The Register's Daily Blog

Watching the Senate Bill

2009-11-20T20:38:54+00:00

By The Editors | The U.S. Bishops Conference’s Richard Doerflinger finds much to dislike about the Senate version of health care reform that will get a preliminary vote tomorrow night. Doerflinger, associate director of the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, told AP today that the Senate bill “is actually the worst bill we’ve seen so far on the life issues.” Doerflinger called …

Judge Sought to Overrule Parental-Consent Law

2009-11-20T17:56:43+00:00

By THE EDITORS | By a vote of 59-39, the Senate Nov. 19 confirmed Judge David Hamilton, who attempted to overrule an Indiana informed-consent law, to the Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. According to a report from World Net Daily, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., wants to push for a confirmation vote as early as Monday. Charmaine Yost, …

The Manhattan Declaration and the Archdiocese of Washington

2009-11-20T13:40:45+00:00

By The Editors | Today at noon, a group of prominent Christian clergy, ministry leaders and scholars will release the Manhattan Declaration, which addresses the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty. A press release this morning previewed several excerpts from the 4,700-word declaration. Among them: “We will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to …

Priest Gunned Down in Moscow

2009-11-20T10:26:39+00:00

By The Editors | A masked gunman entered a Russian Orthodox church in Moscow Nov. 19 and shot a priest who had been preaching to Muslims and warning about the growing Muslim minority in Russia, according to an article in this morning’s New York Times. Father Daniil Sysoyev, 34, died on his way to hospital. The church’s choir master also had …

Conference Examines Responsibilities of the Catholic University

2009-11-17T18:33:58+00:00

By Tim Drake | The Vatican announced late last week that the Pontifical Gregorian University is planning a conference to discuss the responsibilities of Catholic universities. Titled “The Catholic University in Postmodern Societies,” the conference is being held Nov. 16-20 by the International Federation of Catholic Universities. According to Pedro Nel Medina Varon, adjunct secretary general of the university federation, the …

Cardinal Kasper on 'Anglicanorum Coetibus'

2009-11-16T15:56:45+00:00

By EDWARD PENTIN | Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has spoken for the first time about Anglicanorum Coetibus, the apostolic constitution for Anglicans. In an interview with L’Osservatore Romano over the weekend, the cardinal began by talking about a late night telephone call he received from Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury. Cardinal …

Poland Comes to Italy's Defense on the Crucifix

2009-11-13T19:46:40+00:00

By Tim Drake | There’s more backlash from the European Court of Human Rights’ decision regarding keeping crucifixes in Italy’s public schools. Poland’s president, Lech Kaczynski, has said that Poland will never agree to remove crosses from its schools. While the court’s decision did not impact Poland, it could force a review of the use of the crucifix in government-run schools …

Herald of Choice Visits Philippines

2009-11-13T19:44:09+00:00

By The Editors | Hillary Clinton, on her first visit to the Philippines as U.S. secretary of state, said she wants to “empower” women to make choices that will be good for themselves, their families and society. Apparently, the Church to which most Filipinos belong doesn’t know anything about what’s good for her own children. The Church has been leading the …

St. John Lateran, Virtually

2009-11-13T15:20:12+00:00

By EDWARD PENTIN | Ever wanted to visit the Basilica of St. John Lateran but just never could get to Rome? Now you can, thanks to a breathtaking virtual tour created by Villanova University in Pennsylvania. The tour also includes the baptistry and cloister. Click here to see for yourself. As the cathedral of the bishop of Rome (the pