic Vote"? Some Interesting Posts at the Fidelis Blog

August 2008
Darwin Catholic: "Douglas Kmiec, Master of Dissembling" [UPDATED]

Prof. Rick Garnett on Kmiec's "Missing the Point"

A Former Student of Prof. Kmiec Speaks Out ...

Prof. Kmiec Shifts the Goalposts

Kmiec's "Bridge Too Far"? Obama's Attacks on Justice Thomas

Without Further Ado: Doug Kmiec on McCain v. Obama at Saddleback [UPDATED]

Paging Prof. Kmiec ...

Doug Kmiec Claims Democrats Making "Steps Toward Honoring Life" in Platform

Prof. Garnett Takes on Prof. Kmiec ... Again

Casey Jr. to Get Prime-Time Slot in Denver to Appease Catholics [UPDATED]

July 2008
Fr. Neuhaus Responds to Doug Kmiec

Deal Hudson's Open Letter to Doug Kmiec

National Catholic Register on Catholics, Kmiec, and Obama

Prof. Hadley Arkes: "Political Distraction Among the Catholics"

June 2008
Doug Kmiec - What He Said Then vs. What He Says Now Re: Constitutional Jurisprudence

What is the "Pro-Life Position" Regarding Abortion?

Traumatized

Unrequited Love

Doug Kmiec: "After Meeting with Barack" [UPDATED]

Cranky Conservative: "But At Least He Says It with a Smile"

Doug Kmiec Again Places Platitudes Above Policy [UPDATED]

Prof. Bainbridge on "Obama, Abortion, & Catholics"

Prof. Rick Garnett on Kmiec's Latest Nonsense

Deacon Keith Fournier: "Why I Disagree with Doug Kmiec, Once Again"

Give It a Rest Already, Prof. Kmiec!

Doug Kmiec's Newfound Celebrity Status Among Those on the Left

Doug Kmiec Soon To Be Sorely Disappointed

E.J. Dionne on Kmiec Being Denied Communion [UPDATED]

May 2008
Deal Hudson on Prof. Kmiec and Blurring the Lines Between "Pro-Choice" and Pro-Abortion

Did Doug Kmiec Just Now Catch On That Obama and NARAL Are Politically Conjoined? [UPDATED]

Deal Hudson on "How Obama's Catholics Will Dodge the Infanticide Question"

Kmiec's Dishonesty [UPDATED]

Catholic Teaching and Political Risk Taking: When Credit Isn't Given Where Credit is Due [UPDATED]

April 2008
Kmiec's Wishful Thinking on Obama and Abortion

March 2008
The Curt Jester: "Shameless Garment" [UPDATED]

So-Called "Catholic Reaganite" Doug Kmiec Endorses Obama [UPDATED]

No'bama for Me, Thanks"

Can a Catholic Vote for Obama?

February 2008
Obama's Pledge to Planned Parenthood: "I Will Not Yield"

"Why American Catholics are Supporting Barack Obama"

How the Catholic Left Will Tackle McCain

Why Does Kmiec Criticize McCain for Positions on Which He Gave Romney a Pass?

Deal Hudson on "Douglas Kmiec and the Lure of Obama"

Douglas W. Kmiec on "The Moral Duty to Inquire"

Professor Bainbridge: "Will Catholic Reaganites Go for Obama?"

Deal Hudson: "Preacher Man: Barack Obama and the the Gospel of Liberalism"

"Sorry, Doug Kmiec, But This Catholic Isn't Buying Obama"

Ramesh Ponnuru on Douglas Kmiec and "Catholic Reaganites for Obama" [UPDATED]

Romney Advisor Says Obama "a Natural for the Catholic Vote"

Justice Ginsburg Says She Had Once Assumed Purpose of Roe to be Eugenics

2009-07-10T09:47:00.005-05:00

From the American Papist comes this interesting news item from Justice Ginsburg's interview with The New York Times magazine:

Q: Are you talking about the distances women have to travel because in parts of the country, abortion is essentially unavailable, because there are so few doctors and clinics that do the procedure? And also, the lack of Medicaid for abortions for poor women?

