HBO’s "Real Time" host Bill Maher, avowed anti-Catholic atheist creator of the film "Religilous," tells Larry King that the Obama administration should have acted without consideration of citizens on NYC terrorism trial and health care because Americans are "Not bright enough to really understand the issues" anyway.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Today on Kresta - February 18, 2010
Talking about the Things That Matter Most on Feb. 18
Live from the studios of Real Presence Radio in Fargo, ND
4:00 – Camelot No More?
Rep. Patrick Kennedy, the Rhode Island Catholic congressman whom Bishop Thomas Tobin publicly called to “conversion and repentance” because of his support for abortion, has decided not to run for reelection. Referring to his father, the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, the congressman said that “illness took the life of my most cherished mentor and confidant, my ultimate source of spirit and strength.” Kennedy said that the death of his father, Sen. Edward Kennedy, last year led to "soul-searching" that ended with his decision to leave public office. However the announcement that he would not seek re-election came soon after the release of poll figures showing that the Rhode Island lawmaker was viewed unfavorably by 56% of the people in his congressional district, and only 35% said that they would support him for another term. This means that as of this fall, there will be no Kennedy in national office for the first time since 1947. Is this the end of “Camelot”? We talk with Kennedy expert James Piereson.
4:20 – The Power of Reconciliation
We take a look at reconciliation from a combined psychological and spiritual perspective. Dr. Peter Damgaard-Hansen offers some thought-provoking insights based on his professional experience from over 26 years in the field of working with families, couples, groups and individuals. With a unique combination of a heartfelt gentleness and a compelling directness, he helps us look at how much and in what way we ourselves play a critical part in the friction or conflicts we easily run into in our relationships with our loved ones, spouse, children, inlaws, friends, etc. The psychotherapeutic power of repentance and forgiveness is explored, and it becomes clear how Jesus Christ provides the ultimate life giving source of true mental health and authentic peace in relationships.
5:00 – Reform CCHD Now? Sifting Through the Hyperbole and Getting to the Truth
A controversy over participation in two liberal social action groups by the U.S. bishops’ conference and one of its top executives is focusing attention on the perils associated with a familiar Washington institution: the coalition. Coalitions with public policy agendas are a way of life for organizations in the nation’s capital. As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has lately been reminded, however, this way of life involves certain ambiguities and risks, with guilt by association high among the latter. The current controversy erupted when several conservative groups took umbrage at the fact that John Carr, head of USCCB’s social development and peace office, played a leadership role in a coalition called the Center for Community Change, which the conservatives accused of promoting abortion and homosexuality. Carr says he severed ties with the center five years ago, and up to then it had no connection with such issues. Calling themselves the Reform CCHD Now Coalition, the conservatives also complained that 31 of 150 organizations in the Center for Community Change coalition had received grants from the CCHD—the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Russell Shaw has been looking into these charges and has a report.
5:40 – A Handbook for Catholic Moms
Drawing from the deep tradition of the Catholic faith, Lisa Hendey coaches Catholic moms how to care for themselves―heart, mind, body, and soul―so that they can better love and care for their families, their neighbors, and their Church. With warmth and wisdom, Hendey creates an environment where Catholic moms can reflect peacefully upon often-competitive topics like parenting style, types of schooling, and working outside the home. By sharing her own story, Hendey inspires us to better balance their own needs with the demands of family life and faith commitment. We look at a handbook for Catholic moms.
Live from the studios of Real Presence Radio in Fargo, ND
4:00 – Camelot No More?
Rep. Patrick Kennedy, the Rhode Island Catholic congressman whom Bishop Thomas Tobin publicly called to “conversion and repentance” because of his support for abortion, has decided not to run for reelection. Referring to his father, the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, the congressman said that “illness took the life of my most cherished mentor and confidant, my ultimate source of spirit and strength.” Kennedy said that the death of his father, Sen. Edward Kennedy, last year led to "soul-searching" that ended with his decision to leave public office. However the announcement that he would not seek re-election came soon after the release of poll figures showing that the Rhode Island lawmaker was viewed unfavorably by 56% of the people in his congressional district, and only 35% said that they would support him for another term. This means that as of this fall, there will be no Kennedy in national office for the first time since 1947. Is this the end of “Camelot”? We talk with Kennedy expert James Piereson.
4:20 – The Power of Reconciliation
We take a look at reconciliation from a combined psychological and spiritual perspective. Dr. Peter Damgaard-Hansen offers some thought-provoking insights based on his professional experience from over 26 years in the field of working with families, couples, groups and individuals. With a unique combination of a heartfelt gentleness and a compelling directness, he helps us look at how much and in what way we ourselves play a critical part in the friction or conflicts we easily run into in our relationships with our loved ones, spouse, children, inlaws, friends, etc. The psychotherapeutic power of repentance and forgiveness is explored, and it becomes clear how Jesus Christ provides the ultimate life giving source of true mental health and authentic peace in relationships.
