Brown Pelican Society of Louisiana

March 3, 2010

 

Archbishop Chaput delivered the following address, titled “The Vocation of Christians in American Public Life,” on Monday, March 1, 2010 at Houston Baptist University.

 

One of the ironies in my talk tonight is this. I’m a Catholic bishop, speaking at a Baptist university in America’s Protestant heartland. But I’ve been welcomed with more warmth and friendship than I might find at a number of Catholic venues. This is a fact worth discussing. I’ll come back to it at the end of my comments. But I want to begin by thanking Drs. Sloan and Bonicelli and the leadership of Houston Baptist University for their extraordinary kindness in having me here tonight. I’m very grateful for their friendship.

 

I also want to thank my friend Dr. John Hittinger of the University of St. Thomas. Part of my pleasure in being here is to encourage his efforts with the John Paul II Forum on the Church in the Modern World. The Forum is hugely important – and not just for Catholics, but for the whole Christian community. I’m grateful to the leadership of the University of St. Thomas for supporting him.

 

I need to offer a few caveats before I turn to the substance of our discussion.

 

The first caveat is this: My thoughts tonight are purely my own. I don’t speak for the Holy See, or the American Catholic bishops, or the Houston Catholic community. In the Catholic tradition, the local bishop is the chief preacher and teacher of the faith, and the shepherd of the local Church. Here in Houston you have an outstanding bishop – a man of great Christian faith and intellect – in Cardinal Daniel DiNardo. In all things Catholic tonight, I’m glad to defer to his leadership.

 

Here’s my second caveat: I’m here as a Catholic Christian and an American citizen – in that order. Both of these identities are important. They don’t need to conflict. They are not, however, the same thing. And they do not have the same weight. I love my country. I revere the genius of its founding documents and its public institutions. But no nation, not even the one I love, has a right to my allegiance, or my silence, in matters that belong to God or that undermine the dignity of the human persons He created.

 

My third caveat is this: Catholics and Protestants have different memories of American history. The historian Paul Johnson once wrote that America was “born Protestant.1” That’s clearly true. Whatever America is today or may become tomorrow, its origin was deeply shaped by a Protestant Christian spirit, and the fruit of that spirit has been, on the balance, a great blessing for humanity. But it’s also true that, while Catholics have always thrived in the United States, they lived through two centuries of discrimination, religious bigotry and occasional violence. Protestants of course will remember things quite differently. They will remember Catholic persecution of dissenters in Europe, the entanglements of the Roman Church and state power, and papal suspicion of democracy and religious liberty.

 

We can’t erase those memories. And we cannot – nor should we try to – paper over the issues that still divide us as believers in terms of doctrine, authority and our understandings of the Church. Ecumenism based on good manners instead of truth is empty. It’s also a form of lying. If we share a love of Jesus Christ and a familial bond in baptism and God’s Word, then on a fundamental level, we’re brothers and sisters. Members of a family owe each other more than surface courtesies. We owe each other the kind of fraternal respect that “speak[s] the truth in love” (Eph 4:15). We also urgently owe each other solidarity and support in dealing with a culture that increasingly derides religious faith in general, and the Christian faith in particular. And that brings me to the heart of what I want to share with you.

 

Our theme tonight is the vocation of Christians in American public life. That’s a pretty broad canvas. Broad enough that I wrote a book about it. Tonight I want to focus in a special way on the role of Christians in our country’s civic and political life. The key to our discussion will be that word “vocation.” It comes from the Latin word vocare, which means, “to call.” Christians believe that God calls each of us individually, and all of us as a believing community, to know, love and serve him in our daily lives.

 

But there’s more. He also asks us to make disciples of all nations. That means we have a duty to preach Jesus Christ. We have a mandate to share his Gospel of truth, mercy, justice and love. These are mission words; action words. They’re not optional. And they have practical consequences for the way we think, speak, make choices and live our lives, not just at home but in the public square. Real Christian faith is always personal, but it’s never private. And we need to think about that simple fact in light of an anniversary.