JUSTICE GINSBURG: Yes, the ruling about that surprised me. [Harris v. McRae — in 1980 the court upheld the Hyde Amendment, which forbids the use of Medicaid for abortions.] Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion. Which some people felt would risk coercing women into having abortions when they didn’t really want them. But when the court decided McRae, the case came out the other way. And then I realized that my perception of it had been altogether wrong.

(emphasis added)

Reprise of an Old Blog Favorite: Evangelical Catholicism is Back in Action

2009-07-10T08:27:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to say that my old friends at Evangelical Catholicism are back with additional contributors (an outstanding line-up) to once again provide thoughtful and thought-provoking commentary on theology, Catholic Social Teaching, and public policy.

Please be sure to check them out.

Caritas in Veritate [UPDATED]

2009-07-10T08:20:00.008-05:00

So, I go on vacation for a week and, while I'm gone, the Pope decides to finally release the most significant social encyclical in years.

Fortunately, my friend Chris Blosser has a comprehensive round-up on Caritas in Veritate at First Thoughts.

UPDATE
After I've had the opportunity to read (and digest) the Holy Father's latest encyclical, I'll contribute a post here with my own thoughts.

UPDATE #2
GOP House leaders speak on Caritas in Veritate.

Some Catching Up to Do

2009-07-10T07:02:00.002-05:00

I've been out of town on vacation with my family this past week, so I have lots of catching up to do. Sorry for the sparse posting of late. I'm sure things will pick up around here soon. Expect a number of posts some time today. Thanks!

Music Recommendations: Some Alternative (Revolutionary?) Sounds for the 4th of July

2009-07-02T07:53:00.004-05:00

My friend Don McClarey, in his continuing efforts to promote educational family activities for Independence Day, offers his Top Ten Movies For the Fourth.

In the comments to that post, I've added a few honorable mentions, as well as listed some of the best documentaries available on the American Revolution (or, as the Brits more aptly refer to it in their ineffable ability to give things their proper names, "the American War of Independence" or "the War of American Independence").

Hopefully, however, you won't be stuck in front of the boob tube all weekend, and will instead be out enjoying the day with your family. You'll need some tunes, though. Therefore, I'm going to revisit my post from last year on the subject of period music fitting for the occasion.

If you've grown weary of hearing the same old Sousa/Copeland/Berlin-as-performed-by-the-Boston Pops/National Symphony and/or the syrupy "God Bless the USA" fare that is generally offered up on the 4th of July, here are a few CD recommendations that will go a long way toward curing what musically ails you.

First up is Liberty Tree by The Boston Camerata.

The Boston Camerata are favorites of mine whenever it comes to early music. And this selection of early American music is no exception. From the program notes:

Our view of the American past is shaped by many things -- dimly remembered history lessons from our earliest school days; the posturings of present-day public people; and, perhaps most importantly, by the popular media -- radio, television, and the movies. Talk about static! Can we ever, then, experience our collective past as it "really" was? Hardly -- those days are gone forever. But, on the other hand, can we get closer to our roots than heretofore? Can we eliminate some of the distortion and noise? At least as far as music goes, I am convinced that a cleaner, truer approach is possible.

The partsongs, marches, anthems, jigs, and ballads we perform for you here were all part of American life during the early decades of the country's existence: between the founding of the Republic and the Civil War. This, the everyday music of villages and towns, represents a hybrid tradition. Notated and harmonised in a rough, pragmatic way by musicians of the time, these pieces are not learned or complex enough to be taken seriously as "high" art by most music historians. Yet, since they managed nonetheless to make their way onto paper and into "polite" society, they are surely a bit more refined and worldy-wise than the folk song of the truly rural settlers. It is in this neglected, between-two-worlds repertoire, I maintain, that we can find much of the soul of early America.

A few of our works have retained popularity since those earlest times; some tunes, once secular "hits", now survive, spiritualised, in the still-vital shapenote hymn tradition. But many of these pieces, once beloved in their day, have not been heard in generations, and have been transcribed and edited specially for this recording from original sources.