5:00 – Reform CCHD Now? Sifting Through the Hyperbole and Getting to the Truth
A controversy over participation in two liberal social action groups by the U.S. bishops’ conference and one of its top executives is focusing attention on the perils associated with a familiar Washington institution: the coalition. Coalitions with public policy agendas are a way of life for organizations in the nation’s capital. As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has lately been reminded, however, this way of life involves certain ambiguities and risks, with guilt by association high among the latter. The current controversy erupted when several conservative groups took umbrage at the fact that John Carr, head of USCCB’s social development and peace office, played a leadership role in a coalition called the Center for Community Change, which the conservatives accused of promoting abortion and homosexuality. Carr says he severed ties with the center five years ago, and up to then it had no connection with such issues. Calling themselves the Reform CCHD Now Coalition, the conservatives also complained that 31 of 150 organizations in the Center for Community Change coalition had received grants from the CCHD—the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Russell Shaw has been looking into these charges and has a report.
5:40 – A Handbook for Catholic Moms
Drawing from the deep tradition of the Catholic faith, Lisa Hendey coaches Catholic moms how to care for themselves―heart, mind, body, and soul―so that they can better love and care for their families, their neighbors, and their Church. With warmth and wisdom, Hendey creates an environment where Catholic moms can reflect peacefully upon often-competitive topics like parenting style, types of schooling, and working outside the home. By sharing her own story, Hendey inspires us to better balance their own needs with the demands of family life and faith commitment. We look at a handbook for Catholic moms.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Catholic Radio as Exhibit #1
For the new evangelization to become a reality, laypeople have to step up.
This is the affirmation made by Archbishop José Gomez of San Antonio in a pastoral letter released today, the fifth anniversary of his installation as archbishop.
This is a man who knows the power of Catholic Radio, as his diocese has a powerhouse of a station run by our friends (and affiliates), the Guadalupe Radio Network.
"The proclamation of Christ is not an option or an obligation reserved for bishops, priests, deacons and religious. It is the duty of every believer," the archbishop wrote.
He asserted evangelization begins "in the heart that has been evangelized, the heart that has heard the Good News and been converted."
"We cannot be silent about what we have seen and heard and felt," the 58-year-old archbishop declared. "We cannot help but to proclaim and testify to the great difference that Jesus Christ has made in our lives."
Evangelization is a duty, the Texas prelate affirmed, but it is a "duty of delight, a duty we carry out with joy and thanksgiving."
"We want the world, beginning with those nearest to us, to share in what we have been given -- the free gift of God’s grace and the joy that comes with knowing the truth that sets us free," he said.
Priestly souls
The duty to proclaim Christ falls upon every member of the Church, he recalled. But, he said, today's pastoral letter is addressed particularly to the laity.
"I want to speak especially to you who live out your faith in the midst of the world and all its secular affairs," he wrote. "As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, lay people are given the 'duty ... to work so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth. This duty is all the more pressing when it is only through them that men can hear the Gospel and know Christ.'"
Archbishop Gomez noted how laypeople have been fundamental for the process of evangelization since the very beginning of the Church.
"The primary apostolate of lay people, since the early Church, has always been to spread and defend the faith among their families and neighbors and to bring the teachings of Christ to bear on the issues facing their communities," he said.
And lay believers have a "priestly soul," with a primary mission in the world, "not inside the sanctuary of the church or inside a Church office."
"Your first duty," he stated, "remains to heed the commission every one of us receives at the end of every Mass -- to go out into the world to love and serve our Lord.
"Nourished by the gift of his Body and Blood, you are called to bear witness to this gift by making your lives a form of worship to God. Your evangelization must always be profoundly ecclesial and intensely Eucharistic. You are calling people to Christ and to his Church -- and to the heart of the Church, which is the Eucharist."
Archbishop Gomez urged the faithful to have a renewed awareness of their priestly souls and to "seek to serve God and your brothers and sisters every day, through all that you do and say, through the way that you live your life."
"People respond more to example than to 'teaching,'" he acknowledged. "Testify to your faith through your daily habits and actions. You will find that your witness to the Christian life will be attractive to others and will afford you regular chances to talk about the 'source' of your happiness in Jesus Christ and your Catholic faith."
Particular concerns
The San Antonio archbishop said that he is particularly concerned about two groups in the Church: Hispanics and fallen-away Catholics.
"Our Hispanic brothers and sisters are in danger of drifting from the Catholic faith to other religions or to no religion at all," the Mexico native cautioned.
"There are many complicated reasons for this situation," the prelate proposed. "It is very difficult under any circumstances to begin a new life in a foreign country. It is even harder for Hispanics, who often come here in poverty and under great personal stress and facing other pressures. More often than not, they experience discrimination and misunderstanding as they try to assimilate into American society. It is not easy for them to 'fit in' to our parishes, and their lack of faith formation can make it difficult for them to distinguish between the Catholic Church and other ecclesial communities that aggressively try to reach out to them.
