Alliance Defending Freedom, the Charlotte Lozier Institute, and the Family Research Council voiced concern to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Monday over proposed rules that continue to allow the cover-up of abortion surcharges in Obamacare.

Although federal law prohibits taxpayer subsidies for elective abortions, regulations under the Affordable Care Act prevent disclosure of the abortion surcharge to customers, who then unknowingly pay the fee to cover elective abortions.

“No one should be forced to pay a secret fee to cover other people’s elective abortions,” said ADF Senior Counsel Casey Mattox. “The Obama administration needs to stop deceiving the American people and coercing them to fund abortion. No matter where a person stands on abortion itself, everyone should be able to agree that this type of intentional and illegal deception is wrong and should stop.”

The ADF comment filed with HHS and OPM explains that the proposed rules fail to protect consumers because they continue “to permit insurance companies to confuse abortion coverage and conceal the abortion premium surcharge.”

“If Americans are to be forced off their existing, chosen insurance plans and into the ACA insurance exchanges regulated by your agencies, they should at least be entitled to full disclosure of the contents of the plans on those exchanges and what they are paying for,” the comment states. “Unfortunately, the proposed rules do not protect consumers, and in fact may continue to mislead them into enrolling in abortion-including plans and paying for others’ abortions in violation of their conscience.”

“Whatever one’s views of abortion, the current exchanges and plans regulated by your agencies do not protect any ‘right to choose’ abortion coverage,” the comment continues. “In fact, they leave many Americans without a choice that fits both their health needs and respects their right of conscience. They deceive and compel Americans to pay for others’ elective abortions. This is unconscionable and within your power to correct.”

The Charlotte Lozier Institute and Family Research Council have collaborated on a new website that allows citizens to find out whether their Obamacare plans cover elective abortions and thus require the hidden abortion surcharge.

by Sarah Zagorski | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 12/30/14 12:52 PM

ill Duggar, daughter of Bob and Michelle Duggar from the reality show, 19 Kids and Counting, celebrated Christmas with her family and shared with the world that she and her husband, Derrick are thankful for their baby that’s on the way.

On Christmas Day, Jill, 23, posted a photo on Instagram of her baby bump wrapped up like a present. Jill’s wrapped baby bump had a note that read: “To: Jill & Derrick, From: God.”

Jill captioned the photo on Instagram, “Merry Christmas from the Dillard’s! As we rejoice in the celebrations around the birth of Jesus Christ, we thank God for our precious little gift! “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

On June 21^st, Jill and Derrick got married in Springdale, Arkansas in front of 1,000 guests, including family and friends. Jill and Derrick met through Jill’s father, Bob Duggar and announced earlier this year that they’re expecting their first baby, a boy, in March 2015.

This past year the Duggar family has been the subject of much controversy because of their pro-life and Christian views. In fact, in November the liberal website Change.org organized a petition to pressure TLC to cancel “19 Kids and Counting” and gathered over 180,000 names. They accused the Duggar family of “using their fame to promote discrimination, hate, and fear-mongering” and criticized Jessa Duggar’s comment on Instagram comparing abortion to the Holocaust.

However, their petition to cancel the popular reality show was unsuccessful and Jim Bob Duggar said it just gave them “more exposure.” As LifeNews previously reported, this isn’t the first time a Duggar has spoken out against the abortion holocaust. In 2013, during the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit, Jim Bob Duggar said, “We have since 1973 (when Roe v. Wade was decided) had 55 million abortions, so what we have going on is a baby holocaust.”

Babies who are 23 weeks into pregnancy qualify for legal abortions in Britain and other nations around the world, but doctors did their best to save Baby Connor when he was born prematurely.

Now, his parents say the abortion limits in Great Britain should be lowered so babies who are old enough to live outside the womb are not killed in abortions.

Before birth, scans revealed the baby had a heartbeat and she and her partner Craig Walkow told doctors they wanted them to save him. But they were told Connor would be treated as a miscarriage. If they wanted to save their son they were told to find a specialist hospital, so Connor parents  fought for him to be moved 39 miles from Milton Keynes to Oxford.

A day later Connor was born at 23 weeks and two days weighing 1lb 2oz.

