News

Associated Press – Officials of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria say their counterparts in the Archdiocese of New York are trying to halt the transfer of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s remains to Illinois… Earlier this month, New York’s Court of Appeals rejected the archdiocese’s argument that lower courts erred in giving permission to a Sheen relative to transfer his remains to Peoria, where he was ordained 100 years ago… The Peoria diocese wants to inter Sheen’s remains this year in St. Mary’s Cathedral, where he was ordained in 1919. The diocese also wants sainthood for Sheen, known for his revolutionary radio and TV preaching in the 1950s and ’60s.

By Fr. Tim McCauley, Crisis Magazine – Gnostic philosophy, like a noxious weed, thrives in the barren soil of our post-Christian culture. It also emits a foul odor akin to the smoke of Satan, filtering through the doors of the Church and influencing our anthropology, as well as severely compromising the integrity of our worship of Christ in the Eucharist… Catholicism is incarnational. Reverence and respect for the body is central to our worship and our way of life. Unfortunately, Western culture has in many ways devolved into a form of Gnosticism: an anti-incarnational, dualist ideology of the separation of body and soul.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – In her statement announcing her decision to sign the bill, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey points to the fact that the bill “was approved by overwhelming majorities in both chambers” of the state’s legislature… “Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur,” Ivey said in her statement.

By Carrie Gress, The Federalist – New pro-life laws in Georgia and Alabama have elicited predictable responses from pro-abortion activists. Framing the pro-life argument as an attack on women, Alyssa Milano suggested a sex strike, while Linda Sarsour was quick to blame white women for supporting the patriarchy… With the left’s sacrament of the left under fire, pro-abortion women are trotting out the same old tired arguments, ignoring the reality that millions of women are pro-life, including Gov. Kay Ivey, who signed Alabama’s bill into law.

By Michael F. Haverluck, OneNewsNow – Staff at the Guardian newspaper of London, England, has been directed to address “global warming” more aggressively and use “climate crisis” or “climate emergency” instead of “climate change,” which it considers “too passive and gentle.”… An internal communication at the British daily was obtained by the Washington Examiner, which dubs the paper as “a proud bastion of liberalism” in the United Kingdom… “’Climate change’ [sounds] rather passive and gentle when what scientists are talking about is a catastrophe for humanity”…

di Sandro Magister, L`Espresso – Cardinal Robert Sarah… “I would therefore like us this evening to allow ourselves to be enlightened by this demanding and luminous thought of his. How could we summarize the thesis of Benedict XVI? Allow me to simply cite him: ‘Why has pedophilia reached such proportions? In the final analysis, the reason is the absence of God.’ This is the architectonic principle of the entire reflection of the pope emeritus. This is the conclusion of his long argumentation. This must be the starting point of every investigation of the scandal of sexual abuse committed by priests, in order to propose an effective solution.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few” (Matt 6:12-13)… To summarize, most people today have the teaching backwards. Whereas Jesus said that many are on the road to destruction and only a few travel the narrow road (of the cross) to salvation, most claim that many go to Heaven and only a few (if any) go to Hell. Don’t make that mistake. Jesus is not playing games with us….

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – John Rist, perhaps the most distinguished scholar among those who signed the open letter charging Pope Francis with heresy, has explained his action in an interview with the National Catholic Register. I would strongly urge all concerned Catholics to read the entire interview. Rist is an extremely intelligent man, and makes a strong case in defense of the open letter, while at the same time recognizing its limitations.

By Philip Lawler, First Things – Under the new system, a complaint against a bishop should be brought to the attention of the metropolitan archbishop in the region. But McCarrick was the metropolitan archbishop… In such a case, the new policy stipulates that the complaint should be sent to the Holy See. But reports about McCarrick were conveyed to the Vatican, and for years nothing happened. Later, when McCarrick retired, complaints might have been made to his successor, Cardinal Donald Wuerl. But again, Wuerl was informed… The sad history of the McCarrick scandal demonstrates that policies are only as reliable as the officials who enforce them.

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – Thankfully the issue of aggression and violence against peaceful pro-life activists is receiving some (but still shockingly limited) media attention right now, thanks to the contemptible antics of Pennsylvania Democratic Representative Brian Sims. Earlier this month Sims posted a video of himself harassing a pro-life woman who was praying the rosary outside an abortion facility, calling her “shameful,” “disgusting,” “racist,” as well as “old white lady.”… Even worse, he also filmed himself approaching two young girls (aged 13 and 15), calling them “a bunch of pseudo-Christian protesters who’ve been out here shaming young girls for being here.”

Catholic News Agency – With a record-high number of seminarians, the Diocese of Phoenix has dedicated more funds to support the formation of the Arizona diocese’s future priests… There are 40 men studying to become priests in the Diocese of Phoenix, according to the Catholic Sun. That is the highest number of seminarians in diocesan history, and double the number of seminarians the diocese had eight years ago.

Fr. Mark Goring, Companions of the Cross – Reading the current crisis through the lenses of Scripture and Church history, Bishop Barron shows that we have faced such egregious scandals before; that the spiritual treasures of the Church were preserved by holy men and women who recommitted themselves to fighting evil; and that there is a clear path forward for us today… For Catholics questioning their faith, searching desperately for encouragement and hope, this book will offer reasons to stay and fight for the Body of Christ.

By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV, Catholic Exchange – A Good Shepherd is intent on protecting his sheep from the ravenous wolves on the prowl. Such a shepherd knows where the wolves come from, when they attack, and how they attack. An authentic Good Shepherd is even willing to lay down his own life for the sake of the safety of the sheep…. Of course, the best model in the world of the Good Shepherd is Jesus Himself. He says the Good Shepherd is willing to lay down His life and die for the sheep entrusted to His care. The welfare of the sheep supersedes and transcends the value of the Shepherd Himself.

By David Nussman, Church Militant – Having a strong relationship between a father and son is essential to Christian civilization, says one family researcher… This was the thesis presented by Dr. Patrick F. Fagan on May 4 at the 2019 Family and Life Conference at St. George’s Cathedral in London… Fagan noted that Marxists and radical feminists in the 1960s set their sights on dismantling family life and “the patriarchy” by normalizing various sexual sins. This was done with the intention of weakening men’s moral fibers; but it has been devastating for women as well, Fagan argued.

By Peter Jesserer Smith, EWTN News – Every “None” has his own story behind having no affiliation with a religious tradition or disaffiliating, both defying easy stereotypes and challenging Catholics to adopt person-oriented approaches for sharing their faith in Jesus Christ, built upon relationships of mutual trust, listening and respect, where the other person knows he or she is genuinely loved for his or her own sake.

By Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Stream – When the United States Supreme Court first legalized Roe v. Wade, Frederica Mathewes-Green had a bumper sticker on her car: “Don’t labor under a misconception; legalize abortion.” She’s since changed her mind about that. Reflecting in 2016, she wrote: “(A)t the time, we didn’t have much understanding of what abortion was. We knew nothing of fetal development….

By JD Flynn, CNA – California’s state senate will vote on a bill that would require priests to violate the seal of confession in certain limited circumstances. An amended text of the bill passed the Senate appropriations’ committee May 16… The bill, as amended, would require priests to report to law enforcement knowledge or suspicion of child abuse gained from hearing the sacramental confessions of other priests or co-workers… The bill originally would have required California priests to violate the seal of confession anytime they gained knowledge or suspicion of child abuse from hearing the confession of any penitent.

By Lianne Laurence, LifeSiteNews – The Church of England’s endorsement of contraception at its 1930 Lambeth Conference has led to the “diabolical monstrosity” of “procreative medicine,” German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller told the Rome Life Forum on Friday… The acceptance of contraception — which separates the sexual act from procreation — has now resulted in practice of “procreative medicine” — in-vitro fertilization, genetic engineering, eugenic prenatal screening, abortion — in which “man has seated himself on the throne of the Creator,” Cardinal Brandmüller said.

By Judie Brown, American Life League – American Life League president, Judie Brown, issued the following statement today regarding President Donald Trump’s stance on abortion exceptions: Sadly, President Donald Trump has now aligned himself with the mainstream less-than-pro-life political movement by Tweeting: “As most people know, and for those who would like to know, I am strongly pro-life, with the three exceptions—rape, incest, and protecting the life of the mother—the same position taken by Ronald Reagan.”

By Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D., Breitbart – “To be opposed to large-scale Muslim immigration is a responsible exercise of one’s patriotism,” the cardinal said. Distinguishing “true refugees” from other migrants, he said that allowing mass migration, especially of those who do not share the foundational beliefs of one’s culture, is irresponsible… “To resist large-scale Muslim immigration in my judgment is to be responsible,” he said, speaking at an annual pro-life, pro-family meeting in Rome last Friday… Those coming from Muslim counties present a particular problem for the West, because Islam “believes it is destined to rule the world,” said Burke, the former head of the Vatican’s highest court.

By Leslie Dean, Daily Signal – I’m an unlikely person to be supporting Alabama’s new pro-life law. I was pro-choice for many years, and as a young woman I had not one, but two abortions… Both of my abortions would have been illegal under Alabama’s new law passed last week. The law bans abortion at all stages and allows an exception only to save the life of the mother. Other states like Missouri and Louisiana aren’t far behind Alabama—and I applaud them all… I’ve come a long way to get to this position. As I mentioned, I was once pro-choice.

By Debi Vinnedge, Ex. Dir., Children of God for Life – When articles like What does the Catholic Church teach about vaccines, Washington D.C. (CNA) appear in what is supposed to be valid Catholic news, mass confusion abounds and false information becomes viral on social media and worse, in the chanceries of some dioceses. In an email to Catholic News Agency dated May 10, 2009 we asked they correct their errors and publish the truth. Since they have not responded, we will because it is important that the facts are reported.

By Kristan Hawkins, First Things – By passing a law that protects life in the womb, Alabama has accomplished the unthinkable—according to the highly profitable abortion industry… Notably, the new law puts the focus on abortionists—not mothers. Committing an abortion in Alabama is now a Class A felony carrying a sentence of 10 to 99 years in prison (depending on a judge’s ruling). Attempting to commit an abortion is now a Class C felony carrying a prison term of 1 to 10 years.

By Lisa Bourne, LifeSiteNews – The signers of the recent open letter accusing Pope Francis of heresy “went too far,” Bishop Athanasius Schneider said… While the pope in practice has at times denied the truth, he said, the distinction between formal and material heresy must be made. Formal heresy, he said, would happen if the pope were to “publicly and explicitly” in a “formal statement” deny a “revealed truth.”… “There were a lot of ambiguities, I would say more ambiguities,” said Schneider, “and practical collaboration in the spreading of wrong teaching in the Church.”… “they have to be very careful in accusing the pope of formal heresy.”

By Meg Hunter-Kilmer, Aleteia – The Liturgy of the Hours has a distinct rhythm that becomes familiar over time. The Our Father comes at the end every morning and evening, antiphons are repeated after each psalm, the Gospel canticle is always marked with the Sign of the Cross, and when in doubt, pray the doxology.“Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,” we pray, tripping up those who are more familiar with the slight variation that’s used in the rosary. “As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.”

By Bob Kellogg, OneNewsNow – Informed Parents of California has announced parents are keeping their children home as part of a sit-out day planned for today, May 17… Their target is the California Healthy Youth Act and in particular the graphic public school lessons that have been likened to child pornography… Informed Parents founder Stephanie Yates tells OneNewsNow that California children are not getting a birds-and-the-bees lesson… “We’re dealing with a radical agenda,” she warns, “and to deal with a radical agenda that they’re pushing, we have to take radical action.”

By Jennifer Hartline, The Stream – The duty doesn’t only rest with women, though. Fathers also have a duty to protect and care for their children. More than that, fathers have a duty to protect and care for the mother of their children as well. If the inequality of pregnancy demands much of a woman, the duty of care, protection, and provision demands just as much from men… It’s been humorous to see some of the Tweets and posts on Facebook from women who only now seem to be making the connection between sex and babies. And the connection between men and babies.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday issued a statement about abortion and said he is very concerned about Democrats who continue to refuse a vote on a bill to stop infanticide and Congress… Pence slammed Democrats and their leader Nancy Pelosi who “refuses even to vote on a bill that would protect children that are born alive is deeply troubling to millions of Americans.”.. Pelosi and House Democrats continue to refuse a request to allow a vote on the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, legislation that would stop infanticide and provide medical care and treatment for babies who survive abortions.

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – No, the real novelty is that Alabama essentially banned abortion last week with a bill that was passed by the legislature and signed into law by governor Kay Ivey who, like large numbers of women, believes abortion is the taking of innocent human life… Numerous states have now passed law restricting abortion, so we’re about to see a titanic battle in the Supreme Court – and American society… Pro-abortion commentators are worrying about a reversal of Roe v. Wade, though the swift discrediting of the Center for Medical Progress’s videos showing Planned Parenthood selling fetal body parties suggests that it’s still easy to gaslight the public about such matters.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Perhaps the most accessible image of this is money. If I receive 100 million dollars from a dying relative, I can (use) the money to start living differently. My bills, which now seem overwhelming, can be paid with just the interest earned from my newfound wealth. I can start enjoying things I thought I could never afford in the past. In other words, a legacy can completely change the way I live and open up new possibilities… It is in this sense that we explore today’s Gospel, wherein our Lord sets forth for us a new power: the power of love. If we tap into it and draw from its riches, we are able to live differently.

By Richard Becker, Catholic Exchange – Eric was a solicitous king who is remembered for his care of the poor – sometimes through direct visits and almsgiving. Also, he promoted impartial justice for all and, toward that end, supervised a definitive collation of laws… that strengthened the Swedish social order… When that social order was threatened by pagan raiders from neighboring Finland, King Eric took up arms in defense of his people. Even so, Eric sought the good of his foes by inducing St. Henry, Bishop of Uppsala, to accompany him into battle and then stay behind after the victory to evangelize the Finnish populace – a missionary enterprise that met with success….

By John-Mark L. Miravalle, Crisis Magazine – Suppose there is such a thing as objective beauty. Suppose, along with the classical and Christian traditions, that the human person is made for beauty… Now suppose further, that beauty is a kind of composite, that the beautiful is made up of two parts, one metaphysical and the other psychological… If such were the case, then the well-being of all humanity would depend on keeping these two aspects of beauty together.

By Morgan Gstalter, The Hill – Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) is reportedly prepared to break with the Democratic Party to sign a bill banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat detected if it passes a final vote in the state House, The Associated Press reported… The proposal awaits a final vote before it heads to Edwards’s desk. The legislation would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around the six-week mark, before many women even know they are pregnant… The procedure would be allowed if the pregnant woman’s health is in “serious risk,” but not for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, AP noted.

By Archbishop Aquila, The Denver Catholic – There are many uncertainties in life, but as the Church observes World Vocation Day on May 12, I want to remind everyone — especially young people — that you can be certain that God has a unique and loving plan for your life that only you can fulfill. Your task is to seek the Lord with all your heart, and if you do so, you can be sure he will reveal your vocation.

By Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, Catholic East Texas – In this issue of the Catholic East Texas Magazine, we turn our attention to topics that lie at the very core of what it means to be human. Life is the most foundational gift that our Lord gives us. New life comes to us in a beautiful way: “a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). In the marital act, when the two become one flesh, this beautiful expression of love cooperates with the creative power of God to produce a new human being. The parents provide the genetic material, while our heavenly Father creates the immortal soul.

By Judie Brown. American Life League – It is “dangerous,” (Justice) Breyer concluded, “to overrule a decision only because five members” of the court disagree with it. “Today’s decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the Court will overrule next.” And if there were any doubt which cases Breyer was alluding to in this dark denouement, he cited the portion of Planned Parenthood v. Casey that explained why Roe should be upheld. The justice has hoisted a red flag, alerting the country that the court’s conservative majority is preparing an assault on the right to abortion access.

By Susan Jones, CNS News – “TREASON!” President Trump tweeted on Friday morning: My Campaign for President was conclusively spied on. Nothing like this has ever happened in American Politics. A really bad situation. TREASON means long jail sentences, and this was TREASON!… Trump apparently was reacting to Bill Hemmer’s interview with Attorney General William Barr, in which Barr said he has been “trying to get answers to questions” about the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, but “I found that a lot of the answers have been inadequate.”

Associated Press – Democrats in the House approved sweeping homosexual rights legislation Friday. The protections would extend to employment, housing, loan applications, education, public accommodations and other areas… Called the Equality Act, the bill is a top priority of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The vote was 236-173… The legislation’s chief sponsor, David Cicilline, who is homosexual, said it affirms fairness and equality as core American values… Most Republicans oppose the bill and call it another example of government overreach. Several GOP lawmakers spoke against it Friday on the House floor. President Donald Trump is widely expected to veto the legislation if it reaches his desk.

By Jennifer Hartline, The Stream – The state of Alabama has done a remarkable and courageous thing by outlawing abortion in the state, with an exception if the mother’s life is in danger. Georgia passed their own law banning abortions after 6 weeks… Abortion-demanders are apoplectic. They left livid behind miles ago and are simply beyond consolation now. Poor devils… We will hear ever-louder cries of “forced birth!” and see the handmaiden costumes employed for dramatic emphasis. So let’s talk about it.

By Fr. Gerald E. Murray, The Catholic Thing – These norms were issued without prior publicity and would have benefitted from a wider consultation during the drafting stage. Canonist Edward Peters identifies problems with the document, beginning with the fact that it is not published in Latin, but only in Italian and in translations based on the Italian. This creates serious problems of interpretation. When there is no Latin text, the terminology cannot be readily compared and harmonized with the Code of Canon Law and other canonical texts in Latin.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – But there is a human problem, shared by most of both sexes, wherein people seek relief more so than healing. Healing takes guts; it requires courageous change and often involves difficult choices. Many would rather seek quick answers than face the deeper issues that often drive their struggles. Thus a person may want relief from anxiety but not want to look at his lack of faith, or the unrealistic expectations and perfectionism that may drive his anxiety and low self-confidence.

By Richard Storey, Crisis Magazine – Are you an ethnically European Catholic? Do you talk about “white guilt” or “white privilege” with other Catholics? Whether you like it or not, this politically motivated conversation is coming your way. Are you ready for it? A far better question is: what is the Church’s teaching on such things?… Over the past several years, various articles have caught my eye in which a Catholic college or university has begun teaching a course on “whiteness” or something similar. “It’s just another Neo-Marxist attack-vector on the supposedly evil, oppressive majority,” I said to myself….

By George Weigel, Denver Catholic – Jim Billington was similarly multi-layered in terms of accomplishments. To the rich array of his talents already described this morning, I would add one from my Wilson Center experience with him in 1984-85: His singular ability to enter any conversation and ask the one, penetrating question that got everyone thinking in a fresh way — no mean accomplishment among high-powered academics, who may doubt the pope’s infallibility, but not their own.

By Dorothy Cummings McLean, LifeSiteNews – Cardinal Raymond Burke said today that patriotism is required by natural law and that God “in accord with the order written upon the human heart, does not make just and legitimate a single global government.”… “Filial piety and national patriotism as essential virtues of citizens of heaven at work on earth”… His talk comes at a time when there is not only a push from secular authorities but also from top leaders within the Church for a supranational legally constituted body to implement “climate change” policies and enforce UN Sustainable Development Goals around the world… Near the end of his talk, the cardinal said that “divine law” enables us to see that a one world government would be “totalitarian.”

By Dr. Maike Hickson, LifeSiteNews – Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said that while he believes Pope Francis is not a heretic, the April 30 Open Letter from prominent clergymen and scholars accusing the Pope of committing heresy, nevertheless, deserves a “response” from Rome… (he) said in an interview with Die Tagespost’s Regina Einig that the authors of the letter are “renowned theologians.” Therefore, he says, “it would be important that the Holy Father makes the Congregation for the Faith issue a response, and not the Secretary of State or any of his friendly journalists or theologians.”

By Brian Clowes, Ph.D., Human Life International – Pro-lifers must vigorously oppose the “mother’s life” abortion exception because of the inherent dishonesty of abortionists who expand it to mean abortion on demand. Additionally, if surgical procedures intended to save the life of the mother are labeled “abortions” in those many countries that still have pro-life laws, people will get used to the idea of killing preborn children much more easily, paving the way for a rapid expansion of exceptions and eventual abortion on demand.

By Dorothy Cummings McLean, LifeSiteNews – China expert and social scientist Steven Mosher warned that persecution of Christians, particularly Catholics, in China is currently unfolding in a way the “world has never seen the likes of.”… Mosher, the president of the Population Research Institute who in 1979 was the first American social scientist to visit mainland China, began his talk at the Rome Life Forum on Thursday at the Angelicum by saying he wished he had happier news to tell his audience… Citing Bishop Athanasius Schneider’s video address, Mosher said the bishop had spoken to his heart in talking about the City of God versus the City of Man.

By Jim Martinson, First Things – As a student at the University of Notre Dame, I have always been taught to try to make a difference in my community. So when I noticed that campus culture has a pornography problem, I wanted to do everything possible to remedy it… On campus, I have met several people who struggled with an addiction to this pervasive drug. Pornography harms users’ ability to form healthy relationships, and it harms women by fostering a culture of exploitation and violence. But while it’s no secret that many students consume pornography, what most people don’t acknowledge is that many students want to stop.