"To my mind, however, the deepest problem we face is the 'secularization' that I talked about earlier. The tendency under secularism is to reduce religious identity to a kind of 'cultural Catholicism.'"
And for those who have left the Catholic Church, Archbishop Gomez recommended an active approach.
"Let us talk to our brothers and sisters about what is keeping them from the Church," he said. "Let us talk to them of Christ’s living presence in his Church and in his sacraments. The happiness we all seek is found only in communion with Christ in his Church. Let us then issue a compassionate call for our lapsed Catholic brethren to return to the sacrament of penance and reconciliation and welcome them back to the Eucharistic table."
The prelate asserted that lay evangelizers must "be convinced of the truth that the Apostles knew, that everyone in some way is searching for Christ."
"People used to seek out the Apostles and say to them: 'We wish to see Jesus,'" he reflected. "The men and women of today still want to see Jesus. You are the disciples they will come to with their questions and doubts, interests and needs. You are the ones who must lead them to our Lord."
Bishop Vasa ends diocese’s sponsorship of hospital that performs sterilizations
In "a difficult decision for all those involved," the Bend, Oregon-based Catholic Diocese of Baker announced Monday its intention to dissolve the official sponsorship relationship of St. Charles Medical Center-Bend by the Catholic Church over sterilization procedures performed at the hospital.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton, Ind., founded St. Charles Bend 92 years ago with a mission to serve all patients in need in Central Oregon.
Although the hospital became a community nonprofit organization in the 1970s, it has maintained a relationship with the Catholic Church and has continued voluntarily to follow the Catholic Ethical and Religious Directives for Health Care Services.
Recently, hospital administrators and Bishop Robert Vasa of the Diocese of Baker have respectfully disagreed on the meaning of some of those directives.
In particular, St. Charles-Bend offers patients the service of tubal ligations, a form of permanent female reproductive sterilization, which goes against the Church's teachings.
"It is my responsibility to ensure the hospital is following Catholic principles both in name and in fact," Vasa said. "It would be misleading for me to allow St. Charles Bend to be acknowledged as Catholic in name while I am certain that some important tenets of the Ethical and Religious Directives are no longer being observed."
Vasa asked St. Charles Bend in 2007 for an audit of the hospital's compliance with the Ethical and Religious Directives. The hospital has been transparent about its practices and openly provided the Bishop with the information he requested. Since that time, the two parties have had a number of discussions about the future of the hospital as a Catholic institution.
"We are saddened by this decision because of the 92 years of history the St. Charles Bend hospital has had with the Catholic Church," said James A. Diegel, FACHE, president and CEO of Cascade Health-care Community, the parent company of St. Charles-Bend. "But we have an obligation to provide comprehensive health care services to our patients while remaining true to our values of compassion and caring for all."
Vasa has encouraged the hospital to stay as close to the Directives as possible in the future.
"St. Charles has gradually moved away from adherence to the requirements of the Church without a clear knowledge that it was doing so," Vasa said. "Unfortunately, that distance is now too great to sustain a formal sponsorship relationship, but I believe that using the Church's Directives as a basis for their local ethical guidelines is a good idea."
Vasa and Diegel agreed that for all practical purposes, very little will change at St. Charles Bend as a result of this decision. However, Catholic Mass will no longer be celebrated in the hospital's chapel, and all items considered Catholic will be removed from the hospital and returned to the church.
St. Charles Bend's name will remain the same, and the cross will remain on top of the hospital building.
Outrageous Statement of the Day
Lou Dobbs tells Steve Doocy that Obama is going to start ruling "by fiat" because "this has been too complicated, this democracy thing." This is just one of those disingenuous statements that is all to common in politics. Most everybody supports a President doing things by Executive Order or "fiat" as long as it is something they agree with. Some pro-lifers have been arguing for years that abortion could be eliminated by and Executive Order defining personhood. If Obama issued an Executive Order to build a wall 20 feet tall along the entire Mexican border, I doubt Dobbs would be complaining. Ahhhhhh politics. It's good to be Catholic and therefore able to think in a distinct way about these things.
Today on Kresta - February 16, 2010
Talking about the Things That Matter Most on Feb. 16
4:00 – Taliban's most senior military commander captured by the CIA in Pakistan raid – Terrorists, Trials, and Civil Rights
The Taliban's top military commander has been arrested in a joint CIA-Pakistani operation in Pakistan. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the No.2 behind Afghan Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar and a close associate of Osama bin Laden, was captured in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi. The arrest represents a major victory against the insurgents as U.S. troops push into their heartland in southern Afghanistan. In light of this capture and the debate raging about the Christmas bomber and the Khalid Sheik Mohammad trial, we talk to former JAG Officer and Ave Maria Law School Dean Eugene Milhizer about terrorists, trials, and civil rights.