When he was born, Connor was covered from the neck down in the liquid-filled freezer bag to improve his chances of surviving. Doctors told his mother they would act if he showed signs of life and he did. So they put the little guy in a polythene sleeping bag to mimic being in the womb so he would have a better chance at growing and his heath improving in those early hours, days and weeks after delivery.

Eventually, Connor had three operations for a perforated bowel, suffered from fungal meningitis, chronic lung disease and a bleed to the brain. He also needed laser eye surgery after his eyes failed to develop properly.

But, Connor is doing better now and has celebrated his first birthday. And his parents say it’s time to re-evaluate the legality of abortions done on premature babies.

Rachel Crockett, 25, and partner Craig Walkow, 38, of Wing, Bucks, now want this cut-off point and the abortion limit – also 24 weeks – cut to 20 weeks.

Rachel said: “We were told to say goodbye to Connor and that we wouldn’t see him again. It felt like the end of the world, we were numb.

“We just had to sit there and wait for the nurse to say the worst, there was such relief when they told us he was OK.

“Later on the consultant came by and looked in on him – he could not believe Connor looked so well.”

Rachel added: “I think the cut off point and abortion limit should be lowered to 20 weeks – especially considering what happened with Connor. “By then they are a person.”

An unborn child is a person long before that — their unique humanness begins at conception — but her point is well taken that abortions on babies, especially at this stage of pregnancy, are inhumane.

by Carole Novielli | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 12/30/14 12:00 PM

CNN’s Poppy Harlow interviewed Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke about the recent protests that some in the Black Community have sparked after the police related deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

Harlow asked the Sheriff, who has been on several news shows on Fox and others, about a tweet he sent out implying that if Black lives mattered the protesters would be outside abortion clinics because of the high numbers of black babies killed by abortion.

The tweet sent by Sheriff Clarke, a black man himself, was sent to Mitch Smith, Journalist in the Chicago bureau of The New York Times and read, “If only these faux protesters were asked by media about all the black on black killing or black babies aborted in US every year.“

Poppy asked the Sheriff if he sent the tweet, “Yes I did,” Sheriff Clark responded.

He continued, “When I hear these things that Black lives matter, the only people who really believe that statement are American police officers who go into American ghettos every day to keep people from killing each other. Alright, so, yes I did say that and I meant it. Look, the abortions? If Black lives – if they really mattered, that’s where the outrage would be that’s where we’d see protests…”

This blog has proven time and again that abortion targets the Black community. Stats released by the CDC again prove that minorities are killed by abortion in disproportionate numbers. In fact, according to the most recent numbers, 36.2% of the total number of abortions recorded for race or ethnicity were reported on Black women.

Mississippi, which currently has only one abortion clinic in the state, had the highest number of abortions reported on Black women coming in at 63.4%.

Alabama, reported that 58.7% of their abortions were on Blacks while in Georgia they reported 52.1% abortions on Black.

Tennessee performed 49.9% of their abortions on Black women and Virginia performed 43.9% on Black women, while Michigan’s Black abortion percentage was 47.9%.

New York City alone performed 46.1% of their abortions on Black women and 41.1% of Black abortions was reported in Missouri.

It is a known fact that a majority of abortions are performed by Planned Parenthood.

Despite their founder’s link to the Klan and the racist eugenics movement, not one protest from the Black Lives Matter movement led by abortion advocates like Rev. Al Sharpton has been organized outside Planned Parenthood. Even when Planned Parenthood left a 24-year-old Black woman bleeding to death in their Chicago clinic, Sharpton said nothing. That woman’s name was Tonya Reaves and the only protests on her behalf were organized by black leaders within the pro-life movement.

So that begs the question, initiated by Sheriff Clark, if Black Lives Matter, and they certainly do, why is it that the one place known for killing off black babies and a black woman is not being protested?

LifeNews Note: Carole Novielli is the author of the blog Saynsumthn, where this article originally appeared.

Dear Friends of One More Soul,

Joe and Christine began their marriage willing to accept every child God would send them, and trusting totally in His spiritual and material support in that generous decision. They surely knew that if God responds with equal generosity, there will be great joy, many twists and turns, some sadness, and a substantial need for sacrifice. Christine tells their story!

