The Anti-Catholicism Begins

People are starting to put it all together. All five of the Supreme Court Justices that voted to uphold the ban on partial birth abortion are...Catholics!!!

From the National Review. Hat tip to Joe Blake.

Presidential Hopefuls on Supreme Court Ruling

Quick quotes from the presidential hopefuls concerning the Supreme Court decision to uphold the patrial birth abortion ban:

HILLARY: 'Erosion of our constitutional rights'...
GIULIANI: 'I agree with it'...
OBAMA: 'I strongly disagree'...
ROMNEY: 'A step forward'...
MCCAIN: I'm very happy...
EDWARDS: 'I could not disagree more strongly'...

Hat tip to Sean Dollahon.

By the way, it intersting that Hillary Clinton is always "Hillary" and not "Clinton."

Planned Parenthood on Partial-Birth Ban

I hearty thank you to Justices Roberts, Alito, Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas for placing a crack in the masonry of Roe V. Wade.

As I followed the news, I saw this quote from Eve Gartner of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

"This ruling flies in the face of 30 years of Supreme Court precedent and the best interest of women's health and safety. ... This ruling tells women that politicians, not doctors, will make their health care decisions for them." She had argued that point before the justices.

This is absolutely ridiculous. Should we be reminded that it was German medical doctors who made "health care decisions" for the German Nation? Since when do we trust doctors to make ethical decisions?

Of course, Ms. Gartner has no problem with "politicians" making the decision to fund this "medical" procedure of abortion.

Lastly, Ms. Gartner should know that Supreme Court Justices are technically not "politicians" - they are interpreters of law.

National Catholic Prayer Breakfast with President Bush

On Friday, my wife and I attended the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. President Bush and Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. were the featured speakers.

George Bush did well, though this year's address lacked the buzz of last year. Last year I counted at least 4 or 5 standing ovations during the President's address. Anytime, he mentioned the words "immigration", "abortion", or "stem cells" the seats scooted and the Catholics stood to their feet in applause. This year, nothing like that happened. There were a few giggles when the President mispronounced "Apostolic Nuncio" - not the worst offense. (He couldn't get the "s" in "Apostolic.")

Bush had some good words about Charles Carrol - the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. He recounted the episode of Carrol's signing of the Declaration. As he signed it, someone remarked "There goes a few millions," a comment referring to the great wealth of Carrol and the likely amount of money that he would lose by joining the Revolution.

Archbishop Wuerl spoke of the faith of the Puritan pilgrims as they came to America and the legacy of Catholics in forming the culture of America. Perhaps someone who was there could clarify, but I thought I heard the Archbishop say that the first thing that the pilgrims did upon arriving in America was "celebrate Mass." Not a likely event, given that the pilgrims left England because the Church of England was too papist. Maybe I just didn't hear him correctly. Maybe he meant "Lord's Supper." Over all, it was a well crafted address. I didn't hear the Archbishop's Red Mass address last fall, which was complimented by many, but this was the best address that I've heard the Archbishop present.

2007 National Catholic Prayer Breakfast

The Three vs. Six Hour Problem of the Cross

I found a decent treatment of last week's question concerning whether Christ was on the cross three or six hours.

Click here for a thorough examination of the problem by Steve Ray.

Jewish Temple, Catholic Cathedral

Assistant Director Taylor Marshall examines the Old Covenant Temple as a model of the original Garden of Eden. He also looks at the influence that the Temple had on Catholic architecture.

Click here for more information.

Foot-Washings by the English Monarchy

Up until the death of King James II (technically the last Catholic Monarch of England) the monarch of England washed feet on Maundy Thursday. William and Mary brought the custom to an end.

Three or Six Hours on the Cross?

A blessed Good Friday to you all. I have found that many devotional manuals and tracts concerning the death of Our Lord speak of his "three hours" on the cross.

However, it seems clear that he was on the cross for six hours, from the third hour (9am) till the ninth hour (3pm).

Mark 15:25
25 And it was the third hour (9am), and they crucified him.

Mark 15:33-37
33 And when the sixth hour (i.e. 12pm) was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
34 And at the ninth hour (i.e. 3pm) Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elijah.
36 And one ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to take him down.
37 And Jesus uttered a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

Given the Scriptural evidence, from what sources does the "three hours" tradition derive?

Catholic Convert Angst

"It was a careless sentence snapped out by a good, sincere priest in a public discourse.

When a soul reaches a certain pitch of conflict, it ceases to be absolutely logical; it is rather a very tender, raw thing, with all its fibres stretched to agony, shrinking from othe lightest touch, desiring to be dealt with only by Hands that have been pierced. Then it is handled roughly, pushed this way and that by a man who understands nothing, who lives in a bright light toward which the sensitive soul of the convert is reaching out with unutterable pain. It is any wonder that again and again the miserable thing creeps back into the twilight sooner than bear any more, believing that a half-light with charity must be nearer to God's Heart than the glare of a desert..."

- Rev. Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson
from his Confessions of a Convert

Catholic Convert from Anglicanism
Son of Edward Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury
Former Priest of the Church of England

"Jewish Vestments, Catholic Vestments" Podcast

Taylor Marshall discusses the divine origin of priestly vesture from the Fall of Man and with the Mosaic covenant. He also discusses the significance of the Catholic vestments and their fitting place in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Click here for more information.