4:20 – The Long Journey: In Search of Justice and Peace in Jerusalem
The Long Journey takes us into the heart of Jerusalem-Mount Zion, the site of the Benedictine Dormition Monastery, a place where pilgrims, seekers, and peacemakers come for liturgies, prayer, and conversation. Our guide on this journey is James Paharik, who in nine closely woven essays, leads us through the labyrinthine spaces of Jerusalem. He also reveals hearts damaged by violence but also brimming with hope that Israel will one day soon live up to her calling, as expressed in Psalm 76.
4:40 – “Blood Done Signed My Name”
“Blood Done Signed My Name” is a drama based on the true story in which a black Vietnam-era veteran is allegedly murdered by a local white businessman who is later exonerated. The plot focuses on the role of a local high school teacher and the civil unrest that followed the acquittal. It is the film adaptation of a book of the same name by Timothy Tyson. The film hits theaters this weekend and writer / director Jeb Stuart joins us.
5:00 – The Gargoyle Code
Not since the Screwtape Letters has there been such a devastatingly diabolical collection of correspondence. Master Tempter Slubgrip writes daily to a trainee devil Dogwart, advising him on the temptation of a confused young Catholic, while he struggles to control his own patient, an older Catholic man who is facing a serious illness. Meanwhile, Slubgrip has to watch his back, keep control of various under devils who are plotting to take control of his territory and send him to the banqueting house of the Father below. The Gargoyle Code makes for un-put-downable reading at any time, but it is especially designed as a book to be read during Lent. The letters from the tempters begin on Shrove Tuesday and follow day by day, taking the reader on an entertaining, enlightening and sobering journey toward Easter Sunday. Fr Dwight Longenencker has written a book on spiritual warfare that is profound, hilarious, upbeat and inspiring. He nails the devils and all his works, and succeeds in keeping the reader's attention all the way through. He joins us.
5:40 – The Spirituality of Fasting: Rediscovering a Christian Practice
On this day before Ash Wednesday, we take a look at the history, theology, and spirituality of fasting. We draw on sources ancient and current--from Augustine to Michael Pollan--to consider anew how fasting informs the relationships between creator/creature, body/soul, and rich/poor. In timely response to Pope Benedict's urging that the value and meaning of fasting need to be "rediscovered and encouraged again in our day," Msgr. Michael Murphy is here to look at fasting.
4:00 – Taliban's most senior military commander captured by the CIA in Pakistan raid – Terrorists, Trials, and Civil Rights
The Taliban's top military commander has been arrested in a joint CIA-Pakistani operation in Pakistan. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the No.2 behind Afghan Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar and a close associate of Osama bin Laden, was captured in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi. The arrest represents a major victory against the insurgents as U.S. troops push into their heartland in southern Afghanistan. In light of this capture and the debate raging about the Christmas bomber and the Khalid Sheik Mohammad trial, we talk to former JAG Officer and Ave Maria Law School Dean Eugene Milhizer about terrorists, trials, and civil rights.
4:20 – The Long Journey: In Search of Justice and Peace in Jerusalem
The Long Journey takes us into the heart of Jerusalem-Mount Zion, the site of the Benedictine Dormition Monastery, a place where pilgrims, seekers, and peacemakers come for liturgies, prayer, and conversation. Our guide on this journey is James Paharik, who in nine closely woven essays, leads us through the labyrinthine spaces of Jerusalem. He also reveals hearts damaged by violence but also brimming with hope that Israel will one day soon live up to her calling, as expressed in Psalm 76.
4:40 – “Blood Done Signed My Name”
“Blood Done Signed My Name” is a drama based on the true story in which a black Vietnam-era veteran is allegedly murdered by a local white businessman who is later exonerated. The plot focuses on the role of a local high school teacher and the civil unrest that followed the acquittal. It is the film adaptation of a book of the same name by Timothy Tyson. The film hits theaters this weekend and writer / director Jeb Stuart joins us.
5:00 – The Gargoyle Code
Not since the Screwtape Letters has there been such a devastatingly diabolical collection of correspondence. Master Tempter Slubgrip writes daily to a trainee devil Dogwart, advising him on the temptation of a confused young Catholic, while he struggles to control his own patient, an older Catholic man who is facing a serious illness. Meanwhile, Slubgrip has to watch his back, keep control of various under devils who are plotting to take control of his territory and send him to the banqueting house of the Father below. The Gargoyle Code makes for un-put-downable reading at any time, but it is especially designed as a book to be read during Lent. The letters from the tempters begin on Shrove Tuesday and follow day by day, taking the reader on an entertaining, enlightening and sobering journey toward Easter Sunday. Fr Dwight Longenencker has written a book on spiritual warfare that is profound, hilarious, upbeat and inspiring. He nails the devils and all his works, and succeeds in keeping the reader's attention all the way through. He joins us.
