From Archbishop Dolan's Blog

Cardinal Dolan has a good piece on his blog about the more recent dvelopments concerning the HHS mandate.  He points out that the Obama administration has written off the bishops as the voice of the Catholic Church.  Instead Obama and company are advising the bishops to listen to voices of accomodation within the Church, that is, the voices that agree with Obama!  As Cardinal Dolan says ".. . . . . . we have to be realistic and prepare for tough times."  Hmm, something about the "armor of God" might be appropriate about now?

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  (Ephesians 6, 10-12)

Gay Marriage Explained

Ode To Leap Year

This poetic tribute to Leap Year was debuted in an invitation-only, private salon reading in the home of the author on February 29, 2004.  Some will remember that special occasion. . .. .

ODE TO LEAP YEAR

How oft the clock we wish to turn back to an earlier time,

To celebrate a bygone day we now view as sublime,

To be ourselves once more as we believe that we once were,

As babe-in-cradle, tot or teen, any age we might prefer

To this one. Where we are right now. The unforgiving present.

Where we can only dream a past that memory turns so pleasant.

But stay a moment. Listen up. For this year something’s different.

For this year February has all twenty-nine days in it!

It’s thank ye to Pope Gregory that only leap kiddies may wander

Once every four years backwards where our memories find it fonder.

So this year, leap kids round the world can shout a ‘Hallelujah!’

And turn deaf ears when folks say to us,

“You don’t have a REAL birthday….. Do ya’?”

Of course we do! But not like you who count the years by onesies.

We count our birthdays one in four, growing hardly past our twenties.

We live in a perpetual state of youthful animation

As we calculate our leap birthdate with neat multiplication.

By the time we’ve lived four years we’ve really just completed one.

And when we’re twenty, we turn five. Our schooling’s just begun.

Thirteen times four, our thirteenth year, we’re in our adolescence.

Nineteen times four, not twenty, and full of effervescence!

Oh, time passes for us too. We know. The mirror doesn’t spare us.

Those years between we’re just like you who age as each year passes.

But every four there’s Februar’ with all its days in order,

And we revert to young-at-heart and shout a happy chorus.

Praise leap year then!

Send out to find that special Jack or Jane!

And raise a cheer to those this year who’ll be younger once again.

Amy De Rosa

2004

Nonmarital Births Among Young Women

In this article, the New York Times is basically reporting on one of the themes of Charles Murray's new book, Coming Apart, although there's no mention of Murray until almost halfway through the article!  Oh well.  The Times leads off with the fact that among women under 30, more than half of births are outside of marriage,  'nonmarital births' as Murray calls them. 

The Times puts an objective, neutral, non-judgmental, well, their own spin on it with  phrases like "the transforming family" and "rewards of marriage increasingly reserved for people with the most education."   Ideological mumbo jumbo on the part of the Times journalist!  Here's more mumbo jumbo:  "Money helps explain why well-educated Americans still marry at high rates: they can offer each other more financial support, and hire others to do chores that prompt conflict."

It's exactly the other way around of course.  Marriage is one of the major factors in leading people out of poverty!  Read this article by Robert Rector  and this one on married fathers also by Mr. Rector.  For a lighter treatment of the same issue, see this article.   

What particularly chafes is that this development is another example of the unabashed hypocrisy and deception of feminist ideology.  Unfortunately, young women still seem to be taking the bait--hook, line and sinker---that they'll be able to do it all.  In this case that includes raising children without the benefit of a father and husband while simultaneously bringing home the income necessary to support themselves and their children.  All this while somehow managing to maintain a reasonable standard of living and quality of life for themselves and their children.  If a young woman is thrust into this situation through the vagaries of life, that's one thing.  But for young women to make a choice to be husbandless and for their children to be fatherless is a sad thing for these women, their children and our society.  Unnecessary also.

Some Weasels

According to Bishop Jenky of Peoria, Illinois, there is a place where unfaithful Catholic politicians might eventually find themselves. 

Culture War

Following along with the most recent battle in the culture war of Obama vs. the Catholic Church, here are two good articles, one and two, that explain why Obama's 'accommodation' has been rejected by the bishops and others.   A quote from the first article: 

It is morally obtuse for the administration to suggest (as it does) that this is a meaningful accommodation of religious liberty because the insurance company will be the one to inform the employee that she is entitled to the embryo-destroying “five day after pill” pursuant to the insurance contract purchased by the religious employer. It does not matter who explains the terms of the policy purchased by the religiously affiliated or observant employer. What matters is what services the policy covers. 

A quote from the second article explains that many institutions (such as the Archdiocese of NY) self-insure. 

Third, this does nothing to protect churches and other institutions like EWTN that are self-insured. The whole point of the compromise is to stick the burden on the insurer. Well, for many dioceses and folks like EWTN, they are the insurers — so they are still being forced to directly provide the coverage that violates their religion. Ironically, many of these institutions self-insure precisely in order to avoid state-law requirements to provide these drugs. So the president, whether intentionally or not, is eliminating the safety valve that works in many states to protect religious institutions. Thanks for that “compromise.”

162 Reasons To Marry

From Family Research Council, read them here.