 

Fifty years ago this fall, in September 1960, Sen. John F. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate for president, spoke to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. He had one purpose. He needed to convince 300 uneasy Protestant ministers, and the country at large, that a Catholic like himself could serve loyally as our nation’s chief executive. Kennedy convinced the country, if not the ministers, and went on to be elected. And his speech left a lasting mark on American politics. It was sincere, compelling, articulate – and wrong. Not wrong about the patriotism of Catholics, but wrong about American history and very wrong about the role of religious faith in our nation’s life. And he wasn’t merely “wrong.” His Houston remarks profoundly undermined the place not just of Catholics, but of all religious believers, in America’s public life and political conversation. Today, half a century later, we’re paying for the damage.

 

Now those are strong statements. So I’ll try to explain them by doing three things. First, I want to look at the problems in what Kennedy actually said. Second, I want to reflect on what a proper Christian approach to politics and public service might look like. And last, I want to examine where Kennedy’s speech has led us – in other words, the realities we face today, and what Christians need to do about those realities………continued………

http://donotbediscouraged.blogspot.com/2010/03/vocation-of-christians-in-american.html

USCCB Expresses Bewilderment

By Kathleen Gilbert, March 2, 2010, LifeSiteNews.com

 WASHINGTON, DC – In a press conference Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attempted to dispel the notion that the Democrats’ health care bill contains government abortion funding by appealing to the Hyde amendment – the amendment which has traditionally put up a wall against federal abortion funding.

 ”I talked to the Catholic bishops about this, and people on all sides of the choice issue,” Pelosi told reporters when asked about abortion funding.  “Federal law prevents federal funding of abortion, there is no federal funding of abortion in this bill.

 ”There’ll be no expansion or diminution of a woman’s right to choose, and that does not happen in this bill.  And we’re determined that we’re going to pass health care reform. This bill that passed the Senate does not have federal funding of abortion.”

However, the argument that the Hyde amendment would prevent government funding of abortion in health care, advanced by the White House earlier last year, has been blasted by commentators and fact-checkers, including the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), as patently false.

After Pelosi’s press conference, the USCCB’s Richard Doerflinger told CNSNews.com that “anyone” who has talked with the bishops knows that the Senate bill allows the use of taxpayer money to purchase abortion-covering health plans.
 
“We do not know how anyone who has spoken to the bishops could conclude that the Senate health care bill does not fund abortions,” said Doerflinger.
 
“As the bishops have said in their letters to Congress, abortion problems in the Senate bill are so serious that, despite our strong support for expanding access to health care, we will have to oppose the bill unless they are resolved.”

 The Senate health care bill, as repeatedly emphasized by the NRLC, directs government funds to abortion in a number of ways. One aspect the NRLC emphasized in a memorandum this month is that language added to the Senate bill in the 11th-hour manager’s amendment last December would “allow direct federal funding of abortion, without restriction, in about 1,250 Community Health Centers.”

 Buried deep in the Manager’s Amendment was new language making a direct appropriation of funds for Community Health Centers (CHCs) (which are also called Federally Qualified Health Centers, or FQHCs), totaling $7 billion ($7,000,000,000) over five years,” wrote the NRLC, referencing Sec. 10503 on page 2355 of H.R. 3590.

 ”Because this is a direct appropriation in the health care bill itself, these funds will not flow through the annual appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services. Therefore, these funds would not be covered by the Hyde Amendment,” said the group.

 The Senate bill forms the basis for the proposals presented by President Obama last month, proposals that NRLC said only make matters worse. “None of President Obama’s proposed changes diminish any of the sweeping pro-abortion problems in the Senate bill, and he actually proposes to increase the funds that would be available to directly subsidize abortion procedures (through Community Health Centers) and to subsidize private health insurance that covers abortion (through the premium-subsidy tax credits program),” said NRLC.

 (Click here for more information from the NRLC on the senate bill’s abortion provisions.)

 See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

 Hiding Behind Hyde: More “Deception” and “Smokescreens” from the White House on Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/oct/09100808.html

 http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/mar/10030204.html

“No nation was ever ruined by trade, even seemingly the most disadvantageous.”