MISSION Most Wonderful, Our testimony of trust

Nov 6, 2014

Each married couple is called into a cooperative mission with GOD. It is up to them to discover what that mission is. It has been such a blessing for my husband and me to receive 11 gifts of life. We always believed that being open to life was healthy and that God would help us feed, clothe and provide for as many children as we received. This agreement/commitment from the beginning of our marriage removed a ton of fear, doubt, over thinking, and stress from our life. Our mission was to grow a healthy family.

We could never have predicted the crazy turns and tests we would face as we joyfully seemed to announce a new family member every two years or so. Occasionally I cried with a new pregnancy just because I wasn’t surrounded by supportive people, but my husband assured me it was all good and “we could do it”! “WE” being the operative word! Each birth was a real celebration! I got bolder with do-gooders who dropped their jaws or gasped when they found out how many children we had. We learned to laugh a lot!!

After a miscarriage with our 9th blessing we clung to our faith and realized how fragile life was. We weren’t sure if there would be any more babies? We didn’t “need another child” but we assured each other and God that we were still open and willing to trust HIS timing. Our little MaryClaire came into the world in August of 2006. Joe and I were 42. Our oldest son was 20. Turns out we did need another child and God knew it!

In 2007 we began discerning moving our family to a new town—to live in, and help run a homeless mission. We let go of all job and insurance security and Joe became the Executive Director of a shelter, free clinic and food bank. ALL of us, 9 kids and parents, worked together serving the needs of others. This was a very positive experience. We loved it. Our family thrived and blossomed.

Boom! 2012 my husband’s minor health issues snowballed into major health issues. In March 2014 he’s finally diagnosed with Lyme disease. We all pitched in to keep the mission running. He begins aggressive treatments, becoming bedridden, riddled with pain, and loses his ability to focus or concentrate.

My mother becomes very ill in April, and dies in June. She was our champion, prayer warrior and full time cheerleader!

Another challenge to face. In July 2014, Joe sees some windows of health with IV therapy. We have some positive moments and become optimistic. Not to last though as he develops blood clots, has to come off Lyme treatment, essentially starting over. Strong oral meds caused Liver and Kidney problems. Come on GOD…what’s up with all of this?!!

Boom! At 50 years old and being sure it’s a not-so-funny menopausal trick, we have a positive pregnancy test!!! Second test….still positive. I announce pregnancy during a family game of Pictionary/Charades…my husband is rendered speechless!!! Images of Zechariah dance in my head. We are over the moon afraid to get too excited, but bursting with joy!! In the midst of suffering God has permitted new life and celebration!!!! …What’s up with all of this?!!

Boom! On August 19, 2014, Joe is fired–no warning, discussions or transition—due to his health, it appears. Given six hours’ notice, we have 30 days to relocate with no income, a desperately sick husband, fragile pregnancy, no money….and I mean NO savings or cash flow. We lived simply like those we served for 8 years, trusting God every day. Now we have become homeless and needy. Hey God, what’s up with this!?

Our parish gave us an empty rectory; friends and strangers have provided a steady flow of support. Meals, food, clothing, transportation, appliances, gift cards and all kinds of tokens of love have made their way to our door. God is loving us through His people! Our children are blanketed with goodness, kindness, and learning to receive many blessings. We are learning to forgive and persevere.

We know that many in this world would shake their finger and say you shouldn’t have had so many children; you shouldn’t be having another; you shouldn’t have given up security to give your lives to a non-profit serving others; etc, etc… But, in our Catholic world we don’t hear those words; we seek affirmation; we express trust, love and faith in our God who has it all under “control”. We go about our life, living without fear, allowing others to see our human imperfections and allowing the world to see our joy.

We share all of this to affirm couples! With age comes wisdom. Sometimes with age comes baby! “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”(Proverbs 3:5) Pray for all families to find their mission and thrive in peace and love!!

Please pray for our family.

By Clare Short

I had a thoroughly good time this morning. A nice young man from BBC Radio 4 came round to interview me for like 2 hours on how people view Pope Francis. He was very interested to hear that i identify as a totally orthodox catholic but i am also totally pro Francis. I will post the interview here when it airs at the beginning of October (please pray that they edit it fairly!).

I have had many discussions online recently regarding Pope Francis where the tone has been rather negative to say the least. It seems that my orthodox buddies just don’t get Francis. At best people think he is sloppy at his job and at worst they think he is single handedly going to destroy the catholic church!