5:40 – The Spirituality of Fasting: Rediscovering a Christian Practice
On this day before Ash Wednesday, we take a look at the history, theology, and spirituality of fasting. We draw on sources ancient and current--from Augustine to Michael Pollan--to consider anew how fasting informs the relationships between creator/creature, body/soul, and rich/poor. In timely response to Pope Benedict's urging that the value and meaning of fasting need to be "rediscovered and encouraged again in our day," Msgr. Michael Murphy is here to look at fasting.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Hollywood's History Movies
As I'm preparing for a talk on "Using Hollywood to cultivate virtue" I came across a list of movies that try to translate historical truth into cinematic entertainment. One scholar sees such films falling into four basic categories (the examples are his)::1. exercising artistic license [And lots of it!] (Mississippi Burning; JFK);
2. drawing lessons from the past (Sergeant York, Missing);
3. reflecting current controversy in the past (Bonnie and Clyde; Patton);
4. celebrating heroism (All the President's Men; Norma Rae).
Without critique, here's 100 of Hollywood's most celebrated efforts at doing history. [It does need to be updated. So, e.g., don't forget Gladiator or The Passion of the Christ or Seabiscuit.] Try to forget Kingdom of Heaven.Canadian authorities losing the high ground
Irish bishops at Vatican for discussions on clerical abuse
Pope Benedict is expected to attend most-- if not all-- of the sessions during the 2-day meeting. In a clear demonstration of the importance that he attaches to the talks, the Pope has asked most of the leading prelates in the Curia to attend, including the prefects of the Congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith (Cardinal William Levada), for Bishops (Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re), for the Clergy (Cardinal Claudio Hummes), for Religious (Cardinal Franc Rodé), and for Catholic Education (Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski), as well as the Secretary of State (Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone) and the president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts (Archbishop Francesco Coccoplamerio), the body that handles interpretations of canon law. All active members of the Irish hierarchy are also expected to take part, with Cardinal Sean Brady speaking first in deference to his senior position as Primate of All Ireland.
In his homily at a Mass inaugurating the meeting, Cardinal Bertone said that Church leaders must face up to the damage done by "some churchmen involved in particularly abhorrent acts." He acknowledged that difficulties facing the Church may come from inside or ouside, and "those that come from within are naturally difficult and humiliating." The painful result, he said, should "strip us of any false security and push us to entrust ourselves to God alone."
“The fullness of the truth must come out, everything must be laid on the table,” said Bishop Joseph Duffy of Clogher said on the eve of the two-day summit. He added that “precise questions of resignation [are] not on the agenda of the bishops because that is not our prerogative.” During the meeting with Pope Benedict, each Irish bishop participating in the meeting will have seven minutes to speak.
Pope Benedict will issue a pastoral letter to the Church in Ireland following the meeting, and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin-- who has been both praised and criticized for his criticism of bishops implicated in a cover-up of abuse-- raised eyebrows again with the remarkable statement that he expects “a very significant reorganization of the Church in Ireland.” (The Associated Press inaccurately reports that Archbishop Martin “heads the Holy See’s office on justice;” in reality, he served as Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 1994 to 2003, when he was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Dublin.)
ABC Celebrates the Adulterous Affair of JFK as a "Love Story"
Good Morning America this morning touted an adulterous affair John F. Kennedy had in the early 1950s as a "love story" and a "torrid and fleeting romance." Co-host George Stephanopoulos lauded the Kennedys as "American royalty" and the show offered no hint of criticism over the infidelity. An affair is an affair - immoral and unacceptible for those elected to public office, whether you are JFK, Ted Kennedy, Mark Sanford, Eliot Spitzer, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Mark Foley, or any others you can think of. That's not to say redemption cannot be sought and granted, but to pretend that it is a romantic love story is outrageous.
Today on Kresta - February 15, 2010
Talking about the Things That Matter Most on Feb. 15
4:00 – Faith and the Presidency: From George Washington to George W. Bush
Religion has been a major part of the presidency since George Washington's first inaugural address. Despite the mounting interest in the role of religion in American public life, we actually know remarkably little about the faith of our presidents. Was Thomas Jefferson an atheist, as his political opponents charged? What role did Lincoln's religious views play in his handling of slavery and the Civil War? How did born-again Southern Baptist Jimmy Carter lose the support of many evangelicals? Is George W. Bush, as his critics often claim, a captive of the religious right? On this President’s Day, Gary Smith answers these questions and many more. He takes a sweeping look at the role religion has played in presidential politics and policies. Drawing on extensive archival research, Smith paints compelling portraits of the religious lives and presidencies of eleven chief executives for whom religion was particularly important. We will examine what each of its subjects believed and how those beliefs shaped their presidencies and, in turn, the course of our history.