–Benjamin Franklin and George Whaley, Principles of Trade, 1774

By  Lisa Benson

By Nate Beeler

‘Be There or Else’: Palin Turns Stand-Up on Leno’s ‘Tonight Show’

“And Alaska, being so different from Los Angeles. Here when people have a frozen look on their face, I find out it’s Botox.”

 
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told physicians and others at the American Medical Association’s conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday that President Barack Obama is still committed to universal health care. (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)

 http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/62167

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.)

Washington D.C., Mar 2, 2010 / 09:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A recent Wall Street Journal article detailed an interview with Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), in which he said he opposes the current Senate health care bill for reasons other than the issue of federally funded abortions.

Rep. Stupak said on Tuesday that if Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi brought the Senate health care bill to the floor “It’d be very hard to vote for this bill even if they fixed the abortion language.”

When he was asked whether or not he would (vote) for the Senate legislation as is, the Congressman responded, “nope.”

Besides taking issue with the Senate health care bill providing federally funded abortions, Rep. Stupak said that the House version of the bill had tighter restrictions on insurance companies as well as new payment methods that would help doctors provide quality service – neither of which are in the Senate version.

The Michigan representative also takes issue with the fact that House members will have vote on the Senate bill without being ensured that the changes they’ve requested within the legislation will ever get approved. “You’re going to make members vote for a bill that’s going to be hung around your neck come Election Day,” he said. “After sending so much legislation to the Senate, we just don’t trust that they’re going to do it.”

Rep. Stupak still feels, however, that were Speaker Pelosi to present a finalized health care package, it still wouldn’t pass. “I’m not optimistic they’d get the votes in the House,” he added.

The congressman stepped into the national political spotlight last year when he introduced an amendment to the House health care reform bill that maintained the Hyde Amendment ban on using federal funds to pay for abortions. The Stupak Amendment passed in the House by a vote of 240-194 last November.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/rep._stupak_abortion_
not_the_only_reason_to_oppose_senate_health_bill/

Stop shooting the messenger and fix the problem.

Sleeper cells inside the Church are quietly destroying the Faith.

Father Andrew Mulcahey, LC  - Matthew 20: 17-28

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, though I cannot see you with my eyes, I believe you are present to me now, in my innermost being, and that you know me far better than I know myself. I also know that you love me much more than I love my own self. Thank you for loving and watching over me, though I don’t deserve your love. In return, I offer you my sorrow for my sins and my hopes to love you more each day.

Petition: Lord, wean me from dependence on human honors and approval.

1. Seeking the Limelight James and John rub shoulders with that temptation the devil puts before every apostle: “What’s in it for me, Lord?” We start out our apostolic work with purity of intention, but if we are careless, it soon becomes “purely attention.” That is why we should always be willing to submit our work to the approval of the proper ecclesiastical authorities. Christ steered clear from all power grabs and squabbles. John would alert Christ, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Christ simply replied, “Do not prevent him … for whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:38-9).

2. Christ is Never Discouraged Christ has just told his apostles of his passion, and it weighs heavily on his heart. Drowning in their own fascination for recognition, however, they are completely oblivious to Christ’s sufferings. He doesn’t let himself get discouraged. Rather, he gently helps them to look beyond themselves to follow his lead of self-giving to the point of death.

3. Putting Others First “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (John 6:27). Human recognition is passing; it doesn’t even last a lifetime. Even in heaven human recognition will be useless—our eyes will be fixed on God, not on each other or ourselves. However, we do know by faith that God will reward us in heaven according to our merits. He will exalt us for serving others, especially when we bring others to love and serve him. Am I convinced of this? What ephemeral honors am I hankering after? How can I put Christ and serving him first in my life?

Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, too often I compare myself with others. It´s easy for me to find or imagine my superiority. I ignore you and your great goodness. I forget that everything I have comes from you and that I can´t claim credit for any of my qualities and virtues. Help me to keep this truth in mind so I may have an attitude of genuine humility in my heart.

Resolution: I will pray a special prayer for humility every day this week.

http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/articulo.phtml?se=363&ca=975&te=735&id=20302