By Daniel Davis and Rachel del Guidice, Daily Signal – You mentioned that some of them are going in as critics. Have any of (those who left) mentioned to you—other than wanting to go in as a critic—anything that intrigued them to the film? I’m sure in some cases it was definitely going against their own beliefs to step out and see this film… Johnson: Yeah. They have told us that some of them went in as groups, like a group of workers from the clinic that went together… It’s been sort of different, different stories there. But yeah, they definitely were instructed not to see the film by Planned Parenthood.

By Ken Blackwell, The Patriot Post – There was a time when there were real liberals on the Left. That is, people who believed in liberty. Their disagreements with conservatives were profound, but they shared a commitment to free speech, religious liberty, and more… Today, however, those traditional liberals are nowhere to be found. The hard, authoritarian Left dominates Democratic politics. That is obvious on a number of issues, especially abortion… Consider the argument of Alabama State Representative John Rogers: “You bring them in the world unwanted, unloved. You send them to the electric chair. So, you kill them now or you kill them later.”

By Chris Woodward, OneNewsNow – Self-described “progressives” often use the terms mentioned in the same sentence, but a GOP congressman – and many others – says “abortion” is not “health care.”… Yesterday, Representative Andy Biggs (R-Arizona) introduced the Abortion Is Not Health Care Act, which would end the Internal Revenue Service’s treatment of out-of-pocket abortion costs as a medical expense… “Most people don’t realize that you can claim an abortion as an out-of-pocket medical expense under the IRS code and get a deduction for that”…

By Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY – “We’re clearly in the throes of major social change with regard to women getting married and choosing to have children,” Donna Strobino, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told NBC News. “There’s no question that part of the explanation for that is economic. It’s very expensive to raise children these days. And in part it’s social – all the changes in women’s roles.”

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – Pennsylvania Democrats apparently will not take any action against state Rep. Brian Sims after he bullied pro-lifers in his district, including an older woman and three young teenage girls… Rep. Brian Sims’ actions reflect the worst in how people should behave and treat one another in a civil society,” Pennsylvania Republican leaders said in a statement Wednesday. “We expect him to accept full responsibility for his egregious and unacceptable behavior and to pledge that he will meet the high standards that the people of Pennsylvania have for their elected officials.”

By Michael Brown, The Stream – A civil war is coming to America. Only this time it will be abortion, rather than slavery, that divides the nation. And while I hope with all my heart that it will not be a physically violent war, the ideological conflict will certainly be intense… We witnessed some of this during the hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, when the opposition to his confirmation was fierce to the point of screaming and pounding at the Senate’s doors… This brought to my mind the famous line, “Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned”…

By Fr. George W. Rutler, Crisis Magazine – There is one thing we know that prevents miniaturizing Christ as the best of men but only a man: “For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (I Col. 16-17).

By Msgr. Charles Pope – As we turn in this week of Easter to the Acts of Paul section of the Acts of the Apostles, we do well to ponder the kinds of sufferings the apostles endured to announce the gospel and win souls for Christ. In the “softer” Church of the declining West, it is hard for us even to imagine such suffering. How many Catholics today can even bear to rouse themselves to get to an hour-long Mass on Sunday? How many of us clergy will not speak the truth because we’re afraid of getting a raised eyebrow?

By Fr. Gabriele Amorth, Catholic Exchange – It is difficult to imagine how a person can talk with a demon. How do you communicate, and what do you say?… Well, I received some great teaching. Yes, I did. Those whom I value the most love Our Lady. An exorcist friend who was older than I and who died some time ago once asked the Devil: “Tell me, what are the qualities of the Most Holy Mother Mary that make you so angry and cause you so much pain?” He answered: “She is the purest of everyone, and I am the filthiest; she is the humblest, and I am the most rebellious; she is the most obedient, and I never obey!”

By Patti Armstrong, National Catholic Register – Running out of wine at the Wedding at Cana was not the Blessed Mother’s problem, but she made it her concern. I want to be one of Mary’s concerns… The Blessed Mother provides divine symmetry; God went through her to get closer to us and we can go through her to get closer to him. Yes, “there is (one) mediator between God and Man, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). We’ve got that. But, how can anyone not get that Jesus’ his first miracle showed the world how he responds to his mother’s requests?

By Claire Chretien, LifeSiteNews – Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law today the strongest pro-life bill in the country, making almost all abortions illegal in the Yellowhammer state… The law, the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, makes it a felony for doctors to commit abortions. Abortions are only allowed to “avert (a mother’s) death or serious risk of substantial physical impairment of a major bodily function.” The law makes committing an abortion a Class A felony – punishable by up to 99 years in prison – and attempting to commit an abortion a Class C felony.

By Debbie Lesko, Daily Signal – The Equality Act—or I call it the Forfeiting Women’s Rights Act—takes away women’s and girls’ rights that we fought for for years… It requires organizations such as schools, churches, university dormitories, or nonprofit organizations to allow biological males in traditionally women’s spaces like women’s bathrooms, women’s locker rooms, women’s showers—even without any type of medical diagnosis or psychological diagnosis.

By Louis DeBroux, Patriot Post – In a 5-4 ruling on Monday, the High Court overturned a 40-year-old precedent regarding sovereign immunity for states — one that shields them from private lawsuits initiated in the courts of other states. In writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas, the Court’s conservative anchor, stated that the Court’s finding in the overturned Nevada v. Hall “is contrary to our constitutional design and the understanding of sovereign immunity shared by the States that ratified the Constitution.” Importantly, he concluded, “Stare decisis does not compel continued adherence to this erroneous precedent.”

By Msgr. Charles Pope – There is a tendency today to trivialize and reduce the human person. One of the ways we do this is by claiming that it doesn’t really matter what people think or believe, only that they behave well. For example, we think that if a man is a good citizen, pays his taxes, doesn’t beat his wife, and is kind to children and animals then it doesn’t matter what he believes. This trivializes the man, because each of us was made to know the one, true God. We were made to know the truth and, knowing this truth, to be set free (Jn 8:32)

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – (Five years ago) Something special happened in Cambridge last night, and I confidently predict that we shall see the results for years to come. Grace is real, and grace works in unpredictable ways. How many non-Catholic Harvard students went to St. Paul’s to show respect for their Catholic friends, and saw something there that will spark an interest in the faith, and draw them to the Church? How many young men, as they renewed their devotion to the Eucharist, felt the first stirrings of a call to the priesthood? We didn’t merely win a battle in the spiritual combat; we launched an offensive.

By John Zmirak, The Stream – The Spirit is moving. You can see it shifting the waters. In state after state, legislators are moving to offer a hand of friendship to our unborn brothers and sisters. They are paring back one, then another, mode of destroying preborn Americans for our sexual convenience. Forty-five long, lethal years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court justices hid like superstitious primitives behind a veil of pretended scientific ignorance.

By John Clark, EWTN News – In the past few years, I have witnessed an increasing number of married Catholic friends and acquaintances leave their wives. It’s sickening, heartbreaking and confusing. Obviously, outsiders can never be completely aware of the details; indeed, the couple themselves may not be fully aware of all the causes that led to the sad effect. Many of those in troubled marriages can certainly offer insights, but as someone in a happy marriage of a quarter-century, I feel compelled to offer a few thoughts that might help other men…

By Ines A. Murzaku, The Catholic Thing – (N)ews came from the Holy See that Pope Francis has authorized pilgrimages to the controversial shrine of Medjugorje, a town in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Balkans. What does this mean – or better, what will pilgrims do now that they have not done before?… In the same announcement, Alessandro Gisotti, interim director of the Holy See’s Press Office, cautioned that the latest approval from Pope Francis should not be interpreted “as an authentication of known events, which still require examination by the Church. Therefore, care must be taken to avoid creating confusion or ambiguity from the doctrinal point of view regarding such pilgrimages.”

By David G. Bonagura Jr., Crisis Magazine – Recently announced plans for Pope Francis’s reform of the Roman Curia have produced euphoria among liberals and concern among conservatives that evangelization is being elevated over doctrine by the creation of a new “super-dicastery” for evangelization that will outrank the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, one of Francis’s closest collaborators working on the Curia reform project….

By Joan Frawley Desmond, National Catholic Register – Bishop Robert Barron pulls no punches in Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis, making a direct and powerful appeal to every Catholic tempted to flee the Church after a hellish year of unremitting scandal… “The devil, with the cooperation of lots of people inside the leadership of the Catholic Church, has produced a masterpiece, and many, many Catholics are angry and naturally tempted to give up on the operation,” writes Auxiliary Bishop Barron of Los Angeles in this timely book…

By Tim Busch, NAPA Institute Founder – Specifically, they should empower the lay review boards in every diocese to investigate all allegations against bishops as well as priests and deacons who violate their vows of chastity. These reforms would provide an extra layer of protection for children and give the lay faithful confidence that the bishops are serious about cleaning up the Church. They would also give the laity a greater role in the purification and healing of our Church, in line with the Second Vatican Council’s call for greater lay involvement.

Editorial, Washington Examiner – Only one third of all U.S. mothers say they prefer to work full time. Nearly half say they want to work part time, and 20% say they would prefer to be full-time stay-at-home mothers… On the whole, American moms want to stay home more with more kids… So, it’s very unfortunate that commentators, politicians, and economists are looking for ways to get women out of the home more, away from their kids more, and into paid labor more. These experts are elevating GDP over family and their own morality over women’s preferences.

By Jenna McGuire, Human Life International – Annulment is not a “Catholic divorce.” The process should not be the first recourse if difficulties develop. Rather than seeking to dissolve a marriage, annulment is a process, governed by a tribunal, which takes the position after an extensive review that the marriage was never fully sacramentally valid. If it was not a valid marriage, the spouses are not bound to each other by a covenant with God. The Church may declare the marriage null, and both spouses are free to remarry.

By Melanie Arter, CNSNews – Attorney General William Barr appointed U.S. attorney John Durham to look into the origins of the Russia investigation, a decision that was not ordered by President Donald Trump, the president said Tuesday… Speaking to reporters outside the White House before departing for Louisiana, Trump was asked if he asked Barr to launch a probe into the Russia investigation… “No, I didn’t ask him to do that,” Trump said.

By Patrina Mosley, Townhall – President Trump is taking heat for comments he made at a Wisconsin rally where he described what happens to a child after she is born alive following a failed abortion, saying, “The baby is born. The mother meets with the doctor, they take care of the baby, they wrap the baby beautifully, and then the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby. I don’t think so. It’s incredible.”

By Steve Jordahl, OneNewsNow – The stock market tanked on Monday. Many people looking for an explanation will enter something like “Monday stock market” into the Google search engine and click the news tab. An audit by the web analytics firm Parse.ly finds more than 60 percent of the resulting Google links will be to liberal news sites. Google only led searchers to right-leaning news sites 11 percent of the time.

By Nancy Flory, The Stream – “We live in a time when the freedom of religion is under assault,” Vice President Mike Pence told the 2019 graduating class of Liberty University Saturday. “Yesterday, I was informed by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom that today Christians suffer more persecution around the world than any other religion. In fact, the United Kingdom released a report just last week that said persecution of Christians worldwide is ‘near genocide levels.’” 

By Matthew Boyle, Breitbart – “We’re fired up to have President Trump in Louisiana,” Rainey said. “Just like our country in 2016, Louisiana is suffering because of a failed tax and spend liberal agenda. President Trump has demonstrated how we can turn this state around by lowering taxes, supporting our families, and bringing back quality jobs. Ralph Abraham is fighting every day to make sure that we follow President Trump’s example so that Louisiana can finally start winning again.”

By Grayson Quay, The American Conservative – There’s no middle road. Very soon, either pro-lifers or pro-choicers will suffer a devastating loss… I’ve written quite a few pieces for TAC bemoaning the transformation of the public square into an irradiated no-man’s-land flanked by a pair of armed camps. Usually, I end with an appeal to shared values and a plea for civil public discourse. But the more the debate surrounding the recent wave of anti-abortion bills heats up, the more convinced I become that, on this issue, compromise is impossible.

By Ken Blackwell, The Stream – Perhaps the president’s most important accomplishment so far is his restoration of the judicial branch — a big reason many otherwise wary voters supported him in 2016. You probably already know about his two appointees to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. These justices are poised to make sure that the Constitution isn’t a rubber stamp for progressive policy preferences but a document whose meaning endures over time.

By Anthony B. Kim, Daily Signal – According to a recent survey, a majority of Americans say socialism is incompatible with American values, with only 10% of voters in a new poll expressing a positive view of socialism… That’s welcome news, but it’s rather troubling to see even 10% of those polled with a positive notion of socialism. Regrettably, socialism is trending in America, in part thanks to politicians who once ran from the term, but are now embracing it for short-term political gains.

By John-Henry Westen Show, LifeSiteNews – The Catholic Church has faced an internal war against her teaching on contraception for decades with the Popes fighting valiantly to defend and explain why the Church promotes openness to life… Unfortunately, on this teaching as much as many others, Pope Francis has introduced considerable ambiguity, and has even seemed to undermine the teaching in some of his informal remarks… John-Henry Westen.. (discusses) the Pope Francis’ comments on contraception, and why they are such a departure from the Church’s traditional teaching on the issue.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – This source of sin is a lot closer and far more subtle than we imagine. Only a greater love—the love of God—can conquer self-love. And thus the greatest commandment is this: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matt 22:37-40).

By Richard A. Spinello, Crisis Magazine – Not only does Pope Emeritus Benedict provide insight into the cause of the sex abuse crisis, he also subtly contradicts some of the theological positions presented in Amoris Laetitia. Benedict is quite discrete, of course, and never mentions Amoris Laetitia, but his reference to an “absolute good” and to “fundamentally evil” actions stands in sharp contrast to the more pliant moral doctrine proposed in this papal pronouncement.

By Lauretta Brown, EWTN News – The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released the final version of a new rule that aims to protect health care providers from religious discrimination by strengthening enforcement mechanisms for existing laws that protect conscience rights for those who don’t want to participate in provision of services such as abortion, contraception and sterilization.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – An Alabama bill that would make aborting unborn babies a felony passed in the state House on Tuesday… State House Bill 314, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, would make an abortion and attempted abortion a felony. Exceptions would be allowed if the mother’s life is at risk. Mothers would not be punished for having an abortion under the legislation, which would make killing a baby in an abortion a Class A felony — punishable by life or 10 to 99 years in prison for abortionists who kill them.

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – During a papal audience with Pope St. John Paul II in 1979, Father Marx offered his insights with the saintly pope saying that “once contraception is widespread, the rest is predictable. In every country contraception always leads to massive abortion.” He further emphasized that “once you have contraception and legalized or widespread abortion, birthrates fall; nations collapse; young people follow their parents in the abuse of sex; and increasing numbers live together without the benefit of marriage.” As if capable of looking into the future, Father Marx also discussed the intimate link between contraception, abortion, and euthanasia. For “if you can kill before birth, why can’t you kill after birth? So, euthanasia is inevitable.”

By Thomas D. Williams PH.D., Breitbart – Communist party officials have notified a diocese in China’s southeastern Jiangxi province that they will soon demolish the underground church of the Annunciation because of the failure of its pastor to join the state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association… last August police approached the parish priest of the Annunciation Church and demanded that he register the church with the government and join the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, if he wished to save the church from demolition… Both the priest and his parishioners indicated, however, that they would rather sacrifice the church than join the Patriotic Association.

Texas Right to Life – Donald Jones and his daughter, Kina, watched powerlessly as the Texas 10-Day Rule sanctioned the removal of a ventilator from their beloved wife and mother, Carolyn Jones, against their wishes… A dozen family members and invited guests, including Texas Right to Life’s Director of Media and Communication Kim Schwartz, gathered at Carolyn’s bedside at Memorial Hermann Southwest… The family begged, “Please don’t do this,” between heartbreaking sobs, as hospital staff turned the switches.

By Francis Phillips, Catholic Herald – These missionaries of Wall Street and the surrounding streets follow a tried and tested formula. They ask pedestrians whether they are Catholic; offer them rosaries and holy pictures; give them schedules of the Holy Week services and ask if they would like to light a candle in St Patrick’s – where several priests are waiting in the confessionals. Engaging people in conversation is only the start; the aim is to try to get Catholics who have lapsed from the Faith to go to Confession before Easter – and thus re-engage seriously with the sacramental life of the Church.

By Marybeth Hagan, Crisis Magazine – Sims, a gay-rights attorney who first ran for office as a Democrat in 2012, cast himself as the star of two videos filmed outside of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Center City Philadelphia. The first was a live Facebook video on April 18; the second was a Twitter post on May 2. Each contained a continuous monologue… In his first video, the self-professed champion of women approaches a woman and three teenage girls, referring to them as “white people” and “pseudo-Christian protesters.” The mother, her two daughters and their friend, are members of the group Sidewalk Servants.

By Craig Bannister, CNSNews – It used to be unthinkable that Americans could be persecuted for holding Biblical views, but, times have changed, Pence warned. Today, those who profess to be tolerant are anything but – when it comes to Christian values – the vice president said: “Throughout most of American history, it’s been pretty easy to call yourself Christian. It didn’t even occur to people that you might be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teachings of the Bible…. “But, things are different now. Some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs….”

By Lloyd Marcus, American Thinker – Someone asked, “What is behind the LGBTQ agenda?”  The goal of LGBTQ enforcers is to forcibly normalize their lifestyle in the minds of the 97% of the population that is not LGBTQ.  This is why we are bombarded with the LGBTQ lifestyle inserted into everything.  Why are major corporations making the promotion of LGBTQ, which are less than 3% of the population, their top priority?

By Shane McCrum, Olivia Enos, The Daily Signal – In its 2018 regulations on religious affairs, China conflates all religion with extremism and sees religious fasting, praying, and abstaining from alcohol in the same light… To monitor for those behaviors, China uses various forms of surveillance, including internet monitoring, video surveillance, and a “double-linked” household system, in which citizens are encouraged to spy on one another… Beyond the repression of minority and religious groups, draconian surveillance efforts affect all Chinese citizens.

By Gerald J. Russello, National Catholic Register – The U.S. Supreme Court has a number of cases that Catholic and other believers should keep an eye out for, touching on areas from religious liberty to abortion… Some judiciary watchers are confident that, with the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanagh last year, the court will move in a more decidedly conservative direction. However, much depends on such technical issues as how the cases are presented to the high court and whether a decision on a narrower ground can win the day.

By Patti Maguire Armstrong, EWTN News – Priests are in persona Christi—in the person of Christ. They give us the sacraments, all rooted in the Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life…. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch” (CCC 1324). The priests give us life, even raising souls from the dead through the sacrament of Confession.

By Abby Johnson, LifeNews – Liberal Hollywood actress and activist, Alyssa Milano, has come up with a brilliant idea to promote her agenda of women having complete control over their bodies and of course, abortion access for everyone for any reason whatsoever: go on a sex strike… Her reasoning is that once men realize they won’t be getting the one thing they desire above all else – conjugal relations – then they will make sure no pro-life laws limiting abortion are passed.

By Patrick J. Buchanan – A tariff may be described as a sales or consumption tax the consumer pays, but tariffs are also a discretionary and an optional tax… If you choose not to purchase Chinese goods and instead buy comparable goods made in other nations or the USA, then you do not pay the tariff… China loses the sale. This is why Beijing, which runs $350 billion to $400 billion in annual trade surpluses at our expense is howling loudest. Should Donald Trump impose that 25% tariff on all $500 billion in Chinese exports to the USA, it would cripple China’s economy.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – These are astonishing declines! Remember, too, that these dry figures represent individual human beings called to know, love, and serve God in the Church here on earth and one day in the Church Triumphant in Heaven. Every loss is a soul who may be lost forever… Many want to attribute the decline to this or that cause and then propose solutions. The danger, of course, is merely trying to increase the numbers and forgetting that our mission is not to be popular but to be a colony of Heaven, a people set apart; we were promised persecution and the world’s hatred, not its esteem or love.

By Jonathan B. Coe, Catholic Exchange – Later, in 1582, she saw the tabernacle door open and Christ emerged in his sufferings at Calvary while his Mother cried tears of pearls. Mariana asked if she was to blame for this and Our Lady replied, “No; not you, but the criminal world of the twentieth century.”Mariana then heard the voice of the Father and saw three swords over the head of Christ which represented punishment for the twentieth century and beyond…

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The Lord says, “My sheep hear my voice.” That’s right, He called us sheep. Get a little indignant with me here! The Lord is comparing us not to majestic eagles, beautiful gazelles, swift horses, mighty lions, or clever doges, but to sheep. While reality may hurt, the truth can liberate. Although sheep are considered somewhat lowly animals, they are valuable as well. Let’s consider today’s Gospel in three stages.

By Benjamin Loughnane, Catholic Herald – The letter detailed the ways in which the Equality Act discriminates against religious freedoms… Four U.S. bishops, chairmen of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops committees or subcommittees, have signed on to a letter voicing religious freedom concerns with the Equality Act, introduced in the House this year… They are part of a group of a dozen Christian leaders who signed the May 7 letter to House members.
In the letter, the signers said they have “grave concern over the devastating consequences to religious freedom” should the bill pass in its current form.