There are several reasons for this:

1. He is not Benedict. 

Benedict was just the most wonderful pope for the orthodox catholic community. He sorted out the liturgy, he loved and embraced the ‘traditional’ parts of Catholicism in a very visible way, he was a master theologian. He was old skool and rock steady. Orthodox catholic’s were extremely comfortable under Benedict.

Francis on the other hand has shunned many ‘traditional’ things ie. the red shoes, the papal apartment, the pomp and the highly bejewelled vestments ect… He has a completely different, simplistic style. He breaks with tradition in a big way.

I think there is a temptation to misunderstand Francis here. He is only breaking with tradition on superficial matters. If you take the time to really listen to his homilies and read Evangelii Gaudium (or a summary of it – it is 51,000 words long!) you immediately see that he is a completely orthodox pope. The man knows he is not God. He is not trying to change doctrine or re-write the 10 commandments or ‘loosen the rules’. What colour the man’s shoes are makes no difference to his capability to lead the people of God for goodness sake!

2. He uses ambiguous language.

Many orthodox catholic’s i have spoken to have described Francis’ ‘conversational’ style to be wishy-washy at best, and open to wrong interpretation at worst. Personally I think this style of speaking to be extremely clever. I believe he uses ambiguous language on purpose. It is difficult for the fringe catholic to immediately reject something that he/she might agree with in part… Francis understands modern western culture. He understands modern man’s lack of respect and suspicion of authority. He understands the moral relativist media style we have all become so accustomed to hearing. In fact the style Francis uses is actually very biblical in nature. Jesus spoke in parables which people could easily understand and interpret in different ways – the core element of the teaching is still the same, but the interpretation of how it actually effects your life is individually relevant to each listener on a personal level. Francis’ style actually encourages the reader to look within themselves and apply what is being said to their own lives.

The ugly side to this of course is that people on both sides of the fence can take ‘some’ of the information and misunderstand what has really been said ie the “who am i to judge” comment.

3. He challenges the Orthodox catholic to evangelise.

Something i have certainly been guilty of in the past has been to sit up nice and tall on my theological and moral high horse. Even though i still am in no doubt that I AM RIGHT, high-horsing is never going to work in terms of evangelisation.

Francis is a man of great humility. Just as Christ did, Francis meets people where they are on their journey of conversion. He doesn’t point the finger or condemn, but instead sees the person behind the sin and encourages them into a deeper relationship with Christ. This requires sensitivity, kindness, compassion and patience.

By his example, Francis challenges us to evangelise in the same way. Essentially the Gospel is a message of mercy and forgiveness. Christ died for every single human being who has ever lived out of total pure love including all members of ISIS and Adolf Hitler and paedophiles. He loves and values every human being the same as he loves you. This is the radical message of Christianity. Introducing people to this love, to this person – Jesus Christ – is the first step.

We are called not only to preach love, but to be love to others. For those of us who are secure and solid in our faith the weight of responsibility is much, much heavier regarding evangelisation. If we don’t get out there and start proclaiming the truth, other will (and their version of the truth is well, not true!) But it is how we approach our brothers and sisters that is key. Calling someone ‘a homosexual’ or ‘a muslim’ or a this or that in a negative tone, dilutes their humanity. This makes the person defensive. This is not bringing Christ to them. Im not saying sweep all the other stuff under the carpet – not at all, what i am saying is that they will never understand and accept the doctrine without first having a relationship with Christ. You have to BE Christ to them as you build bridges of trust, and respect where they are on their journey of conversion.

Pope Francis understands this. He is out there doing it. And you might, just might, have totally misunderstood what he is doing.

By Abby Johnson

I’m just going to go ahead and let you know that this article is going to probably anger a lot of people. But I am a truth teller, and sometimes truth hurts. And as pro-lifers, this is information that we simply can’t ignore…no matter how much it affects our current lifestyle.

This is the first of a three-part piece on hormonal contraception. I hope you will read all three parts and share this factual information with people who may not know these truths.

The pro-life mantra has always been “Life Begins at Conception.” But do we really believe that? Do we really believe that life begins at that amazing moment of conception? Or do we actually believe that it begins at implantation? You may think that is a silly question. ‘Of COURSE pro-lifers believe that life begins at conception! Hello?! We have been saying that for years!’

Well, then here’s the kicker. If you believe that life begins at conception, then you MUST unequivocally oppose hormonal contraception. Here’s why. Hormonal contraception does not always prevent ovulation. In fact, many studies done by the birth control manufacturers themselves state that only about half of women using their methods actually cease ovulating.

Hmm. So how do these methods work if you are still ovulating at least half the time? Simple. These methods have a backup plan. Hormonal methods also work to thin the lining of the endometrium (uterine wall) so that a newly conceived human being (life begins at conception, right?) cannot implant on the uterine wall. Because the baby has nowhere to implant, they are spontaneously aborted.

Don’t believe me? View the screenshots of the information that comes directly from the manufacturers, or follow the links:

Nuvaring – Vaginal Ring

OrthoEvra – “The Patch”

Mirena – Hormonal IUD

Paragard – Copper IUD (cause that sounds safe!)

OrthoTriCyclen Lo – Birth Control Pills, otherwise known as Combined Oral Contraceptives

Depo Provera – “The Shot”

Implanon – Three year birth control method inserted in arm (yikes!)

Progestin Only Pill – “The Minipill”

Will sexually active women abort their babies every cycle? Probably not. But you may. You don’t know, and that’s the scary (and morally troubling) part.

Let’s say that a demolition company was going to use a wrecking ball to destroy an old school. When the supervisor of the company asks the principal if they made sure to clear the building, the principal says, “We most likely did. We aren’t 100% sure, but we are pretty confident.” Would that be acceptable? Would you be willing to push that button that releases that wrecking ball? Would you be willing to risk that there may or may not be life in that building?

If you take hormonal contraception and you are sexually active, then you are releasing that wrecking ball every month.

Luckily, there is a way to space pregnancies without the potential loss of life. It’s called Natural Family Planning. There are MANY different methods and sometimes it takes trying a couple before you find the right one for you. I recommend visiting www.iusenfp.com to explore the various methods out there.

And just in case you are one of those people who say, “I have to take birth control because of xyz health condition,” you actually don’t. I’m going to write another article on this, but I will tell you that by taking birth control, you are masking the problem, not solving it. NFP and NaPro technology can actually FIX the problem. You can find more information at www.fertilitycare.org.

Ladies, we have been force fed the idea that we must fix our unbroken fertility…and that our fertility solely falls on our shoulders. But here’s the reality. Fertility should be shared between a husband and wife. You don’t get pregnant on your own. NFP is a beautiful way to help you share in that gift. It’s worth your time to check it out.

By: Grace Connolly

1. There will never be a meal where everyone is happy with the food.

2. Getting a table at a restaurant will take at least half an hour no matter where you go.

3. Car trips to far away places are more crammed than Target on Black Friday.

4. Someone is always around to watch a movie.

5. Someone will always being talking during that movie.

6. If they are close to your age and size, clothing is communal.

7. The youngest will be the favorite child.

8. There will be alliances within the siblings and you better make sure you have a buddy.

9. Everyone has their spot on the couch and will not be afraid to throw a couple elbows your way to defend it.

10. Everyone will refer to so you as “so and so’s older/ younger sibling” instead of your actual name.

11. Sneaking extra people into a hotel room will be a normal vacation activity.

12. Sharing a room is just something you will have to do forever.

13. When mom and dad get in a cleaning mood it is best to round up the troops and take a sibling trip to anywhere but home.

14. Someone will always do the least amount of work and somehow get away with it.

15. Holidays are never a bore because someone is always in for some shenanigans.

16. You have a brother or sister to suffer through awkward family moments.

17. There will always be someone who catches your movie references because they have seen “School of Rock” just as many times as you have.

18. Your cheering section for your soccer games is always larger than everyone else’s.

19. Getting a picture where everyone actually looks like a human is near too impossible.

20. Group chats will mostly consist of people asking who is on the Netflix and to please get off so you can watch your show.

21. You will be called every other person in your family’s name before your mom actually calls you the right one.

22. Board games will never end well because someone is cheating and someone else is a sore loser.

23. If you complain about your siblings it’s fine, but the second anyone else does all hell breaks loose.

24. People will get confused when you start talking the shorthand that your siblings and you have crafted over the years.

25. Even the family size option of a good cereal will be gone in a single day.

It’s not always easy having a lot of siblings. There will be days when you wonder why your parents thought your siblings were a good idea at all. There will be days when you literally cannot be in the same room as them. The thing is though, there will also be days were you and your siblings all belt the words to “Do You Know” by Enrique Iglesias together. There will be days that you all sit around talking and laughing about the horrible restaurant your dad made you go to in the Everglades. And when all else fails, they will indeed bail you out of anything, even jail.

by Janet E. Smith 10/25/2014

It has long been known that the American way of life is being greatly threatened by the fragmentation of the family. A recent book featuring experts of all kinds who bemoan this phenomenon is Mitch Pearlstein’s Broken Bonds: What Family Fragmentation Means for America’s Future.

Jonathan Last, in a review of Pearlstein’s book, states, “The social capital created by traditional families is what undergirds the rest of our society. Sociologists and economists now understand that when this social capital is diminished, it causes all sorts of other problems. The crises of the welfare state, wage stagnation, income inequality, unemployment, the prison-industrial complex — all of these, and much more, can be traced to the breakdown of the family.”

The “fragmented family” refers to more than just the 50% of marriages that end in divorce, but also to the fact that many children never really have a family, since they are raised by mothers who have never married. It is not easy to come up with a precise number, but it is certainly true that, of the children who escape being aborted in the United States, the majority will not be raised by their married biological parents; one parent is likely to be missing, and it is usually the father.

The experts don’t know what to do, I would guess, largely because they can’t identify the causes. In fact, this book is not designed to propose solutions; its purpose is to get scholars, politicians and activists to realize that family fragmentation is a problem.

We in the Church are way ahead of the experts and activists. We have known for a very long time that to destroy the family is to destroy a culture. We also know a major reason for the destruction — and a workable solution.

We know that the major cause of the “sexual revolution” was the invention of the pill (even secularists such as Francis Fukuyama have written on the disruptive influence of the pill). When people remove the baby-making power from the sexual act, all hell breaks loose.

The fact that sex can result in a pregnancy has been the most powerful reason historically that minimally responsible people have waited until marriage to have sex. When that possibility is negated, people have sex outside of marriage, babies are born outside of marriage, people prepare poorly for marriage, and marriages break up, etc. Women — children and men, too — are more likely to be poor in this scenario.

To connect all of the dots would take a book (Mary Eberstadt connects the dots in her book, Adam and Eve After the Pill), but perhaps these dots are sufficient: The “sexual revolution” has led to too many children for several generations being raised without fathers; those children do not learn how to manage life well, and the cycle perpetuates itself. Many people who have not matured are raising the next generation, and the possibility of them maturing is negligible.

The other reason for not having sex outside of marriage is that to do so is a violation of God’s plan for sexuality. Religious people, especially Christians — especially Catholic Christians — should know how wrong and harmful sex is outside of marriage.

But the culture and the availability of contraception have clouded people’s intellects and weakened their wills, to the point that many Christians, Catholic Christians as well, conduct their sexual lives as foolishly as the rest of the culture.

Now, it is not likely that experts, scholars, politicians and activists are soon going to connect the dots. After all, they are just catching onto the fact that there is a problem.

But, as was said previously, those of us truly shaped by the Christian understanding of human nature and of reality are not in the dark about what the real problem is and what the real solution is. Even more than that, we have developed quite an abundance of good materials to get the job done.

Again, what is the job? The job is convincing people that sex outside of marriage is stupid, wrong and against their happiness and the well-being of their children. That requires that we teach them that contraception is stupid, wrong and against their happiness and the well-being of their children.

Do we have any hope of doing that?

Well, possibly yes, if it is done in the context of the New Evangelization. The New Evangelization means that we must help those who have been baptized Catholic to fall in love with Jesus and the truths that he teaches through his Church.

Many people, especially those from divorced households or those raised by unmarried mothers and parents, have a lot of misery in their being. We must introduce them to Jesus, the Divine Healer, and to the Church, aptly called by Pope Francis a “field hospital.”

Our priests need to speak to those wounds from the pulpit: Are you broken and confused? We have what you need: Jesus. He will give you graces to cope with the madness of this world that has seeped into your lives.

Jesus gives us grace through the sacraments and instruction through the various teaching mechanisms of the Church. Take advantage of these gifts. Sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Ask Jesus to heal you with his love.

All of us who wish to bring people out of darkness into light and out of misery into joy must be radical disciples of Christ himself. We must keep working to cut any compromise with comfort-seeking out of our lives.

