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I’ve heard consistently good things about Cardinal Ouellet, and I’m happy to see him saying these courageous things as he takes up an important role in the universal Church:

Church leaders should base their public statements on “spiritual discernment and not just political calculation,” according to the incoming prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who has encountered fierce political opposition during his tenure as Archbishop of Quebec City, spoke about the duties of bishops before leaving for Rome to take up his new duties. His remarks were a counterpoint to the criticism aired by Bishop Martin Veillette, who had suggested that the cardinal was rash in his public pronouncements and said that sometimes it is “more important to keep silent than to speak.”

Cardinal Ouellet offered a very different perspective, saying that a bishops should speak with conviction and not be deterred by the likelihood of opposition. He argued that if a Catholic leader refrains from public comment “because you don’t believe that it is possible that people accept it, you are in trouble.” [Catholic Culture]

Preach it!

Here at CatholicVote, we’re big fans of the Church’s teaching on subsidiarity.

Personally, I believe that even in “purely political” terms, the concept of subsidiarity suggests wonderful solutions to many of the problems we face in a world ever-more controlled by centralization and progressively marked by individual and local disenfranchisement.

In other words, I think it’s time we allow people and communities to directly help one another, without having their charity and industry filtered through national (and international) governmental bureaucracies, which always take a heavy toll.

Recently-elected New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a strong Catholic, is proving to be a good real-world test example of putting subsidiarity into practice. Regular readers of my APP blog know how much I admire his efforts (and successes) in this regard so far, and yesterday Deal Hudson at Inside Catholic takes note as well:

“The new governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, is distinguishing himself in two ways as a Catholic politician. Not only he is pro-life, but he is also aggressively pursuing a set of policies grounded in the principle of subsidiarity.” [More...]

Not only is Gov. Christie attempting to give power back to private and local entities on a whole range of issues, he has Planned Parenthood’s public streams of income firmly in his crosshairs:

“New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has taken a second step in his bid to cut state taxpayer funding of the Planned Parenthood abortion business. He first proposed a state budget that cuts the funding and now he has eliminated a federal waiver that was used before his election to give it more.” [LifeNews]

Of course, you don’t just defund the powerful pro-abortion lobby and scale-down the public unions without payback. Both groups are hopping mad at him, spending millions in anti-Christie ads.

Despite all these public attempts to cow him, however, his support among folks in New Jersey remains strong. The average voter likes what he’s doing, even if the powerful political conglomerates hate him. And because we live in a democracy, he can keep doing good, as long as he has the votes.

Now that’s subsidiarity in action. It looks beautiful.

If you’re an active Catholic (let alone a papist) you’ve probably noticed or know that it’s First Communion season these days.

If you are the Democrats running against Catholic candidate Tom Emmer in Minnesota, however, you don’t have a clue:

Given their first chance to score points head-on in their primary election battle, DFL [Democrat-Farmer-Labor party] gubernatorial candidates instead trained their fire Sunday on newly endorsed Republican candidate Tom Emmer in a debate on environmental issues.

Emmer was invited but did not show for the event. But former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton and former House leader Matt Entenza, both DFLers, made sure that he wasn’t forgotten.

… “I think it’s instructive who’s not here today, the endorsed candidate of the Republican Party,” Dayton said. “Environmental protection should be and used to be in Minnesota a bipartisan or nonpartisan concern, shared by everyone.”

… “Tom Emmer, the Republican candidate who I wish was here today but apparently chose that he wasn’t going to make it, is opposed to a government role in helping with a new sustainable energy future,” he said. – StarTribune

Now what is actually the case is that Tom Emmer was at his son’s First Communion when this green debate was happening.

Now, I don’t know the whole story. Maybe Emmer did use his son’s First Communion as a political excuse to avoid a debate he didn’t want to have. But then again, maybe Emmer – a married man of twenty years and father of seven – really did choose to attend his son’s First Communion. Maybe he did choose to not do politics on a Sunday.

All I know is, if Emmer were Jewish and were attending his son’s Bar Mitzvah, you can bet that none of these Democrats would have attacked him for his priorities. I think an apology to Emmer is in order.

UPDATE: some folks in the comments are claiming I made Emmer’s excuse out of whole cloth. *drum roll* –> the second page of the news story I linked:

“David FitzSimmons, Emmer’s campaign manager, said the candidate was attending his son’s first communion.”

I hope this quiets fears that I tried to make up a story. I’m actually extremely careful not to make claims I can’t source from a third party, unless I’m operating on background (and even then, I try to have at least two independent sources confirm a claim).