By Dennis Prager, Prager University – The most obvious example is God is referred to as “He.” Why did the Bible do this?… Well, here’s the answer: Because the Bible is preoccupied with making a kinder, less violent, more just world. If you share these goals—and I suspect you do—then you’ll have to agree the Bible made the right decision… Before I explain, I need to add an obvious caveat: The God of the Bible is neither male nor female. God transcends gender. What I’m talking about here is why God is depicted in male terms in the Bible… Gender-wise, the Bible had three choices: masculine—”he”; feminine—”she”; or neuter—”it.”

By Samuel Gregg, Catholic Education Resource Center – Whenever I teach graduate seminars, I lay down one rule for the participants. While they’re free to say what they think, they cannot start any sentence with the words “I feel . . .” or ask a question which begins “Don’t you feel . . .?” Quizzical expressions immediately appear on some students’ faces. Then I inform them I couldn’t care less what they feel about the subject-matter…

By Claire Dwyer, EWTN News – Heaven is brimming with mothers — mothers who lived and loved and have some wisdom for all of us. In honor of Mother’s Day, here is a look at a few life lessons from holy women through the ages whose glorious titles include “mom” as well as “saint.”… St. Frances of Rome was a wife, mother, friend, prayer warrior, champion of the sick and poor, and founder of a religious community. Born in 1384, she wanted to be a nun, but her parents planned a marriage to a nobleman, the commander of the papal troops in Rome….

By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC, Catholic Exchange – Some people have wanted to limit the message of Fatima to the concrete political context of the day. Fatima seemed to be tied up with Russia, since Mary had asked for the consecration of Russia to Mary. It seemed necessary to re-affirm the value of the faith in the face of the rising Communist power of the Soviet Union. She surely had something to do with the downfall of Communism, but this is not her most important message… Fatima is a call to the world to turn away from sin….

By Peter Wolfgang, The Stream – Media bias and political correctness have skewed our ability to see all five motivations clearly…. From Antifa thugs attacking MAGA hat-wearing Trump voters to the shooting of Congressman Steve Scalise to the gay activist who attempted to massacre the employees of the Family Research Council, leftist violence and threats of violence have become a regular feature of our political landscape. I have even been a victim of it myself.

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – The mother of teenage girls who Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims offered money to identify earlier this spring said she filed a police report against the Democratic politician… Ashley Garecht told CBS Philadelphia that Sims’ aggressive behavior had her concerned for her daughters’ and their friend’s safety. The girls are ages 13 and 15… “Absent the pro-life issue, this was about an adult interacting with minors in an aggressive manner and an adult infringing on minors’ speech,” she told the news station. “I don’t need an apology from him. I’m an adult. I’ve already forgiven him.”

By Michael F. Haverluck, OneNewsNow – The Trump administration is ramping up its war on illegal immigration by cracking down on federally subsidized housing that has been accessible to illegals – whose participation in the program has made it unavailable to needy United States citizens… A new “opportunity zones” program for American citizens has been introduced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and it was devised to boost economic growth in distressed areas by making public housing available to qualified applicants.

By Melanie Jean Juneau, Catholic Stand – While it’s true that children thrive when nurtured by their primary caretakers, attachments to grandparents enhance the process. By offering a helping hand in caring for the children, grandparents provide their adult children with much-needed support. Grandparents can be great role models, encouraging healthy development simply because they have the time and patience to spend playing, reading, and sharing family stories with their grandchildren.

By Abby Johnson, Townhall – Fighting for the lives of the unborn and the empowerment of their mothers against a billion-dollar industry can be exhausting. Every day is literally a fight between life and death and while the pro-life movement has had some wins, over 3,000 abortions are still happening every day in this nation. It’s intense. It’s emotional. And some days it can be disheartening. 

By Bevil Bramwell, OMI, Catholic Thing – The celebration of the wonder of the Resurrection must include the celebration of its stupendous effects. They are so profound that the Church just touches on one each Sunday in the Easter Season… On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the celebration is about God setting things up so that Christ continues to shepherd his people even while they are on earth… First of all, God shone his “light” into the world. (First Reading) Jesus is known as the light of the Nations. God spoke his “voice” into this world. (Gospel) Jesus is known as the Incarnate Word.

As we’ve been discussing in this series, there is a great gap between the Christian understanding of creational stewardship and the contemporary emphasis of environmentalism. This latter pseudo-religion finds its Fall of Adam in humanity’s role as a new Prometheus, bringing the fire of ecological destruction to Mother Earth. This focus has led many to zero in on man-made explanations for phenomena instead of more plausible natural causes.

By Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews – Ashley Garecht, the mother of two of the girls seen in the video, told the crowd how she was always pro-life yet initially skeptical of the impact of sidewalk counseling before being exposed to the work of Abby Johnson. “We are here to witness the tangible fruit of incredible effort,” she said. “God is working in incredible ways.”… “About ten blocks from where we stand is the house where James Madison lived,” she continued. “This city is where the self-evident, unalienable right to life was first declared. And our forefathers believed in our right to liberty so strongly that they specifically enumerated our rights in our Constitution. And no one, not even an elected official, can take that away from us.”

By Mary Rezac, Catholic News Agency – When Fr. Gregory Bierbaum heard about the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch, just two miles up the road, he drove to Rock Bottom, a restaurant where students who had escaped the school were gathering… While Bierbaum’s student parishioners at STEM were not physically injured in the shooting, they were in “close proximity” to the room of the shooting, and have endured some serious psychological trauma, he said… “We just want to provide a safe haven for people to come and be together and interact with counselors if they need to,” Bierbaum said.

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – (I)n comments to some German pilgrims in 2005, Pope Benedict stated: “Christ did not promise an easy life. Those who desire comforts have dialed the wrong number. Rather, he shows us the way to great things, the good, towards an authentic human life.”… In his encyclical Spe Salvi, the Holy Father further clarified the nature of the greatness that humans are called to. “Man was created for greatness—for God himself; he was created to be filled by God.” But, added the pope, “his heart is too small for the greatness to which it is destined. It must be stretched.”

By Patrick Buchanan, NewsMax – During the uprising in Caracas, Bolton cited the Monroe Doctrine of 1823. But according to President James Monroe, and Mike Pompeo’s predecessor John Quincy Adams, who wrote the message to Congress, under the Doctrine, while European powers were to keep their hands off our hemisphere — we would reciprocate and stay out of Europe’s quarrels and wars… Wise folks, those Founding Fathers.

By Star Parker, Guest Columnist, OneNewsNow – The House Judiciary Committee has voted out the Equality Act of 2019 (H.R.5). It now heads for a vote on the House floor with 240 co-sponsors, which means its passage is virtually certain… The legislation amends all major civil rights law, including the 1964 Civil Rights Act, to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” along with race, sex and religion as classes that are protected from discrimination… We now have a majority of members of Congress who are prepared to pass into law that the sex individuals are born with – their chromosomal and physical reality – will take a back seat to how those individuals choose to define their own sexual identity…

By Fr. Mike Schmitz, Ascension Presents – Many people say God acted much differently in the Old Testament than he did in the New Testament. They say the God of the New Testament is merciful and compassionate, but in the Old Testament he is often harsh and unforgiving…. A thorough look at Scripture reveals that this is not the case… God is in fact merciful and just throughout the Bible.

By Alex Madajian, CNSNews – Dr. Wen did not mention, however, that more than 8,000 late-term abortions (21 weeks or later) occurred in 2015 — the latest data available — as documented by the CDC. Also, the new abortion law in New York, signed by Gov. Cuomo on Jan. 21, allows abortion up to the moment of birth. On a related note, in 2015, the number of late-term abortions in New York City, 1,485, outnumbered the number of homicides in that city – 352.

By Elizabeth A. Mitchell, The Catholic Thing – Whatever the reason, the world watched, read, and missed the answers to the dubia proposed by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his April essay, “The Church and the Scandal of Sexual Abuse.”… In offering a three-part response to the crisis in the Church, he indirectly answers the five dubia that Cardinals Brandmüller, Caffarra, Meisner, and Burke presented years ago to Pope Francis. The pope emeritus fulfilled a duty that Pope Francis has not, namely, to maintain the bishops and all the faithful in the unity of the Church’s constant teaching on faith and morals.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Seeking the Lord does several things for us. It helps us to stop thinking that finite things can really satisfy us. It increasingly ends our frustrating, futile, intense pursuit of those things. As our prayerful union with God deepens, our satisfaction with Him increases and He becomes more desirable than the things of this world. More and more we can say that God really does satisfy us.

By Tom Gilson, The Stream – The Brian Sims incident this week highlighted a strange contradiction I’m seeing more and more in leftists’ behavior. It ran completely against progressives’ own highly touted values of tolerance and understanding. How could anyone do that to a fellow human being?… The answer might be contained in the question. I’m not sure all progressives see conservatives, especially Christians, as fully human.

By Clara Sarrocco, Crisis Magazine – Jean Vanier founded L’Arche communities which are an alternative living environment for the mentally and physically disabled because he saw the suffering of the most vulnerable and saintly among us. His first community was in France and there are now 154 communities in 38 countries that form the network of L’Arche International.

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – The mother of teenage girls who Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims offered money to identify earlier this spring said she filed a police report against the Democratic politician… Ashley Garecht told CBS Philadelphia that Sims’ aggressive behavior had her concerned for her daughters’ and their friend’s safety. The girls are ages 13 and 15… “Absent the pro-life issue, this was about an adult interacting with minors in an aggressive manner and an adult infringing on minors’ speech…I don’t need an apology from him. I’m an adult. I’ve already forgiven him.”

By Daniel J. Flynn, American Spectator – A man must be something of a moralist if he is to preach,” G.K. Chesterton observed, “even if he is to preach immorality.”… Brian Sims, a Pennsylvania state representative by profession and abortion counterprotester by avocation, embodies Chesterton’s quip… (Sims) aggressively hectored a woman who appeared to be praying the rosary outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic in his Pennsylvania district. On the uncomfortable eight-minute clip, Sims calls the silent protester “an old white lady” and announces, “If you know who this woman is and if you can give me her address, we’ll protest in front of her home. Let’s protest out in front of her house.”

By Dennis Prager, The Stream – At PragerU, we have released about 400 videos on virtually every subject outside of the natural sciences and math. Along with 2 billion views, the videos have garnered tens of thousands of comments. So we have a pretty good handle on what people most love and most hate… But no videos elicit the amount of contempt and mockery that videos defending religion, explaining the Bible or arguing for God do.

By Sam Guzman, The Catholic Gentleman – Watch any sporting event—from football to tennis to Mixed Martial Arts— and you will notice something significant: The inevitable presence of referees. Referees exist to enforce the rules of the game, for any sport worth watching has rules, and sometimes complex rules at that… Rules ensure fair play, but they also give the athletes boundaries within which they can exercise and measure their skill. A boxing match without the boundaries of the Marquess of Queensbury rules would quickly descend into chaos and mayhem.

By Katrina Trinko and Daniel Davis, Daily Signal – Doctors who are uncomfortable prescribing hormone treatments or doing gender reassignment surgeries could soon potentially be in violation of federal law, warns Dr. Michelle Cretella, a pediatrician and executive director of the American College of Pediatricians. And they’re not the only ones at risk: Parents, too, could find themselves unable to decide on their own child’s medical treatment.

By Chris Woodward, Billy Davis, OneNewsNow – Among those scheduled to gather in front of the clinic are pro-life leader Abby Johnson, pro-life writer Matt Walsh, and Live Action president Lila Rose… Walsh has credited Rose and Live Action for organizing the protest but Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood executive, is calling out Sims… In a Twitter post, Johnson challenged Sims to come with his “little camera and shaky voice” to confront a “young, empowered, pro-life woman who won’t back down from bullies.”… She finished the challenge with, “Bring it, coward.”

By Douglas Farrow, First Things – Family violence can take many forms,” says Madam Justice Marzari of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, including “unreasonable restrictions or preventions of a family member’s personal autonomy.” To be more specific, “family violence” can now take the form of refusing to accept a family member’s chosen gender identity. Such is the violence inflicted on a fourteen-year-old girl (referred to as AB) who is determined to be a boy, by her father (dubbed CD), who insists she is no such thing.

Catholic News Agency – Despite the scandals of clerical sexual abuse that the Catholic Church has suffered in past decades, the Church in the United States has also enjoyed a “renewal” in priestly formation, says Bishop Thomas Olmstead of Phoenix, Arizona… In a monthly series of columns, Olmsted has been considering various aspects of the Church scandal, as well as ways to move forward in purification… “Having addressed some of the causes of the scandals and certain questions about the priesthood, I would like now to look at the renewal that we are seeing in priestly formation”

By Chad Groening, OneNewsNow – A federal appeals court has handed the Trump administration a victory over the controversial asylum process and an immigration attorney says the ruling could slow the flow of illegal aliens… The notoriously left-wing 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled May 7 that the United States can require asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for a court hearing, a decision that overturned a San Francisco judge that said they could remain in the U.S…

By Michael W. Chapman CNSNews – Priest and exorcist Fr. Gary Thomas, whose work has been depicted in the book The Rite and the Hollywood film based on that book, starring Anthony Hopkins, said that demons can sometimes take hold of people if they participate in forbidden practices, such as an abortion, which is “a demonic sacrifice.” He added that “Satan hates the human race,” hates “everyone of us out of jealousy and rage.”… Fr. Thomas, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in San Jose, Calif., was selected by his bishop to study exorcism in Rome at a school there devoted to the phenomenon.

By Sr. Mary Ann Fatula, O.P., Catholic Exchange – St. John Paul II describes with heartfelt emotion how we are raised to heaven when we are present at Mass, as we “become part of that great multitude which cries out: ‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ (Rev. 7:10).” As we are raised to heaven, heaven itself comes down to us. Indeed, the sacrament of the Eucharist, the most wondrous fruit of the Mass, is the sweetest taste and “glimpse of heaven on earth.”

Catholic News Agency – On Wednesday, Kendick’s father, John Castillo, confirmed to the Denver Post what he had learned from witnesses and the coroner: that Kendrick died while charging the shooter to save his friends… “It doesn’t surprise me,” John Castillo told the Denver Post. “He cared enough about people that he would do something like that, even though it’s against my better judgment.”… “I wish he had gone and hid,” Castillo added, “but that’s not his character. His character is about protecting people, helping people.”

By Lianne Laurence, LifeSiteNews – The producers of Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer told Canada’s March for Life they made the movie to capture on film an abortionist’s sworn testimony of what really happens in an abortion… “We had to tell this story,” Ann McElhinney told the crowd of some 5,000 gathered on Parliament Hill on a cold, windy Thursday for the 22nd annual March for Life, which marked 50 years of legal abortion in Canada… There have been 4 million babies aborted in Canada since abortion was legalized in 1969, and there are now roughly 100,000 abortions every year.

By Msgr. Charles Pope, EWTN News – Pete Buttigieg, Democratic presidential candidate and mayor of South Bend, Indiana, remarked that his same-sex “marriage” to Chasten Glezman has brought him closer to God… My marriage to Chasten has made me a better man. And yes, Mr. Vice President, it has moved me closer to God… This raises a question: To what god has he moved closer? Respectfully and sincerely, Mr. Buttigieg, it cannot be the God who has revealed himself in the Scriptures and through the Church. God is not in the habit of speaking out of both sides of his mouth. He does not contradict himself by altering, let alone reversing.. his teachings.

By Father John P. Cush, National Catholic Register – To use my home parish in Brooklyn as an example: In 1955, the parish complex was a New York city block, which housed the church, the rectory, the convent, the Brothers’ House, the boys’ school, and the girls’ school. The pastor of the parish was an auxiliary bishop, assisted by the senior curate (who had been ordained around 25 years), two or three other curates (including one who was newly ordained). Also present in the rectory were a few other priests, assigned full-time to other ministries, but who assisted in the parish… There were packed lines for confessions, with all of the curates on duty….

By Chad Groening, OneNewsNow – A longtime conservative activist calls it stomach-turning to know that Islamic school children in the United States are singing about jihad… Middle East Research Institute, a watchdog group, recently published a disturbing video in which Philadelphia schoolchildren are singing songs about attacking Jerusalem, sacrificing their lives for Allah, and vowing to “chop off heads” for their faith… The children in the video are celebrating “Ummah Day” at the Muslim American Society (MAS) Islamic Center, located in Philly, Fox News reported.

By Constance T. Hull, Catholic Exchange – Many of us live hidden lives of sacrifice to God and in service to others. We go about our days completing the tasks that are required of us. Those tasks may be at work, school, church, or within our families. Our accomplishments are only known by God and the few people who are truly close to us. In a world that prides itself on notoriety and recognition, these sacrifices are seen as minor or, to some, as meaningless.

By Richard Van Kirk, Catholic Stand – The greatest stumbling block to following Christ is found in the Gospel of John, Chapter 6. The central matter of this chapter is “The Bread of Life Discourse,” which begins at verse 22 and extends to verse 71, the end of the long chapter. In the first twenty-one verses, Jesus multiplies the loaves and walks on the water, setting up St. John’s teaching on the Eucharistic.

Catholic News Agency – Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia called for broad participation in a pro-life rally this week, scheduled in response to a Penslyvania state representative’s live-streamed harassment of a woman praying outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic… “These videos, which Representative Sims took himself, have rightly sparked broad outrage … His actions were unbecoming of an elected official,” Archbishop Chaput said in a statement released May 8… “I’m calling on all people of good will to channel their indignation into right action and prayerful witness,” he said.

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – The mother of the teen girls who Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims bullied last month told Fox News that she was “concerned” for her daughters during the interaction… Ashley Garecht spoke to Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday about the now-viral exchange between the pro-abortion Democrat and her family… “What we’ve got here is a bunch of … pseudo Christian protesters who’ve been out here shaming young girls for being here. So, here’s the deal, I’ve got $100 to anybody who will identify these three, and I will donate to Planned Parenthood,” Sims said in the video.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – While many suppose that the Book of Revelation is merely about the end of the world, it is about far more; it is also about what is happening right now. It was not written only for the end of the ages but for all ages. It is a book of glory that discloses the victory that Jesus has already won. Don’t get lost in lots of exotic theories; Revelation is a book of glory that prophetically declares what is really going on.

By Star Parker, Daily Signal – The House Judiciary Committee has voted out the Equality Act of 2019. It now heads for a vote on the House floor with 240 co-sponsors, which means its passage is virtually certain… The legislation amends all major civil rights law, including the 1964 Civil Rights Act, to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” along with race, sex, and religion as classes that are protected from discrimination.

By Rachel Alexander, The Steam – Some Democratic presidential candidates are considering whether to give prisoners the right to vote. Not just felons who have left prison. Some states already allow felons to vote. They want to give people in prison the right to vote… Bernie Sanders is the main proponent. He says voting is “inherent to our democracy — yes, even for terrible people.” Thirty other countries let prisoners vote, he notes, including Canada, South Africa and Finland.

By Robert V. Thomann, Crisis Magazine – As sexual mores changed, pre-marital sex between men and women, then relations between same-sex couples, as well as adulterous relationships were seen as inevitable and even justifiable for the good of the couple and the individual. The increase in what is euphemistically called cohabitation (i.e., “common law marriage” and “shacking up”), in same-sex relationships, and in adultery have been documented in any number of reports. What was once stigmatized is now simply accepted as more or less “normal.” …

By Maike Hickson, LifeSiteNews – Bishop Athanasius Schneider makes it clear that the pope’s private correction of his official Abu Dhabi statement — according to which the “diversity of religions” is “willed by God” — that Bishop Schneider himself was able to receive from Pope Francis on March 1 is not sufficient. The Abu Dhabi statement “is still valid,” and thus, says Schneider, “there is being proclaimed a new Gospel, a Gospel that is not the one taught by the Incarnate Word of God, that was loyally preached by the Apostles and passed on to the Church.”

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law Tuesday to ban abortions after an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable… Kemp, a pro-life Republican, signed the pro-life measure… “The Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act … recognizes something that many have known for years. It recognizes that science tells us that children in the womb are living, distinct human beings that are worthy of full legal protection… “Common sense tells us if you look at a child in the womb with a beating heart and a distinct blood type, and you ask a preschooler, a small child, ‘What are you looking at?’ … They would look and say that’s a baby…”…

By Louis DeBroux, Patriot Post – The utter hypocrisy of the Democrat Party is so brazen that one wonders whether they are so addled with Trump Derangement Syndrome that they actually believe their own idiocy, or if they truly think voters are stupid enough to believe them. Possibly realizing they’ve been hurt with the electorate by their championing of infanticide and their relentless efforts to block President Donald Trump from dealing with the border crisis, Democrats have now amped up their claims of stolen elections.