You will hear in our performances the kinds of musical instruments that were played a century and a half ago; softer and more rounded in tone than their modern counterparts. Though we don't know with any certainty how "art" music may have been sung in nineteenth-century America, the timbres of the musical instruments provide important parallel clues as to how the human voice may have sounded before the age of roaring tenors and the Boeing 747.

The result? You will experience a lighter, less aggresive tonal pallette than the one we tend to associate with patriotic fervour, or with history with a capital H. Yankee Doodle can be heard as the perky, disrespectful teenage piece it originally was. On the Road to Boston makes one visualise the road, perhaps the old one from Quincy and Dorchester; much narrower than the commuter-clogged Southeast Expressway, unpaved, with horse and foot traffic only -- and no billboards. And the untutored harmonies in a piece like Clovergreen give a truer, sharper sense of life on the (cultural) frontier than the sugary sweetness of the same tune played b y saxophones (as Auld Lang Syne) on New Year's Eve from coast to coast. True it is that we can't go back to those places, but fragments of what they once were do illumine and enrich our contemporary imagination.

[More]

Program includes:

I. Liberty Tree
1 Yankee Doodle 2'56
2 Chester 2'11
3 Liberty Tree 2'34
4 The Boston March 1'11
5 David's Lamentation 1'45
6 Jefferson and Liberty 2'39
7 Rights of Woman 1'12
8 The Appletree 1'12

II. Dormant
9 Dormant 2'29
10 Hero and Leander 2'13
11 Mary's dream 3'59

III. Jolly Soldier
12 On the Road to Boston 0'49
13 Jolly Soldier 3'23
14 Jefferson and Liberty 1'03
15 Abraham's Daughter 2'19
16 Brave Wolfe 4'49
17 Irish air 1'22
18 The Blue Bells of Scotland 2'00

IV. The Working Boy
19 The Working boy 2'03
20 Poor old Maids 0'57
21 Bob in the Bed 0'32
22 Old Tare River 1'53
23 The Rose Tree (The Knoxville Harmony) 2'06

V. Parting Friends
24 Clovergreen 3'41
25 Parting Friends 3'46
26 Ode to Science

_______________

Next up is Liberty! by fiddler Mark O'Connor (with Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, and James Taylor).

This is the soundtrack from the excellent PBS series Liberty! The American Revolution. Here's a description of the recording from the PBS website:

The music for LIBERTY! The American Revolution features arrangements of traditional Revolutionary-era folk melodies by Mark O'Connor, as well as original compositions by Richard Einhorn and O'Connor. O'Connor, a Grammy Award-winning violinist, performs, along with: Grammy Award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma; Pulitizer Prize-winning composer and trumpet player Wynton Marsalis; David and Ginger Hildebrand; and the Nashville Symphony. O'Connor's "Song of the Liberty Bell" is the series' main theme. James Taylor and O'Connor perform the traditional song, "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier," over the closing credits... American music of the revolutionary era drew upon the cultural influences of the people of the new nation - English, Scottish, Irish, German and African - and blended into a sound of its own. Through the interest and involvement of a remarkable collection of artists, that music has been recreated for LIBERTY! in a memorable soundtrack and score, from Sony Classical.

Program includes:

1. Song Of The Liberty Bell
2. Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier
3. Surrender The Sword
4. Soldier's Joy
5. When Bidden To The Wake Or Fair
6. The World Turned Upside Down
7. Bunker Hill
8. Freedom
9. The Flowers Of Edinburgh
10. Brave Wolfe
11. Devil's Dream
12. Song Of The Liberty Bell

_______________

My third recommendation is a CD that I purchased just prior to last July 4th called Davy Crockett's Fiddle by Colonial Williamsburg musician Dean Shostak. It has become my favorite of the bunch.
This recording features the fiddle that purportedly belonged to Davy Crockett. All the instruments and music on this CD are from the time of Davy Crockett (1786-1836). From the program notes:

I first learned about Davy Crockett's fiddle when I saw its picture in the April 2001 issue of USAToday; an old well-worn violin. That was the beginning of a wonderful musical adventure. I contacted the good folks at the Witte Museum, who owned the fiddle, and proposed that we have it restored. I wanted to make a recording of music of Davy Crockett's time on his very own fiddle accompanied by period instruments.