5:00 – Kresta Comments – Pope “hurting people in the name of Jesus”
Harry Knox, who serves on President Barack Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is standing by a statement he made that Pope Benedict XVI is “hurting people in the name of Jesus.” When asked last week whether he still holds that view, Knox said, “I do.” Knox is also the director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a homosexual activist group. In a follow-up question, Knox was asked: “So, even in light of—Edward Green, a Harvard researcher in AIDS prevention said the pope was correct in that condom use aggravates HIV, the spread of it, in Africa…do you still hold to that position?” Knox answered, “He is simply incorrect in his assertion. All the other evidence of science shows otherwise.” Al has a commentary.
5:20 – To Be Like Jesus: Inspiration From the Gospel of Luke
God's plan for your life is not as mysterious or unknowable as you might think. As Sister Ann Shields demonstrates in her probing reflections on the Gospel of Luke, the key to knowing what God is asking of you is to discover, first, who God is. If you are willing to spend time daily in his presence, ruminating on his word as it comes to you in Scripture, he will reveal himself and help you make the choices that conform to his will for your life. Sr. Ann helps us to distinguish God's voice from the voices, noise and distractions of the world. As you let his word soak into your soul, you'll find there the power to surrender to him and play your part in building his kingdom.
5:40 – Discovering the Feminine Genius: Every Woman's Journey
Katrina Zeno is here to present a framework in which women can discover and understand their human and spiritual journey as a daughter of God, a woman, a unique individual, and spouse of the Spirit. Katrina, a renowned speaker on the theology of the body, explores the role of women in our complex world. Based on an immensely successful women’s retreat that Katrina has been offering for the past decade, Discovering the Feminine Genius continues her exploration of women seeking to understand their own journey.
4:00 – Faith and the Presidency: From George Washington to George W. Bush
Religion has been a major part of the presidency since George Washington's first inaugural address. Despite the mounting interest in the role of religion in American public life, we actually know remarkably little about the faith of our presidents. Was Thomas Jefferson an atheist, as his political opponents charged? What role did Lincoln's religious views play in his handling of slavery and the Civil War? How did born-again Southern Baptist Jimmy Carter lose the support of many evangelicals? Is George W. Bush, as his critics often claim, a captive of the religious right? On this President’s Day, Gary Smith answers these questions and many more. He takes a sweeping look at the role religion has played in presidential politics and policies. Drawing on extensive archival research, Smith paints compelling portraits of the religious lives and presidencies of eleven chief executives for whom religion was particularly important. We will examine what each of its subjects believed and how those beliefs shaped their presidencies and, in turn, the course of our history.
5:00 – Kresta Comments – Pope “hurting people in the name of Jesus”
Harry Knox, who serves on President Barack Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is standing by a statement he made that Pope Benedict XVI is “hurting people in the name of Jesus.” When asked last week whether he still holds that view, Knox said, “I do.” Knox is also the director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a homosexual activist group. In a follow-up question, Knox was asked: “So, even in light of—Edward Green, a Harvard researcher in AIDS prevention said the pope was correct in that condom use aggravates HIV, the spread of it, in Africa…do you still hold to that position?” Knox answered, “He is simply incorrect in his assertion. All the other evidence of science shows otherwise.” Al has a commentary.
5:20 – To Be Like Jesus: Inspiration From the Gospel of Luke
God's plan for your life is not as mysterious or unknowable as you might think. As Sister Ann Shields demonstrates in her probing reflections on the Gospel of Luke, the key to knowing what God is asking of you is to discover, first, who God is. If you are willing to spend time daily in his presence, ruminating on his word as it comes to you in Scripture, he will reveal himself and help you make the choices that conform to his will for your life. Sr. Ann helps us to distinguish God's voice from the voices, noise and distractions of the world. As you let his word soak into your soul, you'll find there the power to surrender to him and play your part in building his kingdom.
5:40 – Discovering the Feminine Genius: Every Woman's Journey
Katrina Zeno is here to present a framework in which women can discover and understand their human and spiritual journey as a daughter of God, a woman, a unique individual, and spouse of the Spirit. Katrina, a renowned speaker on the theology of the body, explores the role of women in our complex world. Based on an immensely successful women’s retreat that Katrina has been offering for the past decade, Discovering the Feminine Genius continues her exploration of women seeking to understand their own journey.
Friday, February 12, 2010
No Kennedy in national politics for the first time since 1947
Kennedy said that the death of his father, Sen. Edward Kennedy, last year led to "soul-searching" that ended with his decision to leave public office. However the announcement that he would not seek re-election came soon after the release of poll figures showing that the Rhode Island lawmaker was viewed unfavorably by 56% of the people in his congressional district, and only 35% said that they woud support him for another term.
Outrageous Statement of the Day
This is a 10 minute clip, but the point can be gotten 2-3 minutes. I think it is worthwhile to view the whole segment however to get a good picture of just how off the rails MSNBC has become. In some ways this goes for all of talk radio / cable talk and how vitriolic it can be, but Lawrence O'Donnell and Keith Olbermann at MSNBC have figured out a way to take it to a whole new level. I've never seen a host have to call for a commercial break to calm down one of his colleagues who is yelling and screaming at a guest and won't stop to let the guest answer the tirade, but that's exactly what Joe Scarborough has to do when Lawrence O'Donnell goes berzerk.