By Michael Durnan, Regina Magazine  – By the time Pope Leo XIII issued his encyclical Humanus Genus in 1884, in which he condemned Freemasonry, eight of his predecessors had already done so… Why, then, did he do this? Pope Leo XIII had been stirred into action by Freemasons who claimed the Church’s condemnation of their organisation had been based on false and erroneous information and was excessively severe… In his encyclical, the pope dismissed such claims and classed Freemasonry as a grouping of secret societies in the ‘kingdom of Satan and wished to bring back, after eighteen centuries, the manners and customs of the pagans’.

By Matthew B. Rose, Catholic Exchange – Catholics are familiar with the Bread of Life Discourse, found in John 6, where Christ gives the theological underpinning for the theology of the Eucharist. When we hear this passage we think of manna as Christ’s dialogue about the manna forms a major part of the chapter… As is often the case in Scripture, the meaning here is deeper than simply a promise of a future sacrament. Christ holds a mirror to our sinful human condition and asks us a bold question: Do we stay with Him or do we turn away?

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – “State Rep. Brian Sims’ harassment of a woman’s peaceful and religious exercise of her First Amendment rights is yet another example of a troubling trend of growing extremism and hypocrisy among Democrats,” the party said in a statement… Many also are calling for Sims, a pro-abortion Democrat, to resign for bullying the woman outside a Planned Parenthood abortion facility, and then proudly posting his actions online for the public to see. A second video shows him appearing to call for the doxxing of several pro-life teenage girls.

By Dr. Stacy Trasancos, Catholic Answers – Some argued that because Christ appeared through shut doors to his disciples, and vanished before their eyes appeared in different shapes, that his body was only an image. However, Christ himself addressed these objections. When Christ appeared to the disciples and they thought they were seeing a spirit, he told them to “handle and see” his body. He was not just observable to the disciples, but also touchable and living. Scientifically speaking, there is no stronger proof that someone exists than to be able to touch the person and observe him living.

By Anthony Esolen, Crisis Magazine – I am not saying that sexual morality is sufficient to secure the good of the family, speaking generally, and with specific attention to the poor and vulnerable. It is not sufficient. It is, however, necessary. Children need more than sunlight and fresh air. But they do need them…. So we come to the relationship of a right sexual morality to social justice. The former is insufficient to secure the latter. But it is a sine qua non.

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker, The Stream – …most folks aren’t going around consciously using racist epithets, baiting people and harassing old folks of color… For almost nine minutes Sims paced back and forth harassing the old white woman. She wasn’t being ugly or violent. She wasn’t yelling or screaming at anybody. She was exercising her constitutional rights to public protest. She was doing so not with a noisy and obnoxious campaign. She was praying. Quietly.

By Chad Groening, OneNewsNow – U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar was a guest on the far-left program “Democracy Now!” where she blamed Venezuela’s current crisis on the United States… “A lot of the policies that we have put in place has kind of helped lead the devastation in Venezuela,” she claimed, “and we sort of set the stage for where we are arriving today.”… That comment didn’t sit well with Nikki Haley (pictured at right), the former UN ambassador, who used Twitter to point out that Venezuelan adults have lost 24 pounds on average because they are starving, and babies there have no milk, all because of the “corrupt” regime under dictator Nicolas Maduro.

By Samuel Gregg, Public Discourse – In mid-2018, a Gallup poll indicated that 57 percent of self-identified Democrats viewed socialism favorably. Americans aged eighteen to twenty-nine were marginally more positive about socialism (51 percent) than capitalism (45 percent). Overall, capitalism received a positive rating of 56 percent from Americans. That was its lowest rating since 2010, just after the Great Recession… At a time of prosperity in America, why has backing for socialism surged and support for capitalism faltered?

By Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews – Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds gave her signature Friday to a state budget containing two measures denying taxpayer funds to two left-wing social priorities: gender-reassignment surgery and the abortion lobby’s influence over sex education… Among (the almost $2 billion budget) provisions are language to exclude any organization involved in abortions from receiving state sex education grants (which stands to deprive Planned Parenthood of the Heartland of just over $260,000), and to state that the Iowa Civil Rights Act does not require state or local governments to fund gender-reassignment surgery.

By Father Raymond J. de Souza, National Catholic Register – Since the first sexual-abuse cases emerged into public knowledge in the 1980s and early 1990s, the Church’s response has focused on dealing with allegations in a timely and effective manner and on implementing safe-environment protocols. Any deeper analysis of the ecclesial culture that gave rise to the crisis was largely avoided. That is beginning to change, and Benedict’s essay is a welcome contribution to that development.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The Acts of the Apostles sets forth an event that amounts to a tale of one Church in two cities or regions. It illustrates well a couple of points: that the Church is always in need of reform and that our lives are not merely about us and what we want. Let’s look at the event in two scenes.

Catholic Culture – A disproportionately high percentage of ordinands attended a Catholic elementary school (47%), Catholic high school (39%), or Catholic college (38%)… In addition, a disproportionately high percentage were home schooled: 11% were home schooled, typically for eight years, at a time when less than 2% of US children were educated at home. If one assumes that all of the homeschooled seminarians came from the United States, then nearly 15% of US-born ordinands were home schooled.

By Fr. Joseph Gill, Ignitum Today – Sri Lanka is less than 10% Catholic, and this was clearly an act of Muslim terrorism aimed directly at Christians on the most holy day of the year… But sadly, this type of Christian persecution is not rare; in fact, it is becoming even more commonplace throughout the world. Even Newsweek magazine (no friend of Christianity), in a January article, admitted that “Christian persecution and genocide is worse now than in any time in history.” But we frequently do not hear about it in the West.

By E. Christian Brugger, Catholic Thing – As for dead donors, all organs in principle, including once-vital organs, may be harvested subject to the following three conditions: 1) donors should be certifiably dead; this determination should be made by competent clinicians in accordance with responsible and accepted scientific criteria; to prevent any conflict of interest, physicians who determine death should not be members of corresponding transplant teams; 2) the donor or his proxy should give free consent; and 3) the intention for using the organs should be upright…

By Stephen Auth, Catholic Exchange – People fall away from the Church for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes they rebelled when they were young: they rejected the Church because they were rejecting their parents and everything their parents made them do. Going to Mass was part of the package… They might have made some life decision they knew the Church didn’t approve of — living with someone without marrying, for example.

By  Todd Starnes – Pennsylvania State Rep. Brian Sims, a Democrat and LGBT activist, verbally harassed and bullied an elderly pro-life woman who was quietly standing outside a Planned Parenthood abortion mill… Sims record his eight-minute tirade against the pro-lifer he called an “old white lady” and posted it on social media… “Push back against Planned Parenthood protestors, PLEASE!” Sims wrote on Twitter Thursday. “They prey on young women, they use white privilege, & shame. They’re racist, classist, bigots who NEED & DESERVE our righteous opposition. Push back, please!”

By John Zmirak, a Sr. Editor, The Stream – On May 3, Rev. William Owens, President of the Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP), offered ironic thanks to Alabama State Legislator John Rogers. What had the Democrat accomplished? He’d exposed how extreme the Democratic Party’s abortion stance has become… Commenting on a bill to ban abortion except when the mother’s health is at risk, Rep. John Rogers set out his opposition by claiming that unwanted children inevitably become death-row murderers.

By Alyssa Murphy, EWTN News – The day began as a gloomy one: rainy and overcast. Amid the hustle and bustle of Times Square, draped in ads and glitzy commercials overwhelming one’s senses, billboards displaying, “Alive From New York,” could be seen. Above, an ad for the pro-life movie, Unplanned played, showcasing the number of abortions taking place every minute.By the afternoon, just a few minutes before a deep bench of pro-life witnesses took to the stage, the sun broke out. Thousands were gathered waiting for the first ever display of a 4-D ultrasound in technicolor Times Square.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea, embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

By Patti Armstrong, National Catholic Register – I recently found a hero to help heal our cultural wounds. I am appealing to Father Edward Flanagan, the Irish American founder of Boys Town, to pray for us… With my Irish Catholic heritage, social work degree, and past experience running a group home for delinquent teenage boys, I should have made his acquaintance years ago… Although I had heard of him, I only came to know about him recently through a magazine article assignment and after reading his biography, Legacy of Devotion, written by 93-year-old Father Clifford Stevens, who lived at Boys Town while Father Flanagan was still there.

By Dr. Maike Hickson, LifeSiteNews – The Vatican’s former Prefect of the Congregation for Doctrine has strongly criticized a draft document containing Pope Francis’ plans for an overhaul of the curia — where “doctrine” is expected to take a backseat to “evangelization” —  stating that the plans do not contain a “convincing concept of the origin, essence, and mission of the Church,” and, pointing out that one passage of the document even contains “shocking theological cluelessness.”

Catholic News Agency – The May 2 dismissal of the Archdiocese of New York’s appeal could pave the way for the Illinois-born archbishop’s beatification… “After almost three years of litigation, the New York Archdiocese’ legal arguments have now been rejected at all three levels of the New York state court system,” the Diocese of Peoria said May 6… “Although the New York Archdiocese may technically have legal options remaining, they are contrary to the wishes of Archbishop Sheen and his family, and would serve no genuine purpose except to delay the eventual transfer of Archbishop Sheen’s remains,” it added.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life,told LifeNews: “We commend the Senate for voting overwhelmingly in a bipartisan fashion to approve SB 184 to protect the unborn baby once the heartbeat can be detected. Louisiana Right to Life supports protecting all unborn babies, including those with a heartbeat that begins only 18 days after conception. This is even before most women know they are pregnant. Abortion stops the beating heart of a precious unborn child, and our nation must bring an end to this injustice.”… Pro-Life Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards is likely to sign it into law.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – This Gospel shows Jesus summoning the apostles back to their crucial call, one focused not in the past but in the future. Indeed, fellow believers, if this had not gone the right way, our faith might well have been in jeopardy. We are the future that Jesus sought to preserve. Our coming to the faith depended on Jesus successfully summoning Peter and the other apostles back to the future.

By Fr. Richard Heilman, Roman Catholic Man – Because of the limitations of the proclamation, and because it depended on a Union military victory, President Lincoln recognized that the Emancipation Proclamation would have to be followed by a constitutional amendment in order to abolish slavery… Let’s pray that President Ronald Reagan’s Personhood Proclamation will soon be followed by a constitutional amendment in order to abolish pre-born child murder.

By Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal – During a visit to Washington this week, Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls met with President Donald Trump, acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, and members of Arizona’s congressional delegation… “We talked about what needs to be done in the long term and in the short term. In the long term, we’ll need congressional action,” Nicholls, a Republican, told The Daily Signal. “But in the short term, we need [the] Border Patrol to provide more transportation out of Yuma soon.”

By Bob Kellogg, OneNewsNow – An unnamed university professor in California has been under fire since his slide examining the parallels between cancer and a preborn baby went viral on social media… The lecturer for an upper-level biology course at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine is now backtracking his assertion that an preborn child is a “legitimate parasite” invading its mother, according to LifeNews. He claims he was not trying to indoctrinate students with the notion that preborn babies are cancers, but some critics are not buying it.

By Peter Darcy, Catholic Stand – Sad as the current political and cultural chaos is, America has seen these divisions before. The moral issue of slavery divided this republic early on. We ended up fighting a Civil War to resolve the division and maintain the unity of our nation. Abraham Lincoln even stated in his Second Inaugural Address that the blood shed during the Civil War was a kind of sacrificial atonement for the sin of slavery.

By John Horvat II, CNSNews – (A) new class of homeless is now emerging. These individuals do not want a place to build their lives. They do not want roots, possessions or deep relationships. Their homelessness is by choice… These new “uber-homeless” have everything except things. They are generally young people who prefer not to own anything. They are increasingly relying upon the rental or sharing economy for all their immediate needs.

By Fr. George Rutler, ChurchMilitant – Courage, or fortitude, is one of the four cardinal virtues. Citing the Aristotelian philosophers, Cicero wrote: “Each man should so conduct himself that fortitude appear in labors and dangers: temperance in foregoing pleasures: prudence in the choice between good and evil: justice in giving every man his due.”… After the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit filled the Apostles with heroic courage. This was a marked change from when they fled from the sight of the Cross, proving the adage ascribed to the Duke of Wellington: “All soldiers run away. The good ones come back.”

By Kevin McCullough, Townhall – Not content to believe the organizers, protestors attempted to disrupt the proceedings. But those protests, which began with profane chants, obscene signs, and thundering drums, ended with nary a whimper, and dispersed far more mysteriously than they had appeared… The reason why the 2,000 protestors evaporated wasn’t because the 20,000 life supporters had shouted them down. In fact the very opposite was what occurred… It was an amazing moment to observe yesterday… I was there, at the corner of 43rd and 7th, face-to-face with Planned Parenthood supporters…

By K. E. Colombini, First Things – My first brush with the Society of Jesus was not a positive one. I was in eighth grade, my first year in a Catholic school. One of the parish’s associate pastors was a Jesuit, and he visited our class one day to talk about Genesis.. our class was a tad skeptical when he told us the story of Adam and Eve was a myth… (however) In college, I knew two extraordinary Jesuits, Thomas McGovern and Gerard Steckler. They had rare gifts seldom found together: brilliance and clarity. They were witty, each in his own way. I recall Fr. Steckler praying for vocations at Mass, but “only to seminaries that teach the truth.”

By Fr. Mark Goring, Companions of the Cross, Catholic Charismatic Center, Director –

By David G Bonagura, Jr., The Catholic Thing – The fiftieth anniversary of Humanae Vitae last year brought the first publication of then-Cardinal Karol Wojtyła’s private letter to Paul VI, in which the Polish archbishop thanks the pope for the encyclical.  He then offers concrete proposals for an “absolutely necessary” pastoral instruction from the Vatican to overcome “existing doubts” about the prohibition of birth control, the nature of the conjugal life, and the teaching authority of the pope.

By Patrick J. Reilly, EWTN News – From beginning to end, the film makes the obvious point that Father Hesburgh was important and accomplished much on a human scale… But the documentary largely glosses over important questions about Father Hesburgh’s thinking and impact and his conflicts with Church leaders, doctrine and the mission of Catholic education. It simply reports — without any real analysis and in a decidedly favorable way — his leadership in crafting the Land O’ Lakes Statement that declared the independence of Catholic colleges from the bishops and magisterium of the Church…

By Thomas Griffin, Catholic Exchange – Love is the highest capacity of the human person and in each love we are captivated by someone or something that is desiring to fulfill a void within our hearts. In every occasion of love we are chasing after the Love of the universe. No matter how beautiful and intimate of an encounter we have with our beloved, we always look towards the next moment and we crave to have more… We were created for an eternal flame of love that quenches the hearts desperate craving for the true, the good and the beautiful.

By William Kilpatrick, Crisis Magazine – After all the years that have passed since 9/11, many American still misunderstand the nature of the Islamic threat. The main way that Islamic power advances in the West is not through terror attacks, but through stealth-jihad—the slow-motion co-option of our cultural and political institutions… The battle against cultural jihad won’t be decided by rural militias and the National Guard. It will be decided in the courts, in schools, in churches, in newspapers and on TV, and in state and federal legislatures… Cultural battles are won—or lost—by cultural institutions.

By Nick Hallett, Catholic Herald – The worldwide persecution of Christians is at near “genocide” level, a report for the British government has said.. The review, led by the Anglican Bishop of Truro Philip Mounstephen, said Christianity is set to be “wiped out” from parts of the Middle East as people are killed or forced to flee… Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt… blamed “political correctness” for the failure of governments to tackle the issue… Hunt said: “I think we’ve all been asleep on the watch when it comes to the persecution of Christians… “I think not just the Bishop of Truro’s report but obviously what happened in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday has woken everyone up with an enormous shock…”

By Philip Kosloski, Voyage Comics and Production – One of the most frequently quoted phrases in the Star Wars saga is “May the Force be with you.” Obi-Wan Kenobi was the primary character who said this greeting, using it as a way to invoke the power of “the Force” to protect an individual or group of people… For many Christians, especially Catholics, this phrase sounds very similar to a greeting used in the context of the liturgy, “May the Lord be with you.”.. The reason for his similarity is because the Star Wars phrase is directly based on the Christian greeting.

By Steve Jordahl, OneNewsNow – On April 9, the Students for Life group on the UT-San Antonio campus erected a “Cemetery of the Innocents” display – 911 pink crosses planted in the ground, one for every baby aborted each day in the U.S. Someone had a camera rolling when several students holding Planned Parenthood signs marched through the display shouting about their abortions… “Those girls need Jesus,” responded the vice president of American Family Association. “That is demonic; that is the devil celebrating over the murder and the butchery of unborn children.

By Kathryn Lopez, Townhall – “Some kids are unwanted, so you either kill them now or kill them later.”.. That quote is from an Alabama state Democratic representative, John Rogers, speaking a few days ago during debate about an abortion bill… He went on to say, “You bring them into the world unwanted, unloved, then send them to the electric chair.”.. He said this during the same week in which all of Israel had a period of silence to remember the millions who were exterminated during the Holocaust.

By John Bergsma, The Sacred Page – This week is the Third Sunday of Easter, and our readings highlight the primacy of Peter among the Apostles, and the primacy of love in following Jesus… During the seven weeks of the Easter Season, the Lectionary reads semi-continuously through Acts in the First Reading (showing the birth of the Church on earth) and through Revelation in the Second (showing the final state of the Church in heaven)… In the First Reading.. we see Peter’s primacy… in leading the early Church through the experience of persecution, and in boldly proclaiming the Gospel despite sustained and serious cultural opposition. Let’s pray for Pope Francis to do the same.

By Sabrina Vu, Catholic Stand – The tenth commandment, which focuses on the intentions of the heart and forbids the coveting of another’s goods, completes the ninth commandment, which concerns concupiscence of the flesh. Because these two commandments concern the heart, they form the basis for all the precepts of the Law. Coveting what belongs to another is the root of theft, which is forbidden by the seventh commandment and also often leads to violence forbidden by the fifth commandment….

By John M. Grondelski, Ph.D., Crisis Magazine – Christians have just completed Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday with the tracing of ashen crosses on foreheads and the formula “Remember, man, that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Lent leads to Easter, where Christians are reminded they are more than dust—their mortal shells formed from “the dust of the earth” (Gen. 2:7)—being destined to transfiguration and immortality… This Christian perspective may soon be competing in Washington State with the vision “from human to humus.”

By Lisa Bourne, LifeSiteNews – There is nothing more powerful than prayer, President Donald Trump told a gathering of roughly 100 religious leaders and Trump Administration officials Wednesday night… Gathered in the White House’s State Dining Room on the eve of the National Day of Prayer, Trump said the United States as a country would believe in prayer forever… “America will be a nation that believes forever, and we certainly believe – more than anyone – the power of prayer,” Trump stated. “It’s the most powerful thing there is.”

By Diane Montagna, LifeSiteNews – Pope Francis made a strong push for globalism on Thursday, calling for a “supranational, legally constituted body” to enforce United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and implement “climate change” policies… Speaking to members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the Pope said: “When a supranational common good is clearly identified, there is need for a special legally constituted authority capable of facilitating its implementation.”… “Think of the great contemporary challenges of climate change, new slavery and peace,” he told members of the Pontifical Academy, who are meeting this week at the Vatican for a May 1-3 plenary session themed: “Nation, State, Nation-State.”

By Christopher White, Crux Now – Father Jeff Bayhi may be a Catholic priest running a house for victims of human trafficking, but he’s the first to admit that it’s women – not men – leading the fight… “The heroes in today’s Church for the fight against human trafficking are religious women. It’s not the bishops, it’s not the priests. It’s religious women. Period,” Bayhi told Crux during a Vatican conference on human trafficking earlier this month… Bayhi is a priest of the diocese of Baton Rouge in Louisiana where in the early 1980s he purchased a home hoping to turn it into a Catholic retreat center for young people… “Every young priest has a desire to change the next generation,” he said.

Fr. Mike Schmitz, Ascension Presents – God wants you to be holy, so he is going to set you on a path of purification if you choose to do his will. He is the one who is going to make you holy. This process is going to strip away many things you hold dear. It’s going to require active participation in his will, doing what is right and good. But it’s also going to require passive acceptance of things that are out of your control. See everything you do and experience as a chance to grow in holiness, and God will make you into a saint.

By Doug Mainwaring, LifeSiteNews – A Dominican priest who teaches canon law warns that a bill being considered by California’s legislators requiring priests to report sins heard in the confessional regarding sexual abuse to the police not only presents Catholic clergy with an untenable choice but essentially annihilates the Sacrament of Penance, threatens religious liberty, and puts all religions at risk.In an op-ed penned for USA Today, Canon lawyer Fr. Pius Pietrzyk wrote that California priests will have to “choose to either maintain the confidentiality of the sacrament and face possible imprisonment or to betray that confidentiality and violate his deepest conscience and the laws of God and the Roman Catholic Church…

By David Carlin, The Catholic Thing – Joe Biden, a Democrat who happens to be a Catholic, is now officially running for President of the United States. And he’s doing so in an effort to save what he calls the “soul” of America… If Biden is to be the Democratic candidate, he will, of course, have to embrace and endorse the beliefs and values that currently prevail in the Democratic Party, and these beliefs and values include the following: Abortion is a fundamental human right… Homosexual behavior is a fine thing for people who are born that way; and anybody who disagrees is a homophobic bigot… Same-sex marriage is a fundamental human right…….

