Catholic Fire

Three of the top lay Catholic organizations have divorced themselves from Catholic teaching by supporting the Obama health-care plan, which would foster a culture of mandatory abortion coverage, contraceptive services, and permissive sex education, euthanasia and eugenics. Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Catholic Health Association are joining together to push the current version of the plan through Congress. "There is no social justice in rationing charity," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "Millions of taxpayers will be forced to subsidize abortion, contraception, euthanasia and bureaucratic denial of health care to the poorest of the poor." The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Charities USA sent out an action alert asking members to contact their legislators immediately: We must maintain momentum for health care reform efforts with calls and emails supporting health care reform immediately. ... ...

Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue went to Rome recently and conducted an interview with Archbishop Burke, who is completely uncompromising in his interpretation and application of Canon 915. He hits the ground running: "Mr. Terry: For the umpteenth time, I and the others are asking, under Canon 915 what should or should not be done? Archbishop Burke: The Canon is completely clear, it is not subject in my judgment to any other interpretations. When someone is publicly and obstinately in grave sin we may not administer Holy Communion to the person. And that, basically, for two reasons: number one, to prevent the person himself or herself from committing a sacrilege, and secondly, to protect the sanctity of the Holy Eucharist. In other words, to approach, to receive our Lord in Holy Communion, when one insists on remaining in grave sin, is such a violation of the sanctity of the Holy Eucharist, so that Communion must not be given to people who are publicly, obstinately, in ...

RICHFIELD, Minnesota, (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Minnesota Catholic high school has decided against giving a state legislator an award he was scheduled to receive after the school learned he has consistently supported abortion legislation. Rep. Paul Thissen, who is running for Minnesota governor, was expecting to be presented with the Academy of Holy Angels (AHA) Activities Hall of Fame Alumnus Award last month, when he received a call from AHA president Jill Reilly asking him to withdraw his name. When he refused, he was told the award would be revoked due to his position on abortion. Article I congratulate this school for standing up for the faith and not yielding to this pro-abortion politician. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in 2004 directed that pro-abortion politicians "should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions" by Catholic schools. Such politicians are considered automatically excommunicated from the Ch...