They enthusiastically agreed, and we embarked on an remarkable historical journey; restoring the violin, researching and learning the music Davy Crockett would have played, and recording it right in San Antonio where he spent his final, heroic days.

When I returned to Williamsburg, VA, I assembled some of my favorite early American musicians together to create musical scenes from Davy's life using his own fiddle...

Program includes:

1. Perry's Victory
2. Yankee Doodle
3. Amazing Grace
4. Speed The Plow
5. Hunters of Kentucky
6. Shenandoah
7. Turkey In The Straw
8. Haste To The Wedding
9. German Waltz
10. The President's March (Hail Columbia)
11. Home Sweet Home
12. Durang's Hornpipe / College Hornpipe
13. Jefferson And Liberty
14. Soldier's Joy / Bonaparte's Retreat
15. Duke of Kent Waltz
16. Cindy
17. The Girl I Left Behind Me / Leather Breeches
18. Rock of Ages
19. Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes
20. Star Spangled Banner
21. The Legend Of Davy Crockett

_______________

My final reccomendation is The World Turned Upside Down by Barry Phillips and Friends.

Of my recommendations, I've owned this recording the longest - I bought it on cassette tape many years ago (while I was still in law school), and recently purchased it again on CD. The title of the recording refers to the tune that tradition says the surrendering British troops played as they paraded by the victorious Continental and French Armies at Yorktown during the American Revolution - the tune is also known as the Cavalier (and later, Jacobite) ballad "When the King Enjoys His Own Again". (It's also the tune to which Sarah marched down the aisle at our wedding.)

Here's more about the recording:

Barry Phillips and Friends explore the colorful variety of music popular in late 18th and early 19th century America, from elegant Colonial drawing rooms to homely frontier hearths to rollicking waterside taverns. The title tune, according to legend, was played by Cornwallis' surrendering troops at Yorktown; the album also includes dances and folk songs (All The Pretty Little Horses, Rights of Man, Fisher's Hornpipe, Love in a Village) along with a suite of early American classical music by the Boston master William Billings. As always, liner notes provide colorful background history of the music and the times.

Go here for the complete liner notes. Program includes:

1. The World Turned Upside Down 2:42
2. Love in a Village / Love Forever 3:05
3. The Rights of Man 3:20
4. When Jesus Wept 3:46 (by William Billings)
5. Billings Suite 3:48 (by William Billings)
6. Dutchess of Brunswick 2:21 (Traditional)
7. Young Widow/Black Joke 2:22
8. New German Spa 3:59
9. All The Pretty Little Horses 3:13 (Traditional)
10. Sweet Richard 4:07
11. Fisher's Hornpipe / Patterson's Hornpipe 4:55 (by James A. Fisher)
12. Rights of Conscience 4:19 (by Issachar Bates)

_______________

Whether you're a history buff, a fan of early American music, or just want something different to listen to on Independence Day, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ALL of these recordings.

And, finally, there is one more recording that I'd like to mention, which I do not own, but which looks promising. It is titled Music of the American Revolution: The Birth of Liberty. This recording appears to cover some of the same ground as the recordings I've listed above, but is limited only to music of the American Revolution. Could be worth checking out.

Pope Hope I (a.k.a. "The Great")

2009-07-02T07:10:00.005-05:00

(Hat tip: Chris Blosser)

A new portrait of President Obama, no doubt commissioned by the folks at Catholic Democrats, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, Catholics United, (insert other Soros-funded "Catholic" groups here), etc., etc.:

I understand that the President sat for this portrait while in President Jenkins' office on the campus of Notre Dame, and that the portrait will be placed in the main lobby of the Hesburgh Library.

/sarcasm

Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Pope Greets "Hope"?

President Obama to Visit Vatican

Cardinal Rigali vs. Congress Re: Federally Funded Abortions

2009-07-01T22:16:00.003-05:00

Creative Minority Report has the details:

... That's right. Government funding of abortion just got a little closer to reality. A Congressional subcommittee last week voted to directly fund with taxpayer money abortions in Washington D.C., a direct breach of the Dornan Amendment which prohibits taxpayer funded abortions in the nation's capitol.