By Chris Woodward, OneNewsNow – A prominent pro-family organization is warning that legislation currently being pushed by congressional Democrats would “nationalize” Target’s dangerous bathroom/changing room policy… Target is on record as supporting The Equality Act (H.R.5), something the American Family Association (AFA) says is nothing more than a repackaged version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)… “This legislation has been driven for years by rabid homosexual activist groups like Human Rights Campaign and is specifically designed to place sexual liberty above religious liberty and the First Amendment,” AFA says in an Action Alert sent out Thursday.

By Charles Fain Lehman, The American Conservative – Why is it so hard to raise kids in America today? We keep choosing to have fewer and fewer [1] of them—less than 1.8 per woman, down from 2.5 or so in the 1970s. Studies persistently find [2] that parents are less happy than non-parents. The costs can’t help—raising a kid to age 18 will now run you more than $230,000… Indeed, in a world after Donald Trump’s brand of blue-collar populism shook the nation, conservatives are now beginning to ask themselves: how might we build a more pro-family state?

By Melanie Arter, CNSNews – President Donald Trump used his speech at the National Day of Prayer service at the White House on Thursday to condemn attacks on people of faith domestically and worldwide… “As we unite on this day of prayer, we renew our resolve to protect communities of faith and to ensure that all people and all of our people can live and pray and worship in peace. In recent months, it’s been pretty tough. We’ve seen evil and hate-filled attacks on religious communities in the United States and all around the world,” he said during the Rose Garden ceremony… “One month ago, three historically black churches were burned tragically in Louisiana….

By Fr. Matthew Schneider, EWTN News – I want to summarize three arguments that contraception is wrong: all are paraphrased from Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later by Janet Smith… We know that the body speaks a language. In sex, it speaks a language of gift, of self-giving… Contraception, instead, says that this person is taking back self-giving to just use the other for pleasure. Contraception destroys the marital language of mutual self-giving. Such a destruction of the language of marriage is immoral.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The scene is Pentecost Sunday and Simon Peter has just received the Holy Spirit along with 120 others. A crowd has gathered, intrigued by the manifestation of the Spirit in the upper room. The door opens and out steps Simon Peter. He begins to proclaim Christ. After an initial summary of Jesus’ life and actions as well as a doxology, Peter says to those gathered, Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah (Acts 2:36).

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Today, on the National Day of Prayer, President Donald trump issued new rules that further protect doctors, nurses and medical professionals who don’t want to be forced to do abortions or refer for them. Trump announced new regulations through the Department of Health and Human Services that will more effectively enforce existing federal laws that protect the conscience rights of healthcare providers.

By Paul Kengor, Crisis Magazine – But what really got me about Hart’s piece, particularly given his affiliation with Notre Dame, was this passage: Democratic socialism is, briefly put, a noble tradition of civic conscientiousness that was historically—to a far greater degree than either its champions or detractors today often care to acknowledge—grounded in deep Christian convictions. I, for instance, am a proud son of the European Christian socialist tradition, especially in its rich British variant … but also in its continental expressions….

Dr. Maike Hickson, LifeSiteNews – Archbishop Georg Gänswein, personal secretary of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Prefect of the Papal Household, ordained four new priests at the Stift Heiligenkreuz monastery in Austria. In his homily, he spoke of the duty of the priest to remain loyal to the “truth of the Gospels” and rebuked those within the Church who wish to “invent a new Church.”… During his homily at the April 27 ordination, the German prelate first recounted the legend of the captain of a warship who advises what he thinks is another ship but is really a “lighthouse keeper of inferior rank” to change course to avoid a collision.

By Louis DeBroux, The Patriot Post – Donald Trump, on the other hand, is a fighter. He is a street brawler who matches blow for blow, and then some. He responds to every attack. He epitomizes the Sean Connery line in “The Untouchables”3 about how to take down Chicago gangster Al Capone: “He pulls a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue!”.. The Christian faith and conservative values have been under relentless assault for years, and the choirboys that Republicans keep running for office don’t seem up to the task of defending them, offering platitudes and lip service as the lives of Christians are destroyed under attacks from the Rainbow Mafia and left-wing judges.

By Chris Woodward, OneNewsNow – Americans don’t always pay attention to things happening in Canada, but conservatives seeking office next year might want to take a closer look at recent events in Alberta… “The left-wing New Democratic Party, which has governed Alberta since 2015, was recently replaced quite decisively by a united conservative party,” explains Kelly Sloan, a public affairs consultant and fellow at Denver-based Centennial Institute… “There’s a political lesson [here], which is all about unity,” says Sloan, who happens to be a native of Calgary. “We on the right are kind of notorious for not getting along with each other.”

By Tara Ross, Prager U – Do you understand what the Electoral College is? Or how it works? Or why America uses it to elect its presidents instead of just using a straight popular vote? Author, lawyer and Electoral College expert Tara Ross does, and she explains that to understand the Electoral College is to understand American democracy.

By Jeff Diamant, A Sr. Writer/editor, Pew Research Center – This May 2 is the National Day of Prayer in the United States, a day Congress set aside in 1952 for Americans to turn “to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups and as individuals.” But many Americans pray every day – not just on the Day of Prayer. Indeed, out of 102 countries examined for frequency of prayer by Pew Research Center, the U.S. is unique in that it has both a high level of wealth ($56,000 per-capita gross domestic product in 2015) and a high level of daily prayer among its population…

By Marcel LeJeune, Catholic Missionary Disciples – WHAT IS CONVERSION? The root of the word “convert” means to “turn around”, “change”, or “transform”. Think of turning from sin, death, evil, and hell to now orient yourself toward grace, goodness, virtue, heaven, and everlasting life. It is the transformation of the human heart, by an act of God’s grace… Thus, we sometimes call one who becomes Catholic a “convert” which means they have turned from their previous beliefs and now are Catholic.

By Anita Carey, ChurchMilitant – For several months, Abp. Michael Jackels of the archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa has been working with the Catholic hospitals and health care facilities in the state to implement the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) revised guidelines for Catholic health care services… While the main focus of the revisions centered on the aspects of new partnerships between health care providers, these guidelines reaffirmed the pastoral and spiritual responsibilities of Catholic health care and the necessity of care for the patient from the moment of conception to the point of natural death…

By Msgr. Charles Pope – I first saw this quote on the frontispiece of a book by Adrian Fortescue. Fortescue applied it to the intricate details of celebrating the Old Latin Mass. That form of the Mass has an enormous amount of detail to learn: how exactly to hold the hands, when and how to bow, what tone of voice to use, what fingers should be used to pick up the host, and on and on. Some might see these details as picky and overwhelming. But as the quote above states and Fortescue apparently wanted us to think, love is often shown through reverence for the little things.

By Denise Donohue, Ed.D., Crisis Magazine – There have been plenty of examples of our secular culture’s antagonism toward Catholic education: from the Covington School-Nick Sandmann debacle, to activism against the admissions policies of Kansas City’s Catholic schools, and to numerous lawsuits by employees fired from Catholic schools for moral indiscretions… The greatest danger in these situations is not the secularist’s desire to be rid of authentic Catholic schools—the Church has, after all, survived great repressions and persecutions across the ages—but the possibility that poorly formed educators will readily compromise the formation of young Catholics, rather than risk public ridicule and marginalization.

By Alex Madajian, CNSNews – At a Capitol Hill press conference held to demand that President Donald Trump be censured for tweeting about the well-documented anti-Semitism of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), left-wing activists joined with Omar to denounce the president, and the representative declared that America was founded on “the history of Native American genocide.”… Omar added that Trump’s “demented views” are not welcome and that America “is not going to be the country of white people.”… “We are collectively saying [to Trump], your vile attacks [and] your demented views are not welcome here… This is not going to be the country of the xenophobics. This is not going to be the country of white people.”

By Chelsea Brown, The Stream – I’m a post-abortive woman. I know how hard it is to toe the line between regret and repentance for abortion, and compassion and wisdom for those who have had abortions, too… Abortion is sold to women as a quick fix. It will free them of the burdens that motherhood would potentially impose on them. The truth is, unless you’ve had an abortion yourself — and don’t deny what abortion is — it’s hard to understand how such brutality could also be met with compassion and forgiveness.

By Maike Hickson, LifeSiteNews – The authors make it clear that it is up to the bishops to take action and that they do not need a majority among the bishops to do so… “Since Pope Francis has manifested heresy by his actions as well as by his words, any abjuration must involve repudiating and reversing these actions, including his nomination of bishops and cardinals who have supported these heresies by their words or actions. Such an admonition is a duty of fraternal charity to the Pope, as well as a duty to the Church,” they state… “If – which God forbid! – Pope Francis does not bear the fruit of true repentance in response to these admonitions, we request that you carry out your duty of office to declare that he has committed the canonical delict of heresy and that he must suffer the canonical consequences of this crime,” they add.

By Fr. Mike Schmitz, Ascension Presents – Jesus asked the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to be well?” It seems like an obvious question, but—as Fr. Mike explains—in order for this man to desire healing, he had to believe he could be healed… So many of us have given up on the thought that God can change us from whatever it is we don’t want to be into whatever it is we want to be, and what we believe he wants us to be. Whether it’s an illness, lack of willpower, or just lack of ability, we may want to be well, but we believe our problem is chronic.

CNA – A federal judge in Oregon has issued a temporary nationwide injunction against the Trump administration’s requirement that recipients of Title X family planning funds be separate from abortion facilities… U.S. District Judge Michael McShane of Eugene, Oregon, blocked the changes from taking effect. In his Monday ruling, he called the new regulation “a solution in search of a problem” and a “a ham-fisted approach to health policy that recklessly disregards the health outcomes of women, families, and communities.”

By George Weigel, First Things – That effort to witness to the truth continues in Unplanned, which reminds me of Pope St. Paul VI’s comment that modern men and women learn better from witnesses than from teachers; and if self-conscious moderns listen to teachers, it’s because they’re first witnesses. Abby Johnson, just such a witnessing teacher, is beautifully portrayed in the film by Ashley Bratcher—who also deserves credit for putting her own career at risk, given the assault that’s been mounted on Unplanned by the “pro-choice” Hollywood commentariat in the mainstream media, and by attempts to censor positive comments about Unplanned on social media.

By Fr. Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross – Even if someone cannot see the plain logic and correctness of what is being asserted here (due to a lack of intellectual formation, due to an obstinate and willful stupidity, or due to demonic possession), then at least the ghastly section where the Pope’s personnel decisions are summarized… should make one agree that the Church is on fire. The list begins with Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, then continues with Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, Cardinal Blase Cupich, etc… This is the first time I have seen such an “action list” of personnel decisions by the Pope, complete and in one place. Reading it made me want to vomit.

By Julia Meloni, Crisis Magazine – Canon law has traditionally considered that protecting, promoting and helping heretics can itself be evidence of heresy… By choosing heretical prelates for the most important posts in the Roman Curia, [Pope Francis] manifests an intention to impose these heresies upon the whole Church. By protecting clerics who are guilty of immoral and criminal sexual acts even when this protection causes grave scandal to the Church and threatens to lead to calamitous action by the civil authorities, he manifests disbelief in Catholic teaching on sexual morality…

By Greg Schlueter, Catholic Exchange – Here’s the thing. When we encounter Jesus Christ, if we’ve really encountered Jesus Christ, we can not help but be transformed. We can’t help but to surrender lesser things for greater. We can’t help but cultivate those seeds in our souls and homes. Not simply in moments, or as a program, but as a way of life. Without doing this, the many, awesome programs are really no more than another spiritual roller coaster. Our faith, an amusement park.

By Edward Pentin – “A heretical papacy may not be tolerated or dissimulated to avoid a worse evil,” the authors write. “It strikes at the basic good of the Church and must be corrected.”.. They also link his purported rejection of some Church teachings with his favour shown to bishops and cardinals found guilty of abuse or covering up for abuse and corruption, such as Cardinals Theodore McCarrick, Godfried Danneels, Donald Wuerl and Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga… They explain that the open letter marks the “third stage” of a process that began in the summer of 2016….

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The proclamation of the Church is that we speak to the world of what we know, what we have experienced. To emphasize this, Jesus adds that the proclamation of the Church is not simply what we know but what we have “seen.” Here, too, a tangible experience is referenced. This is the proclamation of ancient truths, presently experienced—seen. In other words, the Church can raise her right hand and swear to the truth of all that Jesus has said and done because she knows it……

Reuters – Suicides among U.S. kids aged 10 to 17 jumped to a 19-year high in the month following the release of a popular TV series that depicted a girl ending her life, researchers said… The study published Monday can’t prove that the Netflix show “13 Reasons Why” was the cause, but there were 195 more youth suicides than would have been expected in the nine months following the show’s March 2017 release, given historical and seasonal suicide trends, the study estimated.

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – Shocking new government statistics show that there are more than four times as many late-term unborn victims of abortion in New York City as victims of homicide… CNS News reported on the comparison earlier this week in response to mainstream news outlets’ claims that late-term abortions are “rare.”… The comparison is based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and the New York Police Department.

By Joseph Pearce, EWTN News – The purpose of life is not worldly riches and the creature comforts they can purchase. Such trinkets can never satisfy the needs of the soul. The purpose of life is to grow in wisdom, to mature into the fullness of what it means to be human. The problem is that most of us are quite happy remaining comfortably numb, wasting our lives on trash and trivia, distracting ourselves to death long before we actually die. We are all in danger of growing old without growing up, which is the greatest tragedy that can beset any of us. It is for this reason that suffering is such a blessing. It brings us to our senses.

By Archbishop Charles J. Chaput – Happiness, real happiness, is tied to a kind of wisdom, and wisdom grows out of risk and suffering; the beauty and hard edges of experiencing the real world.  It’s never the result of commerce.  We can’t own it.  We can’t buy it.  It’s also never solitary.  Happiness needs other people.  The joy of a young mother is linked to the gift of life she makes to a new and unrepeatable soul in the act of birth; to the pain and effort she experiences in bearing her child.  Happiness is either made and shared with others here and now, or remembered as moments shared with others in the past.

By Steven Ertelt, Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – The Louisiana House late Tuesday passed HB 425, the Love Life Constitutional Amendment… The bill would add language to the Louisiana Constitution stating that there is no right to an abortion or taxpayer funding for abortions. To be added, the bill must pass the state legislature by a two-thirds majority and then be approved by voters… Its sponsor is state Rep. Katrina Jackson, a pro-life Democrat who spoke at the March for Life in January… “By passing this we can rest assured that, together with our state law, we will never become like New York, which recently legalized abortion up to the very moment before birth.”

By Gerhard Ludwig Müller, First Things – At age 92, Benedict XVI is capable of deeper theological reflection than his critics, who lack respect and are ideologically blinded. He is able to get closer to the source of the fire that has set the Church’s roof ablaze. The catastrophic fire in Paris, in one of Christendom’s most venerable houses of God, also has a symbolic meaning: It makes us appreciate again the work of good firefighters, instead of blaming them for the water damage done in the course of extinguishing the flames….

Catholic News Agency – Cardinal Gerhard Müller on Friday emphasized that Church renewal must be centered on Christ and his teaching… “Rebuilding and renewing the whole Church can only succeed in Christ—if we get our bearings by the Church’s teaching on faith and morals,”… Benedict’s essay looked at the abuse crisis in the context of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, the concurrent collapse in moral theology, and their effect on priestly life and formation… Benedict, he said, “is in a better position than all the blind who want to lead other blind people,” and he added that critics of the emeritus pope “lack respect and are ideologically blinded.”

By Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review – I love Saint Catherine of Siena and I love reading through her writings. For years, my copy of The Classics of Western Spirituality translation of her Dialogue was a constant companion. And more recently, there’s a four-volume set of her letters that I invested in over the course of a few recent years, and now frequently have a volume in my purse for dipping into during any moments I can steal with her. She’s so Christocentric and the love that flows from that jumps off the pages with an urgency for, as she might put it, holy boldness.

By ChurchPOP Editor – “I have no patience for priests who ‘come out’ as gay and insist the priesthood is some sort of cage. Nobody forced you to become a priest. The faithful don’t need to deal with your issues, pal. They don’t deserve to deal with any of our issues. We serve them. Period… “Priests who insist they ‘can’t be who they are’ in the priesthood mean to say ‘who they are’ isn’t a priest as the Church has ‘always’ understood priesthood. The last thing the faithful need are priests who make their sexuality their primary identity.

By Susan Jones, CNSNews – “You know, yesterday when we were talking with some of the migrants, I asked one woman, I said, why are you here? She said ‘asylum, asylum.’ She spoke Spanish, and I said ‘Oh, well what’s happening there? Did they try to hurt you?’ She said, well actually, I just want to get opportunity for my daughter. So they are seeing America as just an opportunity for their families. It’s not necessarily that they’re fleeing.

By Donald DeMarco, EWTN News – “What is wrong with socialism?” After all, does not socialism embrace the virtues of equality, justice and the fair distribution of wealth?… For the informed Catholic, this question is not difficult to answer since it has been adequately answered in three great encyclicals: Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 Rerum Novarum… Pope Pius XI’s 1931 Quadragesimo Anno… John Paul II’s 1991 Centesimus Annus… All three pontiffs agree that socialism, in general, carries at least a strong impetus toward extreme governmental control, including the confiscation of private property, a disregard for the true nature of the human being……

By Sean Martin, The Stream – In the case of abortion, children die when pastors are afraid to speak up and actively seek to rescue those being led away to death… Ken Peters, pastor at Covenant Church Spokane, Washington, sensed God leading him to plant another campus of the church he leads at the Planned Parenthood in Spokane… but the location was a bit unorthodox… This call came during a worship service, and Pastor Peters has been obedient. He planted a church right on the sidewalk outside of Planned Parenthood. The church now holds a worship service one night a month at the Planned Parenthood.

By Glenn T. Stanton, The Federalist – Professor Barry A. Kosmin, director of the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, the man who coined the term “the nones,” expresses frustration that the larger press has not really gotten the story right on what belief group is actually seeing the largest size increase. He told me, “The rise of nondenominational Christianity is probably one of the strongest [religious growth] trends in the last two decades” in the United States… He added that the percentage gain among the “nons,” or nondenoms, is “many times larger” compared to those we have come to know as the nones.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Several of the Resurrection accounts stress that Jesus showed the disciples His wounds. On one level we can understand that He was trying to make clear to them that the same Christ who was crucified stood before them; He was not a ghost or an apparition or simply someone who looked like Jesus… When Christ rose, He took up His same, true body, but it now manifested a perfected glory. When we rise on the last day, the same will be true of our bodies. Why, then, were Christ’s wounds visible in His glorified body? Are not wounds and scars inconsistent with a glorified body?

By Carrie Gress, National Catholic Register – Eventually, my journey led me back to St. Maximilian Kolbe, who spoke of Mary’s relationship to mercy in his writings. Fr. Kolbe wrote: “St. Bernard says that the Lord God kept for Himself justice, but gave mercy to the Mother of God. I don’t deny that the Immaculate receives the mercy from the Lord God, but she is the personification of this divine mercy and that is why a soul is converted and sanctified if it turns to her.” What is astounding about this is that St. Maximilian wrote this without knowing of St. Faustina’s Diaries and yet he is connecting Mary directly to it.

By Harry Stevens, Regina Magazine – Just think what kind of America we would have now if the woman who will remain nameless was elected president. It did not happen. The MSM is furious, the movie stars are furious. The left is furious. They cannot let it go. What have we seen: resistance from election day onward. The democrats calling for impeachment every chance they get. It is a disorder, they hate, and spread their hate… Look at abortion. This is the lifeblood of the Democrats. Abortion, so-called women’s rights, and liberal democrats go hand in hand. The Covington affair happened after the pro-life march. There was a nexus of events that happened that brought all this together. Just think about it… What does this sound like?

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – President Donald Trump (said), “Your Democrat governor here in Wisconsin, shockingly, stated that he will veto legislation that protects Wisconsin babies born alive,” Trump said Saturday at a rally in the state… “The baby is born, the mother meets with the doctor. They take care of the baby, they wrap the baby beautifully, and then the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby,” he continued… Making a chopping motion with his hand, Trump said: “You hear late term, but this is where the baby is actually born. It came out, it’s there, it’s wrapped — and that’s it.”

By Diane Montagna, LifeSiteNews – Hundreds of Christians have been killed in recent months and entire Christian villages wiped out, as the international community stands by in silence, an archbishop at the heart of the persecution in northwest Nigeria has said in an appeal for urgent help… Speaking with LifeSite by phone from his archdiocese in Kaduna on Friday, April 26, Archbishop Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso said that “Christians are being killed like chickens,” and time is running out… “Right now, as I am talking to you, the rainy season has come and villagers who provide food for us are afraid to go to their farms because they will be kidnapped, because they will be killed”…

By Stacy Trasancos, EWTN News – Northwestern’s newscenter is partially at fault for the mix-up. They reported the research as a “stunning explosion of zinc fireworks” when a human egg is “activated” by sperm enzyme, but they also correctly (of course) explained the other details later in the article. It seems the Telegraph’s science writer mistook the opening metaphor as literal, and apparently the writers citing the Telegraph took it from there.

By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV, Catholic Exchange – The winter snows melt and spring flowers blossom and emanate their beautiful fragrance. The sharp thorns fade and the pink glowing rose sprouts and adorns the colorful meadow… These are merely analogies in nature of the greatest of all events: the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!… A hardened sinner moved by grace, renouncing sin, reforming his life, and falling in love with the Person of Jesus the Lord becomes a great saint. This is only possible through the power of grace communicated through the Paschal mystery — the Passion death and Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

By Anthony S. Layne, Catholic Stand – Envy, in our modern idiom, is treated almost as a joke, a backhanded way of celebrating our neighbor’s good fortune: “I envy you, brother.” “You got the new X-Box? ENVY!” We don’t really resent them for having it or consider ourselves lessened in worth by not possessing it. Or, if we do, that feeling is slight and easily, almost magically dismissed by acknowledgment. But Envy isn’t a joke. True Envy, or jealousy, has been the motive behind many civil torts and violent crimes throughout history….

By Msgr. Charles Pope, EWTN News – The burning of Notre Dame in Paris last week struck us all very deeply, more deeply, I think, than most of us imagine. Even the most secular in France were struck and saddened. Why is this? Simply put, Notre Dame is far more than a building. What follows are three short reflections on the deeper meanings of the burning of Notre Dame. What unites them is an archetypal longing for what we once were and have seemingly lost but can regain if we allow Our Lady to lead us back to her Son.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – As the Easter Octave unfolds, we have in the Gospel this enigmatic statement of Our Lord Jesus to Mary Magdalene: Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God” (John 20:17)… There is much to ponder and distinguish here… First, we should set aside certain previous translations that rendered “Do not cling to me” as “Do not touch me.”

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – It is almost impossible not to find a dire symbolism in the burning of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on the first day of Holy Week, the day after – as Ross Douthat points out – Catholics worldwide listened to a Gospel in which St. Luke recounted the rending of the veil of the temple… Notre Dame is the symbolic heart of the Catholic Church in France. And France – the “eldest daughter of the Church” – is in many respects the symbolic heart of the faith in Europe. Many felt something like physical pain watching this most magnificent and history-laden Catholic cathedral burning.

By J.M. Phelps, OneNewsNow – A national immigration analyst says President Donald Trump’s popularity is continuing to grow among Hispanic Americans – a segment of the American population that’s projected to become the largest voting minority in the 2020 presidential election… “Latinos are paying attention to what President Trump is doing,” says Maria Espinoza, national director of The Remembrance Project… Trump’s approval among Hispanics is certainly seen in the polls, Espinoza continues. “Forty-five to 51 percent of Latinos support this president,” she tells OneNewsNow – and she expects those numbers will only increase in the next two years. She is convinced Trump’s work is “impacting every average American family” – despite the color of their skin.

By Jonah McKeown, CNA – (The Columbine) massacre was premeditated and devastating; the boys also unsuccessfully planned to bomb the school with homemade explosives. They murdered 13 and wounded more than 20 others; finally they shot and killed themselves… Archbishop Charles Chaput, now of Philadelphia, was the shepherd of Denver at the time. More than 1,000 mourners turned out for the first three students’ funerals, over which Chaput presided… “[Chaput] was very prompt in understanding the need to get to the scene and get to the families, the Catholic families, to provide them with support”…

By Susan Jones, CNSNews – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told a CNN town hall Monday night that “every person has a right to vote,” even if they’re in jail for heinous crimes such as the Boston Marathon bombing… He said his response to the question will probably end up as a 30-second political ad paid for by his opposition. But he refused to back down… “Look — this is what I believe. Do you believe in democracy? Do you believe that every single American 18 years of age or older who is an American citizen has the right to vote?” Sanders asked.

The Catholic Thing – Robert Royal: The passing of Fr. James V. Schall S.J. on April 17 – our esteemed colleague and dear friend – is, in everyday human terms, a very sad event. But it would be profoundly un-Schallian to think of it only in terms of sorrow because, as the great man knew better than any of us, when we die we go to live under God’s love, mercy, and justice – which was why we were created in the first place. That end is and ever shall be the proper remedy for all our earthly sorrows and injustices, especially death.

By Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D., The Stream – Peter Wolfgang’s cry from the heart got to me, I have to admit. His recent Stream piece “George Weigel, John Paul II, and What We Need Now” moved me… The Conservative-Christian-Catholic hopefulness, even triumphalism, expressed by George Weigel and the late Michael Novak and Richard John Neuhaus, in the 1990’s has evaporated. Couched as a critique of these famous “neo-cons,” Wolfgang’s real point was “Man, we’ve got a mess on our hands. None of our Smart Guys has a clue what to do.”.. I sympathize. I’ve been thinking about it too. I do have a plan. It goes like this.

By William Kilpatrick, Crisis Magazine – More than 290 are dead and 500 wounded in an Easter Sunday jihad massacre in Sri Lanka. The terrorists targeted three Catholic Churches and three luxury hotels frequented by foreigners. Government officials blame the attack on “religious extremists,” though no group has claimed responsibility… The term “religious extremists” implies that the vast majority of Muslim would disapprove of what the extremists did. Yet, while the vast majority won’t resort to terror themselves, they highly honor those who do.

By Micaiah Bilger LifeNews – Undercover journalist David Daleiden received some good news Friday when the California Supreme Court suspended his preliminary hearing until further notice… Daleiden’s attorneys with the Thomas More Society told LifeNews that the court based its decision on “political bias and selective prosecution.”.. California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye released the decision Friday, his attorneys said. Daleiden’s preliminary hearing was slated to begin Monday and continue for approximately two weeks. Now, it is not clear if it will happen at all.

By Mark Bell, Those Catholic Men – If you were in a work meeting, out at the bar having a beer with your buddies, or coaching little league, could someone look at you and tell that you are a Christian? As Christian men, we should be the last ones in the world with a look of gloom and doom on our faces. Sure, we all have our bad days but we can’t forget that Christians should be the most joyful people around and that our joy should be contagious.

By Mary Rose Somarriba, Editor, Natural Womanhood – There’s a bumper sticker I’ve seen on cars that says “Peace begins in the womb.” Pregnant now with our third wished-for child, I feel that phrase intimately. I’ve come to view fertility as a fragile and precious gift that I want to let take its course, uninhibited. Like the peace that begins in the spring, when the first flowers sprout through the rain. Or the first late twilight, and the fresh dawn that follows, bringing a warm new day. It’s a gift to behold and may only last for a short window of time, but it’s a promise of hope that’s far more enduring.

Fr. Mark Goring, Companions of the Cross, Catholic Charismatic Center, Director

By Patrick Hampton, Patriot Post – The truth is, Planned Parenthood has been winning the propaganda battle in the black community for decades. But I believe the tide is turning. That’s partially due to social-media campaigns, national pro-life events, and members of the film industry securing funding and fighting back by creating inspiring media messages.

Catholic News Agency – Shortly before 9 a.m., explosions were detonated during Easter Mass at Catholic churches in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, and in Negombo, a city 20 miles to its north. At the same time, a bomb exploded at a service at the evangelical Zion Church in Batticaolo, on Sri Lanka’s east coast… Pews were shattered by the blast at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, and floors and ceilings were covered in blood. The Catholic shrine is the most well-known church in Sri Lanka, and is designated the country’s national shrine.

By Austin Ruse, Crisis Magazine – Progressives think every inch of ground gained will never be relinquished. This is why clawing anything back is harder and bloodier than having lost it in the first place. The administrators of Catholic University of America are discovering just how hard it is to walk back the revolution that started in the 1960s. But they have found an unlikely ally: the students!…

By L. Brent Bozell III and Tim Graham, CNSNews – Shortly after the tragic sight of Notre Dame Cathedral going up in flames in Paris, as crowds watched and sang “Ave Maria,” historian Victor Davis Hanson put our modern times in perspective… He told Fox News: “it’s going to be very hard in our society to ever build a cathedral again, much less to repair them, because we don’t believe in what they represented. And it’s ironic, because we don’t like the past. We are at war with the past. We tear down monuments. We don’t build cathedrals. We erase names.”

By Alan Scott, Catholic Exchange – The only thing that can ever give us true fulfillment is a relationship with God… Why do I know this? Because I have spent many years trying to find fulfillment where it doesn’t exist. And I have met many people throughout my life also trying to find their fulfillment through relationships, hobbies, causes, and even addictions. And if you ask them if they’re truly happy and fulfilled, the true answer is always, without fail, ‘no’…

By Fr. Romano Guardini (1885 – 1968), The Catholic Thing – The days between Christ’s Resurrection and his return to the Father are full of mystery. If we accept them, as we should, not as a legend, but as a vital part of our faith, then we must ask what they mean in the life of the Lord, and what their significance in our own Christian existence… These are the days between time and eternity. The Lord is still on earth, but his feet are already detached, prepared to depart. Before him unfold the reaches of everlasting light, but he still pauses here in transitoriness.

By Diane Montagna, LifeSiteNews – The extensive fire that tore through the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris on Monday is a sign of the “spiritual conflagration” that has ripped through the Catholic Church in the past fifty years, Bishop Athanasius Schneider has said…. The destruction, he says, is a “symbolic and evocative” sign of “what happened in the life of the Church” in recent decades, as people have “witnessed a conflagration of the Church’s most precious spiritual masterpieces” — her liturgy, faith and moral life, especially among priests.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The Gospels of the Easter Octave describe not just an event but even more so a journey. It is tempting to think that the disciples and apostles, having seen the risen Lord, were immediately confirmed in their faith, stripped of all doubt… That is not the case, however. Nearly all the resurrection accounts make it clear that although seeing the risen Lord was “mind-blowing,” it was only a beginning. As it is with any human experience, no matter how intense, encountering the risen Lord was something that the disciples needed to process. They needed to come to live its implications in stages.

By Jimmy Akin, EWTN News – In about A.D. 56 St. Paul could already write to the Corinthians: “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. . .”… The Apostle speaks here of the living tradition of the Resurrection which he had learned after his conversion at the gates of Damascus.

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – Pro-abortion Democrats in control of the New York legislature tried to stop a pro-life group from conducting its annual Lobby for Life day this spring… The New York Post reports New York State Right to Life reserved space at the state Capitol in Albany more than a year ago, but Democratic lawmakers revoked the reservation in February… The move came shortly after state lawmakers passed one of the most radical pro-abortion laws in the country. The so-called Reproductive Health Act allows unborn babies to be aborted for basically any reason up to birth in New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo celebrated……

By Catholic News Agency – At least 296 people were killed in explosions Easter morning, detonated in churches and hotels across Sri Lanka. Hundreds more are reportedly injured… At 8:45 a.m., explosions were detonated during Easter Mass at churches in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, and in Negombo, a city 20 miles to its north. At the same time, a bomb exploded at a service at the evangelical Zion Church in Batticaolo, on Sri Lanka’s east coast… St. Anthony’s Shrine was the Catholic church targeted in Colombo, and St. Sebastian’s is the Catholic parish in Negombo.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – According to Mark’s chronology there was a sham of a trial, based on false evidence and distortions of Jesus’ teachings… Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but they did not find any. For many bore false witness against Jesus, but their testimony was inconsistent. Then some men stood up and testified falsely against Him: “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple, and in three days I will build another that is made without hands.’”

By Patrina Mosley, LifeNews – The FDA has updated their adverse events reports on Mifeprex, also known as “the abortion pill,” with two additional deaths since December 2018… Now, an update to the FDA’s Questions and Answers on Mifeprex states that “As of December 31, 2018, there were reports of 24 deaths of women associated with Mifeprex since the product was approved in September 2000, including two cases of ectopic pregnancy resulting in death; and several cases of severe systemic infection (also called sepsis), including some that were fatal.”

By Rebecca Downs, Townhall – Late in March, Unplanned, the story of how former Planned Parenthood clinic director, Abby Johnson, became pro-life, hit theaters… One of the abortions shown, which was one of Johnson’s two abortions, is medication abortion. Johnson forks over the cash and is given Mifeprex pills which starves the child of nutrients, causing death in the womb, and then a day later takes Misoprostol to complete the abortion and expel the child.

By Dorothy Cummings McLean, LifeSiteNews – Controversy continues to swirl around pro-life medical group Obria as its application for government funding in Texas comes to light… Obria’s pro-life critics believe that the medical organization has compromised its original Catholic mission to provide pro-life medical services by agreeing to partner with groups that dispense contraceptives… A reporter for the Houston Chronicle has published a copy of the application Obria made this year to receive Title X funding for its affiliates in Texas. Obria’s proposal, written on Obria letterhead, clearly states that it will “ensure” several forms of contraceptives.

By Gayle Somers, Catholic Exchange – On Palm Sunday, the narrative of our Lord’s Passion ended with these words: “The women who had come from Galilee with Him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.” (Lk 23:55-56) We can only imagine how much “rest” they got on what must have been the longest Sabbath day of their lives.

Catholic News Agency – “The Church, I think, is having its own conversation about what our faith has us do and say with people in relationships that are same-sex. What should be without debate is that we are called to welcome them,” Cardinal Joseph Tobin said… “But how can you welcome people that you call ‘intrinsically disordered?’” Thompson asked… “Well I don’t call them ‘intrinsically disordered,’” Tobin answered… “But isn’t that the Catechism of the Catholic Church?” Thompson asked.

By Father Roger J. Landry, EWTN News – As the Sacred Triduum begins Holy Thursday, the Church ponders three interconnected realities: Christ’s washing of the feet of his apostles, instituting the Eucharist, and establishing the priesthood to perpetuate the Eucharist in memory of him… These are always inexhaustible mysteries to actualize in any liturgical cycle; this year, however, when we can feel as if we began Lent not just on Ash Wednesday but last June, with the re-emergence of clergy sexual-abuse crisis, they contain far more light and power. They contain the seed of the renewal of the priesthood and the true reform of the Church.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – According to the Synoptic Gospels, sundown of Holy Thursday ushered in the Passover. Later on this evening, the Lord will celebrate the Passover meal with His disciples. We ought to be mindful that the unleavened bread Jesus will take in His hands is called “the bread of affliction.” Scripture says, You shall eat [the Passover] with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt (Dt 16:3).

By Fr. Richard Heilman, Roman Catholic Man – Fr. Ripperger, “…The first has to do with the fact that the traditionalist movement is slowly becoming a gnostic movement. By gnostic we mean, they think that they only have this secret knowledge that nobody else seems to have right now, and that there is something special about them because they get it and these other people don’t. And, how do we know it is becoming gnostic? Because they are constantly looking down and bad-mouthing anybody who goes to the new Mass.”… This is a very short video, but it is POWERFUL. I urge you to take a few minutes to listen to this very necessary teaching for our times and, especially, for the flourishing of the traditionalist movement.

By Fr. Mike Schmitz, Ascension Presents – There are many great ways to describe hope, but Fr. Mike defines it as “trust in another extended into the future.” He recalls two stories from the Gospels that exemplify what hope is not. When Peter denied Christ, and when the two travelers on the road to Emmaus abandoned their hope in Christ. Peter had Jesus (they were basically best friends), but—by denying him—was essentially saying he didn’t need Jesus. …

By Michael F. Haverluck, OneNewsNow – A 28-year veteran teacher in the California public school system exposed the ultra-liberal abortion and sex ed programs being pushed by teachers unions working with “far-left” groups to indoctrinate students in their radical agenda… In a recent column, pro-life Christian teacher Rebecca Friedrichs explained how teachers unions – in cahoots with Planned Parenthood and other radical pro-abortion groups – in California are dictating how instruction on abortion and sex education is being taught in classrooms.

By Mark Green, Patriot Post – On a December night in 2003, as the emergency medicine physician assigned to an elite special operations team, I had the unique opportunity to interview Saddam Hussein on the night of his capture… Over the course of almost six hours with the reviled dictator, I was reminded of Lord Acton’s old adage, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It’s hard to imagine what has to happen in a man’s heart to blacken it to the extent of Saddam Hussein’s. However, a clear contributor was the lack of accountability, or as our Founders put it, checks and balances. Without that system, freedom was only a dream in Saddam’s Iraq.

By Regis Nicoll, Crisis Magazine – Even people inclined to Jesus and his teachings have difficulties with the cross. In his book, Death on a Friday Afternoon, the late Richard John Neuhaus wrote of one person’s halt, just short of the cross, “I have no doubts about God, and I completely agree with the Church’s moral teachings… I am a little embarrassed to say it, but my problem is with the cross. Why Jesus had to die, this whole business of blood and sacrifice, I just don’t get it. Since the cross is the main symbol of Christianity… I suppose that’s a pretty big problem, right?”

By Christine Rousselle, CNA – A man is in custody after he attempted to bring containers of gasoline into St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City Wednesday night… A spokesperson from the Archdiocese of New York told CNA that “the individual was stopped as he tried to come into the cathedral” before he was turned over to the police… The man was apprehended by cathedral security around 8 p.m. and taken into police custody by officers with the NYPD Critical Response Command. Police said he had a car nearby to escape the scene of the cathedral.

Catholic News Agecny – When the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Parish caught fire Monday, most predicted the worst. It seemed unlikely the structure could survive, or that some of the treasures inside might be saved… Indeed, a full two-thirds of the cathedral’s roof was destroyed in the blaze, as was the famous spire. But despite the images of devastation, the cathedral’s main structure has been saved, along with many of its most priceless contents… Even as firefighters worked to extinguish the last of the flames early Tuesday morning, there was already a massive commitment of resources dedicated to the rebuilding of one of the world’s most recognizable churches.

By Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register – Just two years before his election as Pope Pius XII, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli gave a stirring and prophetic warning in the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris using words that could just as easily apply to today… But on July 13, 1937, on the eve of Bastille Day, a future pope would give the homily in the cathedral, on a topic fitting for the venue: “The Vocation of France.”… Cardinal Pacelli, at the time Vatican Secretary of State, warned of a coming dark age, but not before waxing lyrical about the “soul of today’s France” and the profound role Notre Dame cathedral has played in the nation’s history.

By John Burger, Aleteia – Longtime Georgetown professor remembered for his erudition, love of teaching and prolific output… Fr. James V. Schall, a Jesuit priest and longtime professor of political philosophy, has died at the age of 91. He had been living in the Jesuit residence in Los Gatos, California… Fr. Schall died April 17, shortly after noon, after a brief hospitalization in Los Gatos.

By Dr. Maike Hickson, LifeSiteNews – Cardinal Gerhard Müller has given several interviews in recent days defending Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s April 10 letter on the roots of the abuse crisis… The former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith told the German newspaper Die Welt that “in his letter, Benedict has pierced the boil,” and his text “is more intelligent than all the contributions at the Roman ‘Abuse Summit’ and the know-it-all moral experts at the German Bishops’ Conference.”

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – State House Bill 314, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, now moves to the full Alabama House for consideration, according to the Montgomery Advertiser… The legislation would make an abortion and attempted abortion a felony. Exceptions would be allowed if the mother’s life is at risk. Mothers would not be punished for having an abortion under the legislation… Collins said the U.S. Supreme Court was wrong in Roe v. Wade, and unborn babies deserve a right to life.

By Rod Dreher, American Conservative – The great and glorious rose window on the west portal of the cathedral held on through the inferno! That entrance is known as the Portal of the Last Judgement. The rose window itself is a symbol of the whole of the universe — all of time, and all of human life — centered in perfect harmony around the God-Man and His mother, on whose lap He sits in the very center of the rose: the King of Creation on his throne.

By Peter Kwasniewski, LifeSiteNews – Man cannot find completion or rest in himself, but only in one who is other than himself. His entire life, from infancy to adulthood to old age, is marked with a need for others, and within this neediness there abides a desire for the Other who will complete him and bring him rest.He is capable of discovering through reflection that in this world he is always in some way estranged not only from God, but even from himself; what is more, he can see that the former is the cause of the latter: I am not myself because I am not yet perfectly united to my origin and end.

By Jared Staudt, Those Catholic Men – What are goats like? They are trouble: always breaking out of their pens, eating everything in sight. I remember visiting a monastery, where a goat was hanging out along the road by the main entrance. He had escaped and stood there staring at us, quite pleased with himself. He was happy to have found his freedom, blissfully ignorant of the predators, cars, and other threats that would come with nightfall. The goat can gloat about his freedom, but he won’t last long apart from the protection of the shepherd.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Two momentous days have passed: On Monday there was the cleansing of the Temple and the laments over Jerusalem’s lack of faith; Tuesday featured exhaustive teachings by Jesus and interrogations by His opponents… Today, Wednesday, it would seem that Jesus stays in Bethany. According to Matthew’s Gospel, the day begins with an ominous warning: When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified”

By Steve Jordahl, OneNewsNow – The data at the root of that finding originated in the long-running General Social Survey, a biennial project run by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Political scientist and Baptist pastor Ryan Burge crunched the numbers from the latest GSS and finds 23.1 percent of Americans are so-called “Nones” – that is, those who check the box “None” when identifying their religious affiliation. Catholics came in at 23 percent even, and evangelicals were at 22.5 percent.

