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Abby Johnson Hopes For Day . . . When Hillary Announces She’s A New Pro-Lifer

November 1, 2016 Featured Today Comments Off on Abby Johnson Hopes For Day . . . When Hillary Announces She’s A New Pro-Lifer

By DEXTER DUGGAN SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Imagine if Hillary Clinton were up on the stage telling about her conversion to being a pro-lifer. That would be quite a transformation for the Democratic presidential nominee, who has made promoting massive abortion a major part of her life. At the third presidential debate on October 19 in Las Vegas, Clinton determinedly defended late abortions and said she wants a Supreme Court that continues to affirm its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which imposed permissive abortion nationwide. But a speaker a few nights later in this Phoenix suburb, at an October 22 benefit dinner for a pro-life pregnancy center, said, “Conversion is possible for anyone. . . . No one is beyond God’s…Continue Reading

Restoring The Sacred . . . Incense In The Liturgy: The Fragrance Of God

October 31, 2016 Featured Today Comments Off on Restoring The Sacred . . . Incense In The Liturgy: The Fragrance Of God

By JAMES MONTI Most of us have had the experience at some time or other, upon opening the door of a church to visit the Blessed Sacrament, of finding ourselves struck by the heavy fragrance of incense that has lingered from an earlier funeral Mass or some other liturgical rite. Incense has been used in sacred worship for countless centuries, but its effect is always the same. It has a way of transporting us. It communicates transcendence and speaks to our hearts of eternity. It takes us into the realm of the sacred and breathes into our souls the fragrance of Heaven. But incense is not only pleasing to the sense of smell; it can be visually striking as well.…Continue Reading

Where We Are

October 30, 2016 Featured Today Comments Off on Where We Are

By JUDE P. DOUGHERTY The year was 1932. Subsequent to the annual meeting of the German Catholic Bishops Conference at Fulda in August, Michael Cardinal Faulhaber of Munich released a pastoral letter that, among other things, forbade Catholics from participation in the National Socialist Party. National Socialism, he declared, was opposed to the moral and social teaching of the Church, not only with respect to the party’s founding principles, but with respect to its social goals, which if implemented would reduce personal freedoms, notably speech and religion. Catholics in the United States are slowly waking up to the dangers presented by its own national socialist party. Anyone acquainted with Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in the 1920s will recognize that…Continue Reading

The Secret Of Longevity

October 29, 2016 Featured Today Comments Off on The Secret Of Longevity

By DONALD DeMARCO The sequoia tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is the largest living thing on the planet. The oldest living sequoia is estimated to be 2,200 years although there is scientific evidence, through carbon dating, that this extraordinary plant can remain alive as long 3,200 years. “General Sherman,” the name given to the largest living example of the species, is located in northern California’s Sequoia National Park. It is more than 275 feet high, has a base diameter of 102 feet, and contains approximately 52,508 cubic feet of wood. Given their massive surface area, one would expect that high winds could easily cause them to topple over. Such is not the case, however. Sequoias typically live in groves, within a community,…Continue Reading

A Book Review . . . The Definitive Biography Of Hitler To Date

October 28, 2016 Featured Today Comments Off on A Book Review . . . The Definitive Biography Of Hitler To Date

By JUDE P. DOUGHERTY Ullrich, Volker. Hitler: Ascent 1889-1939. Translated from the German by Jefferson Chase. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. x + 998 pp. Confronted with a 998-page volume, one can only hint at its content. The book is not a pleasant read, although it contains a lot of material relevant to the present that needs to be taken seriously. The story of Hitler’s rise to power is interesting in itself, but Volker Ullrich describes Hitler’s ascent to power in the context of Germany’s turmoil in the years following its defeat in the First World War and the damage done to its economy by the Treaty of Versailles. Social conditions begged for strong leadership. And Germany got it…Continue Reading

Culture Of Life 101 . . . “Advance Medical Directives” (Conclusion)

October 27, 2016 Featured Today Comments Off on Culture Of Life 101 . . . “Advance Medical Directives” (Conclusion)

By BRIAN CLOWES (Editor’s Note: Brian Clowes has been director of research and training at Human Life International since 1995. For an electronic copy of chapter 23 of The Facts of Life, “Euthanasia,” e-mail him at bclowes@hli.org.) + + + We have seen that there are many problems associated with the standard Living Will, although these are not insurmountable with the assistance of a qualified attorney. Fortunately, there are alternatives to the Living Will that allow a person to transfer his medical decision-making to another who shares his values regarding human life, thus giving him a much larger degree of protection. There are also certain types of alternative advance directives that should be avoided. Alternatives to the Living Will. There…Continue Reading

Restoring The Rightful Place Of The Supreme Court In American Government

October 26, 2016 Featured Today Comments Off on Restoring The Rightful Place Of The Supreme Court In American Government

By STEPHEN M. KRASON (Editor’s Note: Stephen M. Krason’s Neither Left nor Right, but Catholic column appears monthly [sometimes bi-monthly] in Crisis. He is professor of political science and legal studies and associate director of the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is also co-founder and president of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists and a lawyer. Among his books is The Transformation of the American Democratic Republic, and two recent edited volumes: The Crisis of Religious Liberty and Challenging the Secular Culture: A Call to Christians.) + + + I hear frequently in this year’s election campaign that Supreme Court appointments should be the key consideration in the choice between the presidential…Continue Reading

Time To Pray Unceasingly . . . The Catholic Church Is Under Attack

October 25, 2016 Featured Today Comments Off on Time To Pray Unceasingly . . . The Catholic Church Is Under Attack

By FR. MICHAEL P. ORSI The Gospel reading for Sunday, October 16 was Jesus’ parable about the persistent widow demanding of a corrupt judge that he render a fair verdict on her claim. The judge gives in “lest she finally come and strike me.” It’s a humorous anecdote which Jesus turns into an illustration of how God answers the prayers of those who “call out to Him day and night.” A lot of people can identify with that widow nowadays, feeling like the system is rigged against them, and all they can do is keep calling out for justice. That frustration is what has fueled the appeal of Donald Trump. Catholics, in particular, have come face-to-face with the corrupt nature…Continue Reading

A Movie Review . . . Coming To God In An Unconventional Way

October 24, 2016 Featured Today Comments Off on A Movie Review . . . Coming To God In An Unconventional Way

By REY FLORES “I see you dressed in white. Every wrong made right. I see a rose in bloom. At the sight of you (oh so priceless). Irreplaceable, unmistakable, incomparable. I see it all in you (oh so priceless).” The above are the closing lyrics for the song Priceless by country duo For King & Country, which is part of the inspiration for a new motion picture about a troubled young widower and father who rediscovers God in a very unconventional way. The film’s promotional materials describe this film as “inspired by true stories,” but then again, with the possible exception of science fiction or fantasy films, most movies are inspired by true stories. The “true stories” in this case…Continue Reading

A Disillusioned Marxist Professor

October 23, 2016 Featured Today Comments Off on A Disillusioned Marxist Professor

By JAMES K. FITZPATRICK I spent much of my adult life observing left-wing academics who professed a fondness for socialism in one form or another. Some were my professors, others colleagues. More than a few were New Left Marxists who spoke openly in admiration of Mao, Fidel Castro, and the Sandinistas. One woman I taught with in a high school in a suburb of New York City adorned her classroom with posters that glamorized Communist China’s Red Guards and Che Guevara. Her everyday conversations were filled with references to the evils of capitalism and American militarism. I can remember speculating to myself about what would happen if these individuals ever had to actually live under a Marxist government committed to…Continue Reading