CMR is a huge fan of Cardinal Rigali who is standing up against this outrage...

[Read the whole thing]

Digest of Today's Posts (30 June 2009)

2009-06-30T23:59:00.001-05:00

Pope Greets "Hope"?

The American Catholic on America's Founding

Deacon Keith Fournier: "What Truths Do We Still Hold?"

Pope Greets "Hope"?

2009-06-30T13:34:00.014-05:00

My friends at Darwin Catholic just forwarded me this sickening piece of propaganda from Catholic Democrats:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2009

Media Contacts:
media@catholicdemocrats.org
Ph: 617-817-8617

Catholic Democrats Announces "Pope Greets Hope" Campaign to Support July 10th Meeting Between President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI

Thousands of Catholics Signing Letter of Solidarity at http://www.popeandpresident.org/

Boston, Mass. - Catholic Democrats, a not-for-profit national organization advancing a public understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and its potential to help solve the challenges confronting out society, is announcing today a new Web site - http://www.popeandpresident.org/ - in support of the upcoming meeting between President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI on July 10th. The site invites Catholics to sign a Letter of Solidarity with the Pope and the President.

The letter outlines the mutual efforts of the pope and the president on a broad range of pressing issues, including:

building true understanding among nations
eliminating nuclear weapons
promoting economic justice and reducing the poverty that diminishes the dignity and potential of people across the globe
working toward the common ground of promoting the sanctity of all life [ED.: This would be laughably funny if it weren't such a pathetic misstatement of this President's intentions and if real lives weren't being lost due to his policy preferences]
encouraging the world's great religions to greater dialogue and understanding, thus promoting peace and tolerance
and supporting programs and policies that preserve God's creation

"As Catholics in America, we are gratified that you, our Pontiff, and you, our President, recognize the opportunity before you now to promote the common good. [ED.: What? The Vatican (under this Pope and previous Popes) and previous presidents didn't recognize previous opportunites to promote the common good? Only "now" this is happening? Spin, spin, spin.] You inspire our hope and call us to personal and social responsibility to help make the world a better place for our human family. We pledge to work with both of you in this effort and we pray that your meeting will lead to a new quest to establish peace, promote freedom, and enhance the dignity of all humanity," reads the Letter of Solidarity.

"By meeting in the early days of this new administration, President Obama and Pope Benedict have signaled their intent to embark on a productive collaboration," [ED.: That's a somewhat presumptuous statement regarding the Pope's intentions, is it not?] said Dr. Patrick Whelan, president of Catholic Democrats. "At a personal level, these two men share an expansive intellect and a love of learning. But the real story of this meeting is the extensive common ground shared by the Vatican and this White House [ED.: That's the "real story", huh? Or is that the spin you'd like to put on the story in order to gloss over the GLARING differences between the Church and the President on life issues?] on confronting issues ranging from the devastation of poverty due to the world economic crisis, to healing the planet and promoting peace."
The president and the pope will meet on the afternoon of July 10th at the Vatican, following the G8 Economic Summit in L'Aquila, Italy.

"When popes and presidents meet, great things can happen," said Steve Krueger, national director of Catholic Democrats. "Given the global issues before us today, arguably the most daunting in generations, as well as the anticipated papal encyclical on economic justice, this meeting takes on added significance. It presents an historic opportunity for these two pivotal leaders to provide a vision of the possibilities to address the world's challenges from the common ground they share, including the hope that shapes their lives. We urge people to join us in offering their prayers and support for the pope and the president."

//End

About Catholic Democrats
Catholic Democrats is an association of state based groups representing a Catholic voice within the Democratic Party, and advancing a public understanding of the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching and its potential to help solve the broad range of problems confronting all Americans. For more information about Catholic Democrats please go to www.catholicdemocrats.org

(emphasis and editorial commentary added)

My Comments:
And before the "tu quoque" games begin, I defy anyone to find a similar statement regarding the Pope's various meetings with the previous occumpant of the Oval Office (especially one equating George W. Bush with one of the cardinal/theological virtues ... much less designating him as the embodiment thereof) coming from a prominent group of Catholic conservatives.