By Claire Giangravè, The Crux – In a new interview, the former top doctrinal official at the Vatican praised Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s recent statement on the clerical sexual abuse scandals and rebuked criticism that the pope did not write it himself or should not speak his mind… Benedict XVI “has his style, he was helped by a secretary but intellectually he does not need help, because he has great experience and he remembers all those responsible for the fall of moral theology, which is one of the causes behind these abuses,” said German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwing Müller, former Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith…

By Matthew B. O’Brien, First Things – In 2017, Cardinal Donald Wuerl provided false and misleading information to the board of the Papal Foundation to secure a $25 million grant for the Istituto Dermopatico dell’Immacolata (IDI), a scandal-plagued hospital in Rome.Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin requested this grant from the Papal Foundation in June 2017, on behalf of Pope Francis. When the Papal Foundation board met in December 2017 to discuss the grant, Wuerl made two false assertions which were recorded in the meeting minutes.

By Tom Collingwood, Catholic Stand – St. Mother Teresa’s prophetic statements upon her visit to the United States in 1994… “The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation. If a mother can kill her own child – what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me – there is nothing between.”

By Craig Bannister, CNSNews – “President Obama Needs to Stop Repeating FDR’s Worst Mistake and End Family Detention Now,” a July 2015 headline by The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) declares, deeming Obama’s detention and family separation policies an inhumane disaster. The article claims the Obama Administration’s “cruel” detention and no-bond policies were bred of “an atmosphere xenophobia and hysteria”

By Paul Kengor, The Stream – The image of the Cathedral of Notre Dame engulfed in flames will remain seared in memories. I was made aware of it when a student burst into my office shouting that the magnificent church was on fire. I was about to head into my Major European Governments course, where we read George Weigel’s prescient work, The Cube and the Cathedral. The Cathedral in the book is Notre Dame.

By Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV, Catholic Exchange – Talk about a disconnect and you have the greatest example in Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He knows every single thing that awaited Him in Jerusalem – His betrayal by Judas, Peter denying Him, the Twelve deserting Him, the enthusiastic crowd eventually turning on Him, His being handed over to the Jewish leaders, His mock trial and sentence, His being scourged and mocked and eventually nailed on the cross.

By Father Roger J. Landry, National Catholic Register – Except among the devout who live Holy Week as a sacred octave, Monday of Holy Week is normally low-key, a day seemingly like any other, when many believers and nonbelievers succumb to the practical atheism of living as if God were absent… Not this year… When Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Christianity’s second-most famous Church, was ablaze and risked being reduced to ashes, it was impossible to forget God. Many across the world stopped and turned sad eyes toward the live images coming from the banks of the Seine. Believers and nonbelievers prayed that, by some miracle, the water would outpace the flames and the munificent 859-year-old sanctuary would see an 860th year.

By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV, Catholic Exchange – Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises… instead of viewing the Passion from afar, Saint Ignatius brings it to us right now. Jesus suffered all of the details of His bitter passion for me. The Agony in the Garden; the scourging at the pillar; His crowning with thorns with the insults, spitting, buffeting, punching and pounding, the carrying of the cross; the brutal crucifixion, the hours of agony as He hung on the cross, the profuse loss of His Precious Blood and suffocation — all of these excruciating sufferings and many more, He suffered for me!

By Fr. Mike Schmitz, Ascension Presents – When Catholics call Mary their mother, it may seem like they are taking away some of the respect due to Jesus and giving it to Mary. This is far from the case. Fr. Mike points out two reasons why calling Mary our mother can improve our relationship with Christ, and strengthen our faith life…. Loving the people Jesus loves helps you love him more. The more you love Mary the more you love God… Jesus gave Mary to us as our Mother on the Cross.

By Hunt Lawrence and Daniel J. Flynn, American Spectator – Democrats won on the issue of healthcare in 2018 because they campaigned on protecting the coverage Americans possessed. For the 2020 presidential primaries, several Democrats run on taking away that coverage… “Let’s eliminate all of that,” Kamala Harris says of private insurance. “Let’s move on.” Kirsten Gillibrand calls abolishing private insurance “an urgent goal.” “Under Medicare for all we cover all basic healthcare needs, so they’re not going to be there to do that,” Bernie Sanders says of existing insurance companies…

By Shawn Carney, LifeNews – The largest Lenten 40 Days for Life campaign is in the books…and we have 446 confirmed reports of babies saved from abortion! And reports are continuing to come in!.. Save the date for Tuesday, April 30, as we’ll host a special LIVE video webcast to recap how your prayers and witness saved lives and changed hearts worldwide!… Marcus in Memphis, Tennessee brought his girlfriend to Planned Parenthood for an abortion. He didn’t want her to abort their baby, so instead of accompanying her inside the building, he stopped to talk with Meg, the sidewalk counselor on duty.

Catholic News Agency – Shortly after midnight Tuesday, firefighters said the main structure of Notre-Dame de Paris, the city’s cathedral, had been preserved from collapse… “We now believe that the two towers of Notre-Dame have been saved,” Jean-Claude Gallet, Paris’ fire chief, said April 16. “We now consider that the main structure of Notre-Dame has been saved and preserved.”… Some 400 firefighters worked to put out the blaze, and Reuters reported one firefighter has been seriously injured.

By David Carlin, The Catholic Thing – If ever there was an obvious example of fallacious reasoning, it’s this: “I am rich, and you are not. Therefore I’m right, and you’re wrong.”… What could be more stupid than an argument along these lines? And yet this is precisely the reasoning that has been used, century after century, by those in the higher classes to dismiss complaints made by persons from the lower classes. This is the reasoning that permitted lords of the manor to dismiss complaints by serfs, slaveholders to dismiss complaints by slaves…

By Sr. Christina M. Neumann, Catholic Stand – The Church teaches the truth about the value of every unborn child in clear, unequivocal terms: Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life… Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.(CCC2270)

By Tom Rogers, LifeSiteNews – The Pontifical Council for the Family also no longer abides by the Church’s perennial teaching. After the promulgation of Amoris laetitia, it published its own sex education programme, titled “The Meeting Point,” in 2016. This programme, which is intended to be taught in schools, in mixed classrooms, and not by parents, has been widely criticised by Catholic and pro-life commentators for its failure to adequately convey Catholic moral teachings, for its secularising approach, and use of inappropriate images….

By Msgr. Charles Pope – It is Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus likely arises early, as did all the ancients. Days both ended and started early, at dusk and dawn, prior to the advent of electric lighting. They leave Bethany and head back to Jerusalem. Perhaps a few converts can be made before the transcendent events of the Passion begin… It is only a couple of miles, mostly downhill, to Jerusalem. As they come down the steep hill they see the fig tree Jesus had cursed the day before.

Published by Natural Womanhood – Abby Johnson’s keynote speech at Natural Womanhood’s Benefit Dinner on November 8, 2018, describes how abortion is tied to contraception. …(Abby) explains Planned Parenthood’s business plan concerning contraception and how it impacts women. She makes a powerful call for a change in culture and for the promotion of fertility awareness-based methods and natural family planning. Natural Womanhood is dedicated to promoting the natural benefits of fertility awareness as an effective and healthy alternative to contraceptives…

By Ines A. Murzaku, Crisis Magazine – One cannot help but think about the most recent reflection of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the scandal of sexual abuse in the Church. Why did Benedict choose April to make public his analysis of the crisis? He may have had Child Abuse Prevention Month in mind, or he may be responding to developments on this subject in Germany where the essay was first published. More generally, another question can be posed: why Benedict, and why is the grandfather of the grandfathers, as Pope Francis referred to his predecessor in 2014, choosing now as the time to speak out, when he promised a life of prayer inside the Vatican?

By Patrina Mosley, LifeNews – News that Planned Parenthood lost a few million dollars to a pro-life healthcare company has sent a shockwave through an abortion industry that, up to now, had a virtual monopoly in Title X family planning money… a $1.7 million annual grant that could have gone to Planned Parenthood has instead been awarded to the Obria Group, a chain of pregnancy care centers that provide comprehensive and life-affirming care to low-income women and men across the country… This demonstrates two things: first, that there are already better options to meet the healthcare needs of women than abortion clinics, and second, that having a pro-life administration from the top down can make a difference.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – According to Matthew 21:10-17, Mark 11:15-17, and Luke 19:45-46, Jesus returns to Jerusalem today… Seeing shameful practices in the Temple area, He cleanses it. The Gospels also recount His weeping over Jerusalem and His cursing of the fig tree. Matthew and Mark relate that He returned to Bethany that night… Prelude: The Scriptures record that Jesus went to Bethany on the Sunday evening after His triumphal entrance into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday):[Jesus] went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethanywith the Twelve…

By Jim Russell, Crisis Magazine – Why the uproar from some Catholic pundits regarding the recently released essay on the abuse crisis from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI?… I think it’s pretty simple—regardless of what else one thinks of Benedict (and most of the critics were never fans of his), he speaks and write with a voice that is truly paternal. The man has fully lived out his priesthood as “Father” and even in his nineties, he has a father’s care for the faithful. Benedict’s voice is a unique mix of theological clarity, precision, and paternal affection.

By Jim Sedlak, Catholic News Agency – Sanger had three basic philosophies that are still active within Planned Parenthood today: 1. A desire for uninhibited sexual activity.. 2. An aversion to large families, which led her to champion birth control – including abortion – to avoid the natural result of sexual activity… 3. A passion to prevent the birth of “defectives,” which led to her stating in her 1932 Plan for Peace that persons from “dysgenic groups” should be given their choice of sterilization or confinement on a farm for the rest of their lives. Sanger was a member of the American Eugenics Society.

By Chris Woodward, OneNewsNow – “It’s blatantly unconstitutional,” says attorney Jeremiah Galus of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the organization representing the churches. “It’s rather uncontroversial that churches should be free to operate according to their faith without being threatened by the government, and it’s also not very controversial to say that it’s wrong to force a church, or anyone else for that matter, to participate in the funding of abortion, especially when their religious beliefs teach that that is the taking of an innocent human life.”

By Larry Alex Taunton, American Spectator – Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, an organization as evil as the Einsatzgruppen, Sanger championed abortion and eugenics. More than 61 million children have been aborted in the United States alone since Roe v. Wade in 1973. Of these, Planned Parenthood is responsible for no less than 8 million abortion deaths. Statistically, Sanger has earned her spot on this list. These days abortionists don’t just kill children, they celebrate it as a moral good. That this is heinous should (but doesn’t) go without saying….

By Nicholas Healy, National Catholic Register – In the 1850s the nation was roiled by the issue of slavery. There had been major political compromises regarding slavery both in the nation’s founding documents and in subsequent congressional legislation. There was an uneasy peace between the members of Congress from the South, who were determined not only to preserve slavery but to extend it to the new territories in the West, and members from the North, who were determined to limit its expansion. In the beginning of that decade there were few in the North that believed slavery could or should be abolished outright.

Catholic News Agency – North Dakota’s governor signed into law Wednesday a bill that outlaws the common abortion procedure known as “dilation and evacuation.” Mississippi and West Virginia also outlaw the procedure… Tammi Kromenaker, director of the Red River Women’s Clinic, the sole abortion facility in North Dakota, told reporters that before deciding whether to file suit against the law’s constitutionality, she will wait until the verdict of an appeal of a similar 2017 law passed in Arkansas is reached.

By Catholic News Agency – The once Christian culture of the West has forgotten its roots, Archbishop Charles Chaput said Friday, warning that basic principles of human dignity and freedom are now at risk… The leader of the Philadelphia archdiocese told an April 12 gathering of priests, seminarians, and lay people at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minn., that it is the sacred responsibility of the Church to be actors in history, steering society back to the path toward God.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law today a bill targeting elderly and disabled people that legalizes assisted suicide statewide… Six states (California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Vermont) and Washington D.C. permit the dangerous practice of allowing physicians to write lethal prescriptions to certain groups of persons to kill themselves… New Jersey works on a system where a bill must achieve 41 votes in the Assembly to pass and 21 votes in the Senate to pass, regardless of how many votes are cast against it. Advocates of the assisted suicide measure received the bare minimum in each chamber to pass it.

By David Walsh, First Things – Opera works because it plunges us into the starkest questions a human being can face. What is the worst that can happen to me? Loss of one’s immortal soul was the great danger that traditional piety held before us. That old-fashioned perspective was abundantly on display at a recent production of Charles Gounod’s “Faust” by the Washington National Opera.

By Lisa Bourne, LifeSiteNews – Marriage and family provide the foundation for Christian society, Bishop Joseph Strickland said in an interview. And there’s so much broken about that foundation, he said, as well as in the Church and the world today, that it’s imperative to help young couples who are seeking marriage with a strong formation in the Catholic faith – including teaching them about why contraception is morally wrong.

By Stephen Beale, Catholic Exchange – During her own dark night of the soul, St. Therese was confident that Jesus was with her, but also distressed that He appeared to be asleep and hidden. As she describes it, [M]y soul was like a fragile skiff tossing without a pilot in a stormy sea. I knew that Jesus was there, asleep in my craft, but the night was too black for me to see Him. All was darkness. … Like Jesus during His agony in the Garden, I felt myself abandoned and there was no help for me on earth or in heaven. God had abandoned me….

By Mike Huckabee, The Stream – (Pres. Trump suggested) that he might load up buses with illegal migrants and drop them off in “sanctuary cities.”  After all, the border facilities are overflowing, largely because word is out that if you make to America, you can go to a liberal sanctuary city and be shielded from the law and federal deportation facilities.  And since the liberals who promote those policies love to climb on their high horses and lecture the rest of us about all the positive things that illegal immigrants contribute to their communities, then they should be more than happy to take all Trump wants to send.

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – Abby Johnson’s powerful conversion story is moving hearts inside the abortion industry… Chuck Konzelman, who is a co-writer/co-director of “Unplanned,” the new film detailing Johnson’s life, said nearly 100 abortion workers have reached out to them in the past few weeks because they are thinking about quitting, The Western Journal reports… Konzelman told a U.S. Senate Judiciary meeting Wednesday that 94 abortion workers have reached out to the ministry since they released the film. Watch his testimony here.

By Philip Kosloski, Aleteia – “placed over his head the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:37)… The Gospel of John expands on this particular part of the Passion story of Jesus, explaining how the Jewish leaders protested against this sign. Pilate is the one who orders the sign and ensures that it is written in multiple languages for all to read.

By Stephen Kokx, LifeSiteNews – On April 4’s The World Over with Raymond Arroyo, the self-described “papal posse” spent most of their time clarifying Church teaching so viewers would not be confused by heterodox remarks recently made by Pope Francis, especially his comments on God willing a “diversity of religions,” which one panelist suggested the pope should issue a formal correction of.

By Brian Fraga, Legatus Magazine – What do the bishops need to do to rebuild the trust of the faithful?… The only trust we have is in preaching and living the Gospel, the truth of the presence of Christ, which includes the sinfulness of humanity, our own weaknesses, our own failures and our need to turn to the only one who can save us from them, which is Jesus Christ… We recognize that people in power, including bishops, are not always the most morally outstanding people. Bishops must be held to higher standards, certainly in terms of virtue…..

By George Weigel, Denver Catholic – A Lenten quiz: Which came first, God’s creation of the world or God’s covenant with Israel? If we think in terms of mere chronology, the answer is obvious. If we think theologically, however, we get a different answer – and the drama of creation, covenant, and redemption comes into clearer focus… In Jesus of Nazareth – Holy Week, Pope Benedict XVI teaches that God’s covenant with Israel is not some sort of divine afterthought, an add-on or remedy for something that had gone wrong.

By Lauretta Brown, EWTN News – White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said in a statement to the Register that the movie provides a “startling reminder” of the gruesome true story of Gosnell’s practices… “Kermit Gosnell was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder for killing babies by cutting their spines after he botched the abortions, and this film is a startling reminder of these horrific atrocities,” Deere said… He also linked Gosnell’s murder of infants born alive to the recent defense of late-term abortion from Democrats.

By Dr. Michael Brown, The Stream – Imagine your reaction if I told you 20 years ago that a major internet platform would block a Mother Teresa comment about abortion because it was “hateful.” Or that a presidential candidate “married” to his same-sex partner would call the vice president bigoted and hypocritical because he believed that marriage was the union of a man and a woman. Or that a popular fast-food chain would be boycotted because it gave money to Christian ministries that followed the teaching of the Bible.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Sometimes when you’re having a bad day, troubles multiply; I’m not sure why. Perhaps one distraction leads to another, one trip leads to successive stumbles, until we fall headlong. It’s said that trouble comes in threes, but sometimes they come in even longer sequences. The poor soul in the video below is having one of those really bad days. Some of the following psalms came to mind as I watched this painfully humorous video…

By David Warren, The Catholic Thing – Christianity is a highly personal religion. One could write many essays making this point, without much overlap. The word “personal” can be understood many ways, but in the crux, God is a person and we are persons, and our relation with Him is personal. As Christ is with us, so are we with our neighbors… And this is no transient affair. In the Christian teaching and understanding, all of these persons are immortal. Even the most evil person is immortal, which is why, if you think about it, there must be a Heaven and a Hell.

By Maria Augusta Von Trapp, Catholic Exchange – The liturgy follows Christ’s life step by step. During the Christmas season, we learn of the birth in the stable, the adoration of the shepherds, the slaughter of the innocents, the flight into Egypt, the adoration of the Magi, and finally the return from Egypt. Then we meet Our Lord again at His baptism, we accompany Him into the desert on his fast, and we go with Him for the first and second years of His public life; we listen to His parables, we admire His miracles, and we unite our hearts with Him in His life of toil and missionary love for us.

By Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., First Things – Toward the end of his own 1970 essay, Augusto Del Noce noted that “an enormous cultural revision will be necessary in order to really leave behind the philosophical processes that have found expression in today’s sexual revolution.” The bad news is that too many of today’s Catholics seem to lack the will and ability to pursue that task. The good news is that some of our leaders still have the courage to speak the truth.

By George Parry, American Spectator:

SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D., NH): So you’re not suggesting, though, that spying occurred?

BARR: Well, I guess — I think spying did occur, yes. I think spying did occur.

SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D., NH): Well —

By John Bergsma, Blogger, The Sacred Page – This Sunday’s readings might seem bipolar or schizophrenic.  We begin Mass with exultant cheering as we relive Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  We end the Readings on a note of solemn silence, unable to process the reality of one of the most egregious abuses of judicial process and power in human history, in which the only innocent man ever to live is executed. What does it all mean?

By Nancy Flory, The Stream – A Texas bill that would outlaw abortion from conception was heard Monday in the state’s capitol. The bill is now pending in the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee… Texas H.B. 896, also called the Abolition of Abortion Act, would make it illegal to get an abortion or to kill a baby by abortion at any stage of pregnancy. It would also be illegal to fail to treat an infant born alive after an abortion. Doctors who failed to treat a baby born alive after an abortion would be fined no less than $100,000….

By Pamela Mandela, Catholic Stand – One of the things I often ask of God in this season is for the grace to contemplate God’s Love in the Passion of Christ, so that I may live a passionate life for Christ. That God should hear my plea and send me His Holy Spirit to come into my being and enkindle in me the fire of His love. That I should be recreated and be renewed into the image of God, my Creator.

By Michael W. Chapman, CNSNews – Although Notre Dame University is a “Catholic” school headed by a priest, Rev. John Jenkins, it has dismissed the request of many students, faculty members, and an anti-pornography/anti-sex trafficking group to install a mandatory filter on its public WiFi to block online pornography… Enough is Enough, a non-profit organization led by Donna Rice Hughes, is committed to making the Internet safe for families and children, and was selected to be among the groups in the Vatican-led “World Congress on Child Dignity in the Digital World.”

By Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, Denver Catholic – As we approach Holy Week, I am returning to a meditation I have been making in my heart on Jesus’ statement to Pilate, “I came into the world to testify to the truth,” and over the next three days he did just that through his Passion, Death and Resurrection… The Church relives and celebrates Jesus’ testimony to the truth during the Triduum, the three final days of Holy Week known as Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. During these three days, we encounter Jesus in the gift of the Eucharist, his death for us, and his resurrection, in which sin and death are conquered.

By Michael Gryboski, Christian Post Reporter – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill into law that would prohibit abortions for unborn babies that have a detectable heartbeat, which can be found as early as six weeks into a pregnancy… “The essential function of government is to protect the most vulnerable among us — those who do not have a voice,” DeWine said just before signing Senate Bill 23, or the Ohio Human Rights and Heartbeat Protection Act, into law on Thursday afternoon… “Government’s role should be to protect life from the beginning to the end, to protect those who cannot protect themselves, such as the elderly, the unborn, those who are sick, those who have a disability, those who have a mental illness, or an addiction.”