Born - March for Life 2010
Very nice video filmed and produced by Franciscan University students, sharing the experience of some of the 750 person strong FUS representation at the 2010 March for Life in Washington, DC. As a proud graduate of the Franciscan University Communication Department, I'm happy to see the quality of their work. Ending comment on the video by Most Reverend John D'Arcy, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.Produced by FUS senior Cory Heimann.
- Nick Thomm
- Nick Thomm
Today on Kresta - February 12, 2010
Talking about the Things That Matter Most on Feb. 12
The Best of Kresta in the Afternoon
4:00 – Haiti: 4 Weeks Later
Nearly one month after a powerful earthquake brought this country to a halt, Haiti is tumbling headlong through a crisis that has not begun to abate, with evidence everywhere that current relief efforts are falling short. Despite the good intentions of the United States and the world community, weary relief workers say the coming weeks will severely test the resolve of those foreign contributors and the resourcefulness of a Haitian government that remains all but invisible. Pressure will grow on a fledgling food distribution network backed by U.S. soldiers that so far has largely managed to deliver only rice. From surgery to shelter to sanitation to schooling, the needs are vast and the international commitment unproven. Jim Cavnar brings us up to date on the situation and the work of Cross International Catholic Outreach.
4:20 – The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith, Communion and Culture
Penned by the leading intellectual in the American Catholic hierarchy, the book The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith, Communion, and Culture, by Francis Cardinal George of the Archdiocese of Chicago brings together some of the most influential writings on the Catholic vision—not just the Church itself but of the relation and unity of all people. Weaving together intellectual insight and personal wisdom, this investigation offers a luminous Catholic vision of communion, illustrating the Church’s relation to numerous religions as well as the secular world. Drawing from both the author’s observations of Catholicism in cultures around the globe and countless theologians’ perspectives—including Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, Thomas Aquinas, and Francis of Assisi—this analysis demonstrates how to recognize the self-giving, liberating God who provides freedom from the competitive, oppressive gods of secular modernity. Cardinal George is our guest.
4:40 – A Deacon’s Retreat
Pope Benedict XVI’s inspiring first encyclical contains the passage, “The good pastor must be rooted in contemplation. Only in this way will he be able to take upon himself the needs of others and make them his own.” The Institute for Priestly Formation seeks just that. The Institute’s programs exist to help diocesan seminarians and priests become “contemplatives in action,” i.e., to learn how to pray in such a way that they meet God in the midst of everyday busyness and are thus able to help the people of their parishes and dioceses do the same. To that end Deacon James Keating, Director of Theological Formation for the Institute, has written a self-directed retreat for deacons in the Catholic Church designed to lead the deacon into silent adoration and deeper appropriation of his call from Christ to become a deacon.
5:00 – Kresta Comments – New Ways Ministries
The president of the US bishops' conference has issued a reminder that New Ways Ministry, a Maryland-based group that works with homosexuals and lesbians, "has no approval or recognition from the Catholic Church." Cardinal Francis George of Chicago added that New Ways Ministry fails to provide "an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching." "Like other groups that claim to be Catholic but deny central aspects of church teaching," the cardinal observed, New Ways Ministry does not speak for the Catholic faithful. The group's founders, Sister Jeanine Gramick and Father Robert Nugent, were warned by the Vatican in 1999 that their public statements on homosexuality contained "ambiguities and errors." They were ordered not to speak or write on the topic-- an order that Nugent has observed but Gramick has defied. New Ways Ministry issued a statement of its own claiming to be "astonished" by Cardinal George's public caution and complaining that the group was not notified that the cardinal would be issuing such a statement. Al has experience with the group and tell us about them.
5:20 – Marriage, Prop 8, and the Battle for Hearts and Minds
Should the pro-marriage votes of Catholics, Baptists and other people of faith in California be disregarded as irrational, “discriminatory” and unconstitutional? That’s the extraordinary question being asked in a federal lawsuit argued on behalf of two same-sex couples to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 measure passed by 52% of California voters to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. During two and a half weeks of rapid-fire testimony in San Francisco, the plaintiffs’ legal team worked to build a case claiming that Prop. 8 should be thrown out, in part, because it was swept to victory on a tsunami of “irrational” religious “prejudice and hostility,” generated by discriminatory “messaging” put out by a broad coalition of Mormons, evangelical Christians and Catholics. We caught up with Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage at the Legatus Summit last week. We share that interview with you now.
5:40 – Pope’s Intervention on Britian “Equality Bill” Stirs the Pot
Pope Benedict told a group of bishops last week that the equality bill before Britain's Parliament might force it to hire gays, violating church doctrine, among numerous other moral problems. The bill seeks to address a host of inequalities, from low wages to women to limited educational opportunities for the poor. Britain's parliamentarians are mulling a radical equality law that its sponsors claim has the power to reshape the country into a fairer, less class-driven and discriminatory society. But in some circles in England the bill is stirring unease because, in its quest for equal treatment for all, it appears to require private organizations to make hiring decisions that conflict with their deeply held beliefs. British Catholic journalist Joanna Bogle weighs in.