I’m sure we’re all very busy as we jump back into work and school this week.

Things are moving, however, on the health care front, and we should keep up to speed.

The latest from Steve Ertelt at LifeNews:

Congressional Democrats are seriously examining the possibility of skipping the formal conference committee process in an attempt to railroad the pro-abortion health care bill through the House and Senate. Bypassing the normal process may allow them to skip procedural votes that could hold up or kill the bill.

With both chambers approving different bills — a House version doesn’t fund abortions while a Senate version does — Democrats have to create a bill that both chambers can approve and send to President Barack Obama.

Typically a formal conference committee with members from both chambers and both parties formally meet to resolve the differences.

Instead, Democrats may work informally to craft a final bill and Democratic aides tell the New Republican that is “almost certain” to happen.

Michelle Malkin points out that in 2006, when political fortunes were reversed, Democrats fiercely opposed a technique they now are attempting to take advantage of themselves.

Meanwhile, we cannot forget the shame of Catholic politicians pushing for this anti-life legislation. Deal Hudson is undertaking the thankless task of naming the names and keeping track of where politicians stand on this critical issue.

In other news, look for my long-awaited big news within the next 24 hours….

Thanks for your patience – I hope it will be rewarded!

On January 19th 2009 the new governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, will be sworn-in to office at 11:30 AM.

My new least favorite person – Rep. Lynn Woolsey writes in Politico:

“I expect political hardball on any legislation as important as the health care bill. I just didn�t expect it from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Who elected them to Congress?

The role the bishops played in the pushing the Stupak amendment, which unfairly restricts access for low-income women to insurance coverage for abortions, was more than mere advocacy.

They seemed to dictate the finer points of the amendment, and managed to bully members of Congress to vote for added restrictions on a perfectly legal surgical procedure.

And this political effort was subsidized by taxpayers, since the Council enjoys tax-exempt status.

When I visit churches in my district, we are very careful to keep everything �non-political� to protect their tax-exempt status.

The IRS is less restrictive about church involvement in efforts to influence legislation than it is about involvement in campaigns and elections.

Given the political behavior of USCCB in this case, maybe it shouldn�t be.”

Rory Cooper at the Heritage Foundation has a very good response to Woolsey.

This is complicated, and I’m confused myself – so bear with me.

Diocese of Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio chaired the US Bishops committee which drafted the Catholic voting guide “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.” I have criticisms of that document, but the important point here is Bishop DiMarzio should know a great deal about Catholic involvement in US politics.

He’s done many things right. Earlier this year, he joined the long list of bishops criticizing Notre Dame for inviting President Obama.

Before that, during the Presidential election cycle, he wrote an editorial in the New York Times explaining more accurately the standards Catholics ought to have when deliberating their vote.

Before that, in 2006, he wrapped the knuckles of 55 pro-choice Catholic Democrats when they asked for “room to disagree” with Church teaching on the intrinsic evil of abortion.

… and now this story surfaces from Catholic Culture’s news briefs:

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn has recorded a telephone call praising Assemblyman Vito Lopez, a state lawmaker who helped derail a bill that would have lifted the statute of limitations in clergy sex-abuse cases. Earlier this year, Assemblyman Lopez sponsored, and voted in favor of, a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. In 2008– as in previous elections– Assemblyman Lopez was endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice New York PAC.

The recording is being phoned to every registered voter in a city council district where the candidate supported by Assemblyman Lopez is in the midst of a close election battle.

Why isn’t this story getting much play in the press? Well, for one thing, I would bet, because Bishop DiMarzio is supporting a liberal Democrat. Can you imagine the outcry that would arise if Bishop Loverde of the Diocese of Arlington recorded calls to support Catholic Republican candidate for governor Bob McDonnell?! The Washington Post would have that story on the front page.

And, even if Bishop DiMarzio is technically staying clear of various laws which attempt to inhibit clericis from getting involved in particular races for particular candidates, the facts of this case make it even less well-advised for Bishop DiMarzio to get involved, because he appears to be giving a favor in exchange for a favor received:

“[the call] praised Mr. Lopez�s legislative service to the Catholic Church this summer. Mr. Lopez played a key role in defeating a bill that would have let adults file suit over childhood sexual abuse that may have occurred long ago.”

Paul Moses at Commonweal alerts us to another unsavory association:

Bishop DiMarzio also appears in a full-page, color ad for the re-election of the resolutely pro-choice Mayor Michael Bloomberg. It ran in the diocesan newspaper, which in the past had as a matter of policy rejected all political advertisements so as to avoid taking ads from pro-choice politicians. The bishop and mayor are pictured in Yankee Stadium, the bishop in a Yankees hat and the mayor in a Yankees warm-up jacket. It says: �MIKE BLOOMBERG: PROTECTING NYC�S CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. FIGHTING FOR US.�

Yikes, that’s just not cool either. And whatever Bishop DiMarzio’s spokesman wants to say about this being okay because “abortion is not an issue in the New York mayoral race”, Bishop DiMarzio still has some say about how his photograhic likeness is used. He could have withheld permission to use the photograph.

So is this what forming consciences for faithful citizenship is supposed to look like for bishops?!

What do you think?

This is going to be an interesting week, politically.

On Tuesday there will be several ballots Catholics should care about:

• Doug Hoffman in NY’s 23rd district – who I’ve been rooting for
• A pro-marriage amendment in Maine – which we should support
• Bob McDonnell for Virginia governor, and Ken Cuccinelli for Virginia attorney general – both faithful Catholics, both worthy of your support
• Chris Christie, pro-life and pro-family Catholic trying to unseat the Democrat incumbent governor Jon Corzine in New Jersey – who is running a very negative campaign

On Thursday or Friday – the big one:

• it is believed that Pelosi will bring her health care bill to a vote in the House of Representatives this week. I am strongly against this bill and so are the US bishops. Please visit usccb.org/action to contact your representatives demanding they VOTE NO on it!

The Tuesday elections look very good for pro-life, pro-family causes, but Marriage in Maine is going to be down to the wire (so please focus your efforts there!).

The Thursday or Friday vote on Health Care looks very bad right now, so it’s imperative that Catholics mobilize and prevent this fatally flawed legislation from passing!

Patrick Joseph Kennedy II, a democrat US House representative from Rhode Island and the son of the late Edward Kennedy, viciously smeared the Church in an interview with CNSNews.com (updated – fixed):

http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/eyeblast.swf?v=GdSU2GQunz

Transcript of Kennedy’s comments:

�I can�t understand for the life of me how the Catholic Church could be against the biggest social justice issue of our time, where the very dignity of the human person is being respected by the fact that we�re caring and giving health care to the human person – that right now we have 50 million people who are uninsured,� Kennedy told CNSNews.com. �You mean to tell me the Catholic Church is going to be denying those people life-saving health care? I thought they were pro-life?� said Kennedy. �If the church is pro-life, then they ought to be for health care reform because it�s going to provide health care that are going to keep people alive. So this is an absolute red herring and I don�t think that it does anything but to fan the flames of dissent and discord and I don�t think it�s productive at all.�

Local Bishop Thomas Tobin wasn’t about to let Kennedy get away with it, responding:

�Congressman Patrick Kennedy�s statement about the Catholic Church�s position on health care reform is irresponsible and ignorant of the facts. But the Congressman is correct in stating that �he can�t understand.� He got that part right.

As I wrote to Congressman Kennedy and other members of the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation recently, the Bishops of the United States are indeed in favor of comprehensive health care reform and have been for many years. But we are adamantly opposed to health care legislation that threatens the life of unborn children, requires taxpayers to pay for abortion, rations health care, or compromises the conscience of individuals.

Congressman Kennedy continues to be a disappointment to the Catholic Church and to the citizens of the State of Rhode Island. I believe the Congressman owes us an apology for his irresponsible comments. It is my fervent hope and prayer that he will find a way to provide more effective and morally responsible leadership for our state.�

“Irresponsible. Ignorant. A Disappointment. Owes us an apology.”

… now that’s taking the gloves off language. As Bishop Tobin is justified in using. Kennedy completely deserved this strong rebuke, because of his pro-abortion record, and because of his recent comments which are squarely against the facts, and unabashedly anti-Catholic.

Action items – updated:

• Contact Rep. Kennedy�(through his press secretary kerrie.bennett@mail.house.gov) and demand he apologize to Catholics for his ignorant and hateful comments
• Contact Bishop Tobin (through his communications director – kdavis@dioceseofprovidence.org) and thank him for standing up for Catholics, and for the truth.

As a Catholic active in politics, there are four races I’m following in the lead up to this November 4th.

From time to time AmP has compiled (with the help of readers like you) summaries of statements by the American heirarchy on important current issues.

There is now a growing list of bishops across the United States who have preached or written about their prudential opposition to the current health care proposal in Congress.

I will update this post as time goes on….

1. Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, PA
2. and Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, NY
3. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, CO
4. Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs, CO
5. Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, NY
6. Bishop Walker Nickless of Sioux City, IA
7. Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, ND
8. Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, IA
9. Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, KS
10. and Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO
11. Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN
12. Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington, VA
13. Bishop Robert Guglielmone of Charleston, SC
14. Bishop Richard Lennon of Cleveland, OH (PDF)
15. Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte, NC
16. and Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh, NC
17. Bishop Jerome Listecki of La Crosse, WI (PDF)
18. Bishop Blase Cupich of Rapid City, SD (PDF)
19. Bishop Donald Trautman of Eire, PA (PDF)
20. Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh, PA
21. Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, CT
22. Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford, IL
23. Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Paterson, NJ (part II here)
24. Bishop Anthony Taylor of Little Rock, AR
25. Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison, WI
26. Bishop Paul Coakley of Salina, KS
27. Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio, TX
28. and Bishop Oscar Cantu of San Antonio, TX
29. Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, NE
30. Bishop Alex Sample of Marquette, MI
31. Bishop Victor Galeone of St. Augustine, FL
32. Bishop David Choby of Nashville, TN
33. Bishop Gerald Barnes of San Bernardino, CA
34. Bishop Peter Sartain of Joliet, IL
35. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, TX
36. Francis Cardinal George of Chicago, IL
37. Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Lousville, KY
38. Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas, TX
39. Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore, MD (PDF)
40. Bishop Joseph Galente of Camden, NJ
41. and Bishop John Smith of Trenton, NJ
42. Bishop Jerome Listecki of La Crosse, WI (PDF)
43. Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, FL
44. Bishop James Johnson of Springfield – Cape Girardeau

Ple
ase send me tips at “thomas [at] americanpapist.com”. Thank you!

You may also consider respectfully asking your bishop to preach or write about health care if he has not already done so. This is an important issue and we ought to hear what our pastors have to say about it!

[photo credit - CNSNews.com]

ACORN, the Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now, is in the news a lot these days (and much more now that the mainstream media outside of Fox News has decided they can’t ignore the story anymore).

Most recently, the Senate chose to de-fund 169 million dollars earmarked for ACORN by a vote of 83-7 (I’d like to see the seven names that still supported this corrupt organization).

ACORN has long been in the inside track of democrat community activism, and until recently was even going to play a role in the 2010 census – a process which is often used for political expediency by activist organizations like ACORN, whose employees have already been convicted multiple times for registering dead people and cartoon characters to vote in elections. Seriously.

Back in October and November (twice) of last year I did a series of posts pointing out that our own Catholic Campaign for Human Development (which operates out of the US Bishops’ office) funnelled Catholic contributions to ACORN.

That’s right, money given by Catholics in the pew has been going to an organization that was caught on film telling pimps in New York City how to hide money from loan sharks by burying it in the backyard before they go apply for a government mortgage for their home under an assumed name. Seriously.

From everything I’ve heard and read so far, CCHD is just bad news. The fact that it funded ACORN for so many years (and continues to fund highly-questionable organizations) simply proves the leadership of CCHD is completely at-odds with responsible Catholic social activity.

Mary Ann Kreitzer has an extended article on CCHD’s misdeeds published at Spero News. She also writes about “thirteen news stories designed to tear back the curtain on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), or as I call it, Catholic Cash Helping Democrats.”

Papists, money is tight these days. With our government (finally) de-funding the state-sponsored corruption at ACORN, we Catholics need to de-fund the Catholic-sponsored corruption at the CCHD.

What can we do?

Every year around Thanksgiving time there is a second collection taken for CCHD at Masses in the United States. Here’s what I’d like to do:

1. In the next weeks I will search for the dioceses that have chosen to opt out of this second collection for CCHD (you can help me by emailing me if you know this has happened).
2. I’d will publish these dioceses here on AmP, and keep the list updated.
3. Then, I’d encourage you to (respectfully) write your bishop (if his diocese is not on the list) and ask that he also instruct his parishes to opt out of this second collection.
4. Put that extra money you would have given to CCHD in the collection basket of your own parish, where it will do some actual good.

If an organization has proven to be a bad steward, the Lord will find new stewards. We can help.

update – not to get distracted, but an AmP reader writes in:

Of the 7 senators who voted against pulling funding from ACORN:
- 1 is Baptist
- 1 is Episcopalian
- 1 is Jewish
- 4 are Roman Catholic

Wonderful.