The fact that the beatification of Blessed Pope Paul VI took place during the closing ceremony of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family was interpreted by some of us as a manifest sign that the synod would closely ally itself with Humanae Vitae. That did not happen for the first part of the synod, which, as the interim report indicated, seemed preoccupied with how to deal with the question of the reception of the Eucharist by those who have been divorced and remarried without benefit of an annulment and with the proper pastoral response to those with same-sex attractions.

The final report, however, rang a positive note about Humanae Vitae, so we can have some hope that the Ordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family, to be held in 2015, will pay significant attention to Humanae Vitae and how the failure of bishops and priests to preach and teach the truths of Blessed Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical has been seriously detrimental to the family.

We can hope that, between now and next fall, the participants in the synod will come to realize what gold we have in St. John Paul II’s theology of the body, which he wrote to defend the truths of Humanae Vitae. The many programs for youth, for the engaged and married based on the theology of the body are a true work of the New Evangelization.

There is one institution on the face of the earth that has the answers to the problems we face; if it does not use the resources available to it, the family will continue to fragment — and then woe be to us all.

Janet E. Smith, Ph.D., holds the

Father Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics

at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/wages-of-the-sexual-revolution#view-comments#ixzz3LP2xBuZa

Bishop James D. Conley has announced that many of the faithful in the Diocese of Lincoln will see something significantly different when they go to Mass this Advent. From the bishop’s column in this week’s Southern Nebraska Register:

“In the season of Advent, as we recall Christ’s Incarnation at Christmas, we are reminded to be prepared for Christ’s coming. In the Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent this year, Nov. 30, Christ tells us his disciples “to be on the watch.”

“We remember that Christ is coming whenever we celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In the Holy Mass we are made present to the sacrifice at Calvary, and to the joy of Christ’s glory in heaven. But we also remember that Christ will return, and we remember to watch, to be vigilant, to wait for him, and to be prepared.

“The Mass is rich with symbolism. The vestments of the priest remind us of the dignity of Christ the King. We strike our breasts, and bow our heads, and bend our knees to remember our sinfulness, God’s mercy, and his glory. In the Mass, the ways we stand, and sit, and kneel, remind us of God’s eternal plan for us.

“Since ancient times, Christians have faced the east during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to remember to keep watch for Christ. Together, the priest and the people faced the east together, waiting and watching for Christ. Even in Churches that did not face the east, the priest and people stood together in the Mass, gazing at Christ on the crucifix, on the altar, and in the tabernacle, to recall the importance of watching for his return. The symbolism of the priest and people facing ad orientem—to the east—is an ancient reminder of the coming of Christ.”

“But the symbolism of facing together, and awaiting Christ, is rich, time-honored and important. Especially during Advent, as we await the coming of the Lord, facing the east together—even symbolically facing Christ together at the altar and on the crucifix—is a powerful witness to Christ’s imminent return. Today, at a time when it is easy to forget that Christ is coming—and easy to be complacent in our spiritual lives and in the work of evangelization—we need reminders that Christ will come.

“During the Sundays of Advent, the priests in the Cathedral of the Risen Christ will celebrate the Mass ad orientem. With the People of God, the priest will stand facing the altar, and facing the crucifix. When I celebrate midnight Mass on Christmas, I will celebrate ad orientem as well. This may take place in other parishes across the Diocese of Lincoln as well.“

Make no mistake about it, this is big news. In many ways the near total disappearance of mass offered facing the altar has been the liturgical story of the past fifty years. While not required by the Second Vatican Council, versus populum has become the de facto norm in the Ordinary Form. For the faithful more often than not these days, it is only in the Extraordinary Form that the priest offers the mass ad orientem.

In his seminal work The Spirit of the Liturgy, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger discussed the ramifications of the post-conciliar change in liturgical orientation:

“The turning of the priest towards the people has turned the community into a self-enclosed circle. In its outward form, it no longer opens out on what lies ahead and above, but is closed in on itself…For just as the congregation in the synagogue looked together toward Jerusalem, so in the Christian liturgy the congregation looked together “towards the Lord.” As one of the Fathers of Vatican II’s Constitution on the Liturgy, J. A. Jungmann, put it, it was much more a question of priest and people facing in the same direction, knowing that together they were in a procession towards the Lord. They did not close themselves into a circle, they did not gaze at one another, but as the pilgrim People of God they set off for the Oriens, for the Christ who comes to meet us.”

Bishop Conley expresses a similar view in his column when he explains:

“In the ad orientem posture at Mass, the priest will not be facing away from the people. He will be with them—among them, and leading them—facing Christ, and waiting for His return.”

Sincerely pray for more bishops to step forward and also offer such a courageous example to the priests and laity of their dioceses. May they recognize that by offering the mass ad orientem during Advent, Bishop Conley will be catechizing the faithful while restoring authenticity and continuity to the liturgy.

by Sarah Terzo | WDC | LifeNews.com | 12/4/14

I would like to tell a story of pro-life victory, a story of life. A young woman named Diana told the following story on the “Stories from the Sidewalk” series.

“I’ll never forget the day I found out I was pregnant. It was October 7, 2012. I had just returned from a retreat when I took a pregnancy test. I couldn’t believe it. I was active at Texas State’s Catholic Center and was a member of the Catholic sorority. I couldn’t let anyone find out I was pregnant – what would they say?

The baby’s father didn’t want a child and said he would pay for an abortion. Without his support, afraid of what others would say, and since I was expecting to graduate in just a few months, I scheduled an abortion.

I was the only person in the waiting room. I was really scared. The doctor had me sign some papers that he went through quickly. The examining room was dim and cold. There weren’t any pictures or posters like most doctor’s offices. He couldn’t confirm the pregnancy, so he asked me to reschedule.

The next few days, I tried to live life as usual, but kept thinking of that little person inside me. Fortunately, one of my sorority sisters told me about [The John Paul II Life Center]. I didn’t want to go, but eventually, I did.

The JPII Life Center was very different from the abortion facility. It was warm… welcoming. Instead of doing the sonogram to determine how much they would charge me, they gave me one for free. I’ll never forget that sonogram. The doctor told me to lay very still. Then, he showed me the most breathtaking sight I had ever seen – a tiny pulse of red and blue. My baby’s heartbeat! I was only about 5 weeks pregnant, but my baby’s heart was already beating. I knew I couldn’t abort my child.

But later, reality hit. My mom made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with me or my baby. If I didn’t have an abortion, I would lose my cell phone, my car, my tuition, my apartment. Without the help of my parents, there was no way I could finish school or support myself. How could I take care of a baby?

I choked back tears as I made an appointment at another abortion clinic. Thankfully, God placed the right person at exactly the right time in exactly the right place. As I drove up to [the abortion clinic], I saw a familiar face praying outside the clinic. Then, I heard my name. “Diana, what are you doing here?”

It was Judy [a Sidewalk Counselor and also a counselor] from The JPII Life Center. I ran up to her and was greeted with a warm embrace. I told her my situation and she welcomed me into her home. Within a few hours, she, her husband and The JPII Life Center found me a place to stay and help with tuition. I didn’t know it at the time, but while this was going on, Drew Mariani and the listeners at Relevant Radio were also praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for me and my parents.

When I finally worked up the courage to tell my father, he reacted completely different from what I expected. He said he would stand behind my decision. And, he insisted that my mother do the same. After that day, I knew everything would be ok. Since then, I have graduated from Texas State and gave birth to Enrique, who is loved by me and his grandparents.

Without The JPII Life Center, [Relevant Radio and the Coalition for Life], I would not have my baby’s life – or even my own. You see, if I’d gone through with that abortion, not only would it have ended my son’s life, I would have taken my own life. [They] saved us both… and I am forever grateful.”

Diana’s story shows how even a religious person can have an abortion when the stress of an unplanned pregnancy becomes overwhelming. Her story is a good reason why priests and pastors should talk about abortion and educate their congregations not just about abortion facts but also about places then can go if they become pregnant.

Religious pregnant women often have the added stress of fearing what their congregation will think if they have a baby. This leads many frightened Christians to have abortions. With abortion such an easy option, always available, people panic. Always support mothers, whether or not they are married. They have made a brave choice.

LifeNews.com Note: Sarah Terzo is a pro-life liberal who runs ClinicQuotes.com, a web site devoted to exposing the abortion industry. She is a member of the pro-life groups PLAGAL and Secular Pro-Life. Follower her on Twitter.