UPDATE
The Cranky Conservative offers his take here: "Shameless".

UPDATE #2 (1 July 2009)
My post on the subject at First Thoughts:
President to Give Author of Spe Salvi Pointers on “Hope”
(hat tip to Christine for the idea)

Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
President Obama to Visit Vatican

The American Catholic on America's Founding

2009-06-30T08:25:00.002-05:00

In anticipation of this weekend's 4th of July festivities, my friends at The American Catholic have a series of posts on the subject of America's founding:

Read The Declaration on the Fourth

Pope Benedict XVI & John Paul II on America’s founding

Uncomfortable Thoughts on the Declaration

The Omega Glory

Deacon Keith Fournier: "What Truths Do We Still Hold?"

2009-06-30T08:18:00.003-05:00

Deacon Keith Fournier writes at Catholic Online:

... Those courageous men were influenced by the great treasury brought to Western Civilization by the Christian Church. They believed there actually were truths to be held and that those truths are self evident. Those truths include the existence of unalienable rights which are given to all men and women by a Creator. They believed that those truths and those rights can be discerned by all men and women because they are revealed by the Natural Law which is written on all human hearts and is a participation in God’s law.

The question which we need to ask ourselves in the United States of America as we come to the celebration of our Independence is a sobering one, What Truths do we Still Hold?

***
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 I will join with leaders from throughout the United States who represent broad sectors of the Christian community. We will gather in Washington, D.C. Together we share a common belief in what the late CS Lewis called “Mere Christianity.” The term is sometimes misunderstood to mean a kind of lowest common denominator approach to Christian cooperation. Lewis actually meant the basic “kerygma” of the Gospel message which all orthodox Christians should hold in common. That is what I mean as well.

***
On Tuesday we will come together as a “Freedom Federation” not to form any new organization but to stand together as Christians who are Americans and pledge, as did the founders of this Nation, our life our liberty and our sacred honor. At the top of our list of common areas wherein we will try to work together are these commitments to common action:

“To secure the sanctity of human life by affirming the dignity of and right to life for the disabled, the ill, the aged, the poor, the disadvantaged, and for the unborn from the moment of conception. Every person is made in the image of God, and it is the responsibility and duty of all individuals and communities of faith to extend the hand of loving compassion to care for those in poverty and distress;

"To secure our national interest in the institution of marriage and family by embracing the union of one man and one woman as the sole form of legitimate marriage and the proper basis of family; to secure the fundamental rights of parents to the care, custody, and control of their children regarding their upbringing and education.; To secure the free exercise of religion for all people, including the freedom to acknowledge God through our public institutions and other modes of public expression and the freedom of religious conscience without coercion by penalty or force of law.”

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Obama Adopts Bush Policy of Indefinite Detention

2009-06-29T07:12:00.004-05:00

For the Catholics who thought they were voting for "hope and change" (or, at least, who claimed to believe that's what we were getting):

... Obama has essentially endorsed the detention policies of George Bush without the courtesy of apologizing for slandering him over the last two and a half years. Obama and his allies screeched endlessly about indefinite detentions, and not just in Gitmo, either. They specifically railed against the holding of terrorists without access to civil courts in military detention facilities around the world, specifically Bagram, but in general as well. Not even six months into his term of office, Obama realized that Bush had it right all along.

Did he even have the grace to admit that? No. Instead, the White House took the cowardly method of a late-Friday leak to let people know that Obama had adopted the Bush policy all over again. Barack Obama just appeared at a press conference this last Tuesday to discuss Iran, energy policy, and ObamaCare, where he could have told the national press that he had changed his mind on indefinite detention. Instead, he kept his mouth shut, and had his media staff whisper it into phones to a couple of White House favorites in the press.

It’s a shameful performance, and the measure of the man in charge...

Digest of Today's Posts (26 June 2009)

2009-06-26T23:59:00.000-05:00

Yet Another Biden Gaffe: Calls Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine "Great Governor of New Jersey"

Gov. Palin: "John Kerry, why the long face?"