By Fr. Mike Schmitz, Ascension Presents – Fr. Mike’s words on how we pick up our cross may come as a relief to many of us. He rejects the “harder is holier” approach, and reminds us that taking up our crosses is ultimately about having more freedom… Christ says “My yoke is easy, and my is burden light” (Matthew 11:30). God has a particular task for each of us, and to pick up our cross means denying what we want for our lives so that we can do God’s will. After all, that is what we were made to do and the only way to truly be free.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Voluntarism is the view that the will overrules the intellect and that truth is something asserted or willed rather than discovered by the intellect and proposed to the will for obedience. Voluntarism holds that something is true because one says it is so… Among the more extreme examples of this today is transgenderism. Although one’s sex is easily determined, most often by sight, some feel free to dismiss this evidence and simply assert that they are something else. If a man states that he is in fact female it is said to be true simply because he asserts it—and all are expected to overlook the obvious evidence to the contrary.

By Josh Shepherd, The Stream – In a U.S. Senate subcommittee Wednesday, filmmakers behind the Abby Johnson biopic Unplanned presented “evidence of one-sided discrimination” on Twitter and Google… “The subject of abortion has been targeted on these platforms,” Unplanned director Chuck Konzelman told The Stream. “If you mention it from the conservative side, you’re done.”… Within days, Senator Ted Cruz, R.-Tex, called a hearing on the apparent incident of censorship… Committee members grilled executives from social media platforms Twitter and Facebook. They questioned the Unplanned Twitter blackout as well as suppression of pro-life content from Susan B. Anthony List.

By Doug Mainwaring, LifeSiteNews – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has said what prelates at the Vatican’s recent summit on clergy sexual abuse dared not say: Homosexual cliques “significantly changed the climate in the seminaries.”… Benedict’s essay has broken the hierarchy’s seemingly impenetrable wall of silence regarding the major source of the Church’s sexual misconduct and cover-up problem… For the record, he stated, “In various seminaries homosexual cliques were established, which acted more or less openly and significantly changed the climate in the seminaries.”

By Dorothy Cummings McLean, LifeSiteNews – Overnight reactions to Pope Emeritus Benedict’s April 10 letter about the sexual abuse crisis were mixed, with many of Pope Francis’ most vocal champions criticizing it while those who are more cautious about the current pontificate praised it… Traditional-minded Catholics tended to read the work with respect, noting the importance of Benedict’s testimony. Some suggested that he hadn’t dealt with the issues surrounding the abuse crisis sufficiently, however, while others wondered about the letter’s authenticity.

By Corinne Weaver, LifeNews – At the Senate Judiciary hearing on April 10, , especially of conservative and pro-life content during the Senate Judiciary hearing on April 10.He announced that in previous hearings, Facebook refused to answer questions that CEO Mark Zuckerberg had promised would be answered in hearings in April of 2018. As he grilled the two representatives for Facebook and Twitter, Neil Potts and Carlos Monje, it seemed that both the witnesses found it difficult to directly answer the Chairman.

Text of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI – On February 21 to 24, at the invitation of Pope Francis, the presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences gathered at the Vatican to discuss the current crisis of the faith and of the Church; a crisis experienced throughout the world after shocking revelations of clerical abuse perpetrated against minors.The extent and gravity of the reported incidents has deeply distressed priests as well as laity, and has caused more than a few to call into question the very Faith of the Church… It was necessary to send out a strong message, and seek out a new beginning, so to make the Church again truly credible as a light among peoples and as a force in service against the powers of destruction.

By Al Perrotta and John Zmirak, The Stream – Some Republicans actually get it. The problems with U.S. immigration don’t boil down to just one word: “illegal.” In fact, we’d do much better to plug in another word which says much more. “Unskilled.” That is the crucial word. For decades, the U.S. has been outsourcing its manufacturing base. But we are still bringing a million or so mostly unskilled workers. Why? To chase those vanishing jobs. Whether those million people come legally or illegally. …

By Victor Davis Hanson, CNN – Trump does not exist in a vacuum. Many supporters turned off by some of his antics are still far more appalled by an emerging radical neo-socialist Democratic agenda. If the alternative to Trump is a disturbing tolerance among some Democrats for anti-Semitism, the Green New Deal, reparations, a permissive approach to abortion even very late in pregnancy, a wealth tax, a 70-90% top income tax rate, the abolition of ICE, open borders, and Medicare for all, Trump’s record between 2017-20 will seem moderate and preferable.

By Cheryl Sullenger, LifeNews – The Carol Whitehill Moses Center Planned Parenthood in Washington, D.C. is a modern glass and brick abortion facility that opened in 2016. But all the outward glitz and glam apparently hasn’t improved patient safety or service… A case in point is a medical emergency that took place at the Planned Parenthood clinic on Thursday, November 29, 2018, at around 5:30 p.m., about an hour after the facility should have closed for the day.

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker – Where is the Catholic Church going? Christianity seems to be on her last legs in Europe and and the crisis in the American Catholic Church, while it has different pressure points, is just as acute. Cardinal Sarah, in this interview diagnoses some of the problems.The spiritual crisis involves the entire world. But its source is in Europe. People in the West are guilty of rejecting God…. They have not only rejected God. Friedrich Nietzsche, who may be considered the spokesman of the West, has claimed: “God is dead! God remains dead! And we have killed him…”

By Kevin Jones, CNA – With 2019 well underway, states across the country have seen an increase in bills related to abortion, as pro-life advocates seek more success and abortion rights backers fear Supreme Court decisions.“There is likely more activity this spring than there has been in many years. Perhaps ever. Each year in the past several years we thought the wave had crested. But it hasn’t,” Steven H. Aden, general counsel at Americans United for Life, told CNA April 8.

By Mark Alexander, Patriot Post – Additionally, the Demos’ “Hate Trump” platform has emboldened new socialist cadres and boosted socialist protagonist Bernie Sanders to the front of the 2020 pack. But they are deeply concerned about their 2020 presidential prospects under the current “antiquated constitutional system” that only allows U.S. citizens to vote and requires a majority of electoral votes state-by-state to determine a presidential victory.

By Noelle Mering, The Federalist – There’s a powerful scene in “Breaking Bad” at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting where Jesse Pinkman, plagued with guilt over having murdered a man (but unable to admit it) “confesses” to having heartlessly killed a dog instead. When one woman in the group expresses shock and disgust, she is quickly quieted by the group leader and told not to judge… The leader’s words, while well-meaning, are abrasively inadequate in the face of Jesse’s sorrow. Jesse responds, “If you just do stuff and nothing happens, what’s it all mean?

By Ian Schwartz, RealClearPolitics – Conservative activist Candace Owens addressed a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Hate Crimes and White Nationalism on Tuesday and said the left uses such terms for “fear mongering, power and control.”… “There isn’t a single adult today that in good conscience would make the argument that America is a more racist, more white nationalist society than it was when my grandfather was growing up and yet we are hearing these terms center around today because what they want to say is that brown people need to be scared which seems to be the narrative that we hear every four years right ahead of a presidential election,” Owens said in her opening statement.

By Jennifer Roback Morse, National Catholic Register – The highly successful film Unplanned has inspired many people to pray in front of abortion clinics. It may have inspired you. But before you do, you need a plan… There is nothing wrong with praying in front of abortion clinics. After all, the 40 Days for Life campaign, depicted in the film, has saved the lives of many babies, along with many souls of abortion clinic workers like Abby Johnson. But there may be something better for you to do in the cause for life, something no one else can do.

By Jonathan B. Coe, Crisis Magazine – When we look at the contemporary ecclesial landscape, we should never limit what the Holy Spirit can do, but any optimism needs to be tempered by certain realities. For example, in looking at the Catholic Church in America, (1) our de facto leader is the heterodox, zeitgeist puppet Cardinal Blaise Cupich; (2) homosexualist priest Fr. James Martin has been given almost carte blanche in peddling his lavender gospel; and (3) the USCCB voted 137-83, with three abstaining, to not encourage the Holy See to release all documents concerning allegations of sexual misconduct by the recently defrocked ex-Cardinal McCarrick.

By Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews – In his latest gesture of solidarity with the pro-life movement, President Donald Trump will host a screening of Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer at the White House on Friday.Gosnell tells the true story of Philadelphia abortionist Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s arrest, trial, and conviction for the first-degree murder of three born-alive babies and the involuntary manslaughter of patient Karnamaya Mongar. It’s based “very heavily on actual court transcripts,” “dozens of hours of interviews” with Gosnell himself, and the case’s grand jury report.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Some years ago, I was approached by a rather angry woman who, having heard my sermon on the seriousness of certain sins… expressed great indignation that I would preach on such topics. She said, “I come to church to be consoled and have my spirits lifted, not to hear old-fashioned warnings about judgment and sins.” She felt quite a “righteous indignation,” and was most certain that I had transgressed a fundamental norm, namely, that religion exists to console, and that any challenge to one’s moral stance… is intolerant and way out of line.

A lengthy letter said to have been penned by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI addresses the abuse crisis tracing its origin to the sexual revolution and the subsequent revolution in the clergy… It gives as a solution to the crisis a return to a demonstrative belief in God and also a return to respect for the Holy Eucharist… The letter, first published by EWTN, gives little indication of its authenticity, nor even a date. However, LifeSiteNews received information that a major document would be released tomorrow in Rome and thus provides this summary of the main points of the document.

By Dr. Michael Brown, The Stream – If ever there was a glaring instance of the pot calling the kettle black it was when South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a professing Christian and practicing homosexual, called President Trump a hypocritical Christian. Seriously?… To be clear, I have no problem with someone questioning whether President Trump is a true Christian. An evangelical friend of mine who has met with Trump on several occasions recently told me that he does not believe the president has had a true conversion experience but that he does truly fear God.

By Shawn Carney, Lifezette – Twitter tried to censor it into oblivion. Hollywood gave it an R rating to deter viewers. The leftist media even refused to air commercials… Now they’re clamoring about how it’s an over-exaggeration, all because up until now, they’d never looked abortion in the face prior to “Unplanned.”… The pathetic and elementary prohibitions of free speech couldn’t stop the success of this movie.

By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV, Catholic Exchange – Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen comments on the many names and titles that we can give for Jesus. Jesus is often called the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Bread of Life, and the Living Water. He also might be called the Lamb of God, the Alpha and Omega, as well as the Good Shepherd… However, the name that most perfectly exemplifies the purpose of Jesus’s coming and the purpose of His death and Resurrection is that of Savior! 

By Tony Perkins, The Stream – Religious Freedom isn’t a “fringe” issue — but try convincing NBC. The outlet’s latest puff piece on LGBT parents is a typical one-sided angle on adoption — but maybe that’s the scary part. Because for all the attention they seem to give it, there’s always one theme that seems to be missing: the children… There aren’t many issues more crystallizing about the LGBT movement than its adoption crusade. Like so much of their agenda, it exposes just how self-centered their priorities are.

By Susan Jones, CNSNews – “A 9th Circuit Judge just ruled that Mexico is too dangerous for migrants. So unfair to the U.S. OUT OF CONTROL!” President Donald Trump tweeted Monday night… Federal District Judge Richard Seeborg, an Obama appointee, on Monday blocked the Trump administration’s policy of holding Central Americans in Mexico until their asylum claims can be heard… Under the so-called “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP), announced in January, the Homeland Security Department aimed to “end the exploitation of our generous immigration laws.”

By di Sandro Magister, L’Espresso – The Chinese regime is also applying its agreement with the Holy See this way. With the bulldozer that under police escort – see photo – razes to the ground on April 4 the building of a parish in Qianyang, which had on its top floor a room for the Mass and on the ground floor a free clinic for the poor, run by nuns… The fault of the pastor and of the two thousand faithful of this “clandestine” parish is the same as that of the diocese of which it is part, that of Fengxiang, in Shaanxi, the only diocese in all of China in which none of the baptized, from the bishop to the last of the faithful, has yet agreed to enroll in the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association…

By James V. Schall, S.J., The Catholic Thing – We are not gods, nor do we blend into some “all” wherein we no longer exist in our singular identity. It is precisely the abidingness of our singular identity that is the most important thing about us. “I” am the one who did/did not do this or that. It is that singular, unique identity by which John is not Joseph, Suzie is not Sally, which enables us to identify the specific cause of things that come to pass in this world.

By William Kilpatrick, Crisis Magazine – In his new exhortation on youth, Christus Vivit (Christ is Alive), Pope Francis returns again and again to the theme that the Church must listen to youth… Although Christus Vivit contains much that is inspiring and even moving, the good parts are often undercut by its insistence on the wisdom of youth. On the one hand, youth are encouraged to be open to the wisdom and experience of older people both in their families and in the Church; on the other hand, the Church is at risk of becoming a “museum” if it doesn’t listen carefully to the young.

By Grace Melton, Daily Signal – Rather than just reducing women’s needs and priorities to issues pertaining to their biological and reproductive capabilities (as though women care solely about sexual and reproductive health), this radical ideology now threatens to erase biological women from the discussion altogether… The rapidly changing and ever-expanding ideology of so-called gender identity threatens to undermine women’s economic, social, and political progress in unprecedented ways.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Gluttony is eating or drinking inordinately, contrary to reason. It is a sin opposed to the virtue of temperance because it is the immoderate indulgence in the delights of food or drink. Gluttony can involve more than merely eating too much. Drunkenness is also a type of gluttony because it is excessive indulgence in intoxicating drink… A person can be excessive in what, when, how, and how much he eats. St. Thomas Aquinas and others have distinguished five ways gluttony can be manifested.

By Dr. Maike Hickson, LifeSiteNews – Cardinal Robert Sarah said that Catholics have a “duty” to evangelize and that bringing the unbaptized to Christ is an “urgent task” for the Church. The prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments made these comments when asked how Catholics should convert others without resorting to “proselytism as denounced just recently by Pope Francis.”

By Shawn Carney, LifeNews – This is it! With one week to go, we now know of…374 babies spared from abortion because you answered the call to pray atyour local 40 Days for Life vigil!… Haven’t made it out yet? It’s not too late…. A pro-lifer in Worcester, Massachusetts couldn’t stay for an entire hour. But when she found herself with 15 minutes in between work meetings, she met her friend at the 40 Days for Life vigil to pray.

By Patti Armstrong, National Catholic Register – Is your Lent stalling a bit in these final days? A sloppy fasting day, a forgotten sacrifice, or a moment of oh-well-no-big-deal with a later hangover of regret, can leave us feeling guilty. Or like that halo is passing us by… Regardless, there’s still enough Lent remaining to shift into higher gear. Passiontide — the last two weeks of Lent — is all about diving deeper. For starters, it’s good to reevaluate if we are covering the basics well—the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. “Give alms…Pray to your Father…Fast without a gloomy face…”

By Martin M. Barillas, LifeSiteNews – Fr. Hugo Valdemar of the Archdiocese of Mexico City credited Spanish missionaries of 500 years ago for “the greatest thing we Mexicans have: the true faith.”… Last month, Mexico leftist President Andrés Manuel López Obrador wrote letters to Pope Francis and King Felipe VI of Spain demanding apologies for abuses suffered by Mexico’s natives at the hands of Spanish conquistadors during the 1500s….

By Laura Jean Rabiipour, The Catholic Company – This old custom of veiling religious images is a way of focusing on the penitential aspect of this liturgical season. It reminds us in a visual way that our faith in all its glory is made possible only through the work of Christ in his suffering and death on the cross. When we cover or remove these holy and sacred images that we are so accustomed to, we are starkly confronted and reminded in a poignant way of all that Christ has won for us.

By Cardinal Robert Sarah, Catholic Herald – The spiritual crisis involves the entire world. But its source is in Europe. People in the West are guilty of rejecting God… The spiritual collapse thus has a very Western character. In particular, I would like to emphasize the rejection of fatherhood. Our contemporaries are convinced that, in order to be free, one must not depend on anybody. There is a tragic error in this. Western people are convinced that receiving is contrary to the dignity of human persons. But civilized man is fundamentally an heir, he receives a history, a culture, a language, a name, a family…

By Kate Scanlon, EWTN, Pro-Life Weekly – Pompeo announced last month that the Trump administration would implement the Global Protect Life Policy, also known as the Mexico City Policy, “to the broadest extent possible.” The policy bars taxpayer funds from going to nongovernmental organizations abroad that perform abortions… “We will enforce a strict prohibition on backdoor funding schemes and end-runs around our policy,” Pompeo told reporters…

By John Horvat II,  Crisis Magazine – “I don’t believe in charities,” he said gruffly, adding that he did not “believe in the fundamental concepts on which charities are based and contend that government, rather than charity organizations, should take over responsibility for charity programs.”… The outspoken figure was the then-Mayor Bernie Sanders, an avowed socialist. The comment was quoted in a 1981 New York Times article that recently surfaced. As the ranks of socialist politicians are increasing, ideas like this one now blanket the nation and are gaining some traction.

By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation – I have labored for a long time to seek an end to the tragedy of abortion. I believe that the movie “Unplanned” is a pivotal moment in not only the history of cinema, but in our history as a nation. For the veil is coming off the abortion industry, and people are seeing it—perhaps for the first time—for the tragic enterprise it is… But, like the people who call our office wanting to lend a helping hand, I feel as if I now need to do more…. Abby’s story will not only touch your heart, it can rock your world!

By Msgr. Charles Pope – This Sunday’s Mass features the well-known Gospel of the woman caught in adultery. In it, the Lord intimates to the men of His day that the severe punishment they want to mete out to this woman may be unwise given that they themselves must prepare for their own judgment… Before we examine the details, let’s consider a few background texts that may help us to better understand what Jesus is teaching.

By John Zmirak, The Stream – What did the makers of Unplanned get right? They told a simple story beautifully. They did not run from the fire but through the fire. Having courage in your marketing is as important as having courage in your storytelling. The filmmakers and their team never flinched. The storytellers demonstrated the courage of their brave protagonist, Abby Johnson… it simply and courageously tells the story of a young women’s commitment to living a kind and just life in our fallen and confused world. It is a work of daring impiety to the gods of our city. Of Hollywood, the Main Stream Media and the Democrat party.

By Catholic News Agency – The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist had a problem. They were running out of room at their convent in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where they had been based since 1997. It was a good problem to have, the result of a boom in young vocations. But it meant that the community of 140 sisters needed to expand. With property in both California and Texas, the sisters prayerfully considered both options, ultimately deciding that God was calling them to open a new convent in the Georgetown, Texas.

By Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Stream – Scalia brought his failure to attend Princeton up during a 1998 talk to a group of students at his alma mater, Georgetown University. He used it as an example of trusting the hand of providence and not being stubborn about your own will. He trusted that he was a better man than he might have been had his own will — going to Princeton — been done. For every disappointment in life, not just college admissions, it’s something worth keeping in mind.

By Alliance Defending Freedom – Three churches filed a notice of appeal Thursday in their lawsuit challenging the California Department of Managed Health Care’s mandate that forces churches to pay for elective abortions in their health insurance plans… As revealed in e-mails that Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys who represent the churches discovered, the agency issued its mandate in response to specific demands from Planned Parenthood.

By Rev. Jerry J. Pokorsky, The Catholic Thing – The Gospel’s account of the woman caught in adultery is, perhaps, the beginning of an epic story of conversion and sanctity.  But we can only surmise why the evangelists were reluctant to identify the woman here and later in the Gospels… In the Gospel of John, malicious scribes and Pharisees bring to Jesus an unnamed woman caught in adultery.  They intend to put Jesus to the test.

By Elisabeth Deffner, National Catholic Register – Archbishop Joseph Naumann, the head of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, wrote a commentary for The Wall Street Journal, “Hollywood Admits Abortion Is Violent,” in which he recommends the film “to all people of goodwill.”… “Unplanned wasn’t produced to shame women who have had abortions or to condemn those who perform them. It’s about redemption,” he wrote. “Perhaps Abby Johnson’s courage in coming forward will change our nation from one that embraces violent, R-rated solutions for unplanned pregnancies to one that sees each human life as a gift to be celebrated.” 

By Marc A. Thiessen, Patriot Post – But the movie also shows us what really takes place inside a Planned Parenthood clinic. The passcode to get into the clinic is “2-2-2-9” (a wicked joke; it spells “baby”). At one point, Cheryl invites Abby to chat with her in the “P.O.C.” room. When a nurse asks if Abby knows what “P.O.C.” stands for, she replies “products of conception.” No, her colleague says, it means “pieces of children.” Every aborted child must be reconstructed so that they can be sure no parts were left inside the womb.

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – But think for a moment about why the choice is so safe… The appointment is “safe” because the only people who are upset are the people who will be ignored… If reporters were inclined to pursue the story aggressively… they might take a hard look at the new archbishop’s track record. They might recall that it was then-Bishop Gregory who, as president of the US bishops’ conference, assured us that the bishops were doing everything they could to prevent abuse—in fact claimed that the progress had been “nothing less than miraculous”—and then sent Theodore McCarrick out before the TV cameras as a representative of that progress.

By Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Ph.D., Catholic Exchange – It really looked like the end of the road for her.  Caught in the act of a capital crime, her fate lay in the hands of an angry mob.  Desiring to kill two birds with one stone, the rabble decided to use her as a political pawn, and so dragged her to Jesus… But they badly miscalculated.  He replied to their tough question with a tougher question. They planned to embarrass him.  But he embarrassed them.  Reduced to silence, they were forced to admit the hypocrisy of their self-righteousness.