The Best of Kresta in the Afternoon
4:00 – Haiti: 4 Weeks Later
Nearly one month after a powerful earthquake brought this country to a halt, Haiti is tumbling headlong through a crisis that has not begun to abate, with evidence everywhere that current relief efforts are falling short. Despite the good intentions of the United States and the world community, weary relief workers say the coming weeks will severely test the resolve of those foreign contributors and the resourcefulness of a Haitian government that remains all but invisible. Pressure will grow on a fledgling food distribution network backed by U.S. soldiers that so far has largely managed to deliver only rice. From surgery to shelter to sanitation to schooling, the needs are vast and the international commitment unproven. Jim Cavnar brings us up to date on the situation and the work of Cross International Catholic Outreach.
4:20 – The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith, Communion and Culture
Penned by the leading intellectual in the American Catholic hierarchy, the book The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith, Communion, and Culture, by Francis Cardinal George of the Archdiocese of Chicago brings together some of the most influential writings on the Catholic vision—not just the Church itself but of the relation and unity of all people. Weaving together intellectual insight and personal wisdom, this investigation offers a luminous Catholic vision of communion, illustrating the Church’s relation to numerous religions as well as the secular world. Drawing from both the author’s observations of Catholicism in cultures around the globe and countless theologians’ perspectives—including Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, Thomas Aquinas, and Francis of Assisi—this analysis demonstrates how to recognize the self-giving, liberating God who provides freedom from the competitive, oppressive gods of secular modernity. Cardinal George is our guest.
4:40 – A Deacon’s Retreat
Pope Benedict XVI’s inspiring first encyclical contains the passage, “The good pastor must be rooted in contemplation. Only in this way will he be able to take upon himself the needs of others and make them his own.” The Institute for Priestly Formation seeks just that. The Institute’s programs exist to help diocesan seminarians and priests become “contemplatives in action,” i.e., to learn how to pray in such a way that they meet God in the midst of everyday busyness and are thus able to help the people of their parishes and dioceses do the same. To that end Deacon James Keating, Director of Theological Formation for the Institute, has written a self-directed retreat for deacons in the Catholic Church designed to lead the deacon into silent adoration and deeper appropriation of his call from Christ to become a deacon.
5:00 – Kresta Comments – New Ways Ministries
The president of the US bishops' conference has issued a reminder that New Ways Ministry, a Maryland-based group that works with homosexuals and lesbians, "has no approval or recognition from the Catholic Church." Cardinal Francis George of Chicago added that New Ways Ministry fails to provide "an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching." "Like other groups that claim to be Catholic but deny central aspects of church teaching," the cardinal observed, New Ways Ministry does not speak for the Catholic faithful. The group's founders, Sister Jeanine Gramick and Father Robert Nugent, were warned by the Vatican in 1999 that their public statements on homosexuality contained "ambiguities and errors." They were ordered not to speak or write on the topic-- an order that Nugent has observed but Gramick has defied. New Ways Ministry issued a statement of its own claiming to be "astonished" by Cardinal George's public caution and complaining that the group was not notified that the cardinal would be issuing such a statement. Al has experience with the group and tell us about them.
5:20 – Marriage, Prop 8, and the Battle for Hearts and Minds
Should the pro-marriage votes of Catholics, Baptists and other people of faith in California be disregarded as irrational, “discriminatory” and unconstitutional? That’s the extraordinary question being asked in a federal lawsuit argued on behalf of two same-sex couples to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 measure passed by 52% of California voters to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. During two and a half weeks of rapid-fire testimony in San Francisco, the plaintiffs’ legal team worked to build a case claiming that Prop. 8 should be thrown out, in part, because it was swept to victory on a tsunami of “irrational” religious “prejudice and hostility,” generated by discriminatory “messaging” put out by a broad coalition of Mormons, evangelical Christians and Catholics. We caught up with Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage at the Legatus Summit last week. We share that interview with you now.
5:40 – Pope’s Intervention on Britian “Equality Bill” Stirs the Pot
Pope Benedict told a group of bishops last week that the equality bill before Britain's Parliament might force it to hire gays, violating church doctrine, among numerous other moral problems. The bill seeks to address a host of inequalities, from low wages to women to limited educational opportunities for the poor. Britain's parliamentarians are mulling a radical equality law that its sponsors claim has the power to reshape the country into a fairer, less class-driven and discriminatory society. But in some circles in England the bill is stirring unease because, in its quest for equal treatment for all, it appears to require private organizations to make hiring decisions that conflict with their deeply held beliefs. British Catholic journalist Joanna Bogle weighs in.
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