Catholic New Media Celebration Starts Today in San Antonio

(Digest of Yesterday's Posts (25 June 2009))

Yet Another Biden Gaffe: Calls Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine "Great Governor of New Jersey"

2009-06-26T12:25:00.004-05:00

What a maroon. Kaine also happens to be Biden's fellow Catholic Democrat and the Chairman of the Democrat National Committee. Fairly prominent figure for Biden, the smartest man in D.C., to have missed such a key fact.

But it was Gov. Palin who allegedly wasn't ready to be Vice President?

Because, you know, Holy Joe has done such a bang up job in the 2nd slot to date.

Gov. Palin: "John Kerry, why the long face?"

2009-06-26T12:14:00.004-05:00

LOL! Gov. Palin responds with humor to John Kerry's hateful "joke" about wishing she had gone missing:

Senator John Kerry makes this joke..I don't know if you saw this...but he makes this joke saying "Well, shoot, of all the governors in the nation to disappear, too bad it couldn't have been that Governor from Alaska."

Well, when he said it he looked quite frustrated, and he looked so sad, and I just wanted to reach out to the TV and say "John Kerry, why the long face?"

(laughter)

Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Former Catholic Altar Boy John Kerry Says "Too Bad Sarah Palin Didn't Go Missing"

Catholic New Media Celebration Starts Today in San Antonio

2009-06-26T08:36:00.003-05:00

The 2nd annual Catholic New Media Celebration begins today down in San Antonio.

Missed it by one week. I thought about staying over until this weekend in order to attend, but I think Sarah would've balked at being left for an entire week alone with the kids. Still, I wish I could be there in my favorite city.

Hope all my friends in attendance have a great time. Be sure to head over to Mi Tierra in El Mercado for awesome margaritas, excellent food, and outstanding music (see below).

Digest of Today's Posts (25 June 2009)

2009-06-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

Farewell, Farrah

15 Manly Smells

President Obama to Visit Vatican

Presidential Hypocrisy: "ObamaCare for Thee, But Not for Me and Mine"

Former Catholic Altar Boy John Kerry Says "Too Bad Sarah Palin Didn't Go Missing"

Farewell, Farrah

2009-06-25T13:42:00.005-05:00

Farrah Fawcett, a 1970s TV and modeling icon, a Texas native (from Corpus Christi), and a Roman Catholic, has died of cancer at the age of 62. She received the anointing of the sick shortly before she passed.

She was my first movie-star crush. I would venture to guess that almost every young man of my generation had a copy of this iconic poster.

Resquiescat in pace.

15 Manly Smells

2009-06-25T11:35:00.003-05:00

Courtesy of The Art of Manliness. An excellent list, which includes some topics we've discussed before here at Pro Ecclesia (and, for the record, I use Old Spice original scent).

Hat tip to The Cranky Conservative, with whom I concur that cigar smoke, contrary to what the author of the piece linked above opines, is fairly close to pipe smoke in the category of manly smells.

President Obama to Visit Vatican

2009-06-25T09:02:00.003-05:00

Chris Blosser has a good post on the subject at Catholics in the Public Square, in which he addresses the somewhat puzzling gloating of our old "friend" Michael Sean Winters over the prospect of this fairly routine visit by a head of state to the Vatican.

Presidential Hypocrisy: "ObamaCare for Thee, But Not for Me and Mine"

2009-06-25T08:43:00.002-05:00

Ed Morrissey reports at HotAir:

Barack Obama got ABC to move their news division into the White House in order to make the big pitch for his egalitarian, everyone-gets-treated-equally ObamaCare push. Instead, Obama fumbled into a Michael Dukakis moment that exposed him as a hypocrite. ABC itself leads with Obama’s response that he wouldn’t stay within his own plan for his family:
President Obama struggled to explain today whether his health care reform proposals would force normal Americans to make sacrifices that wealthier, more powerful people — like the president himself — wouldn’t face...
***
If ObamaCare isn’t good enough for Sasha, Malia, or Michelle, then it’s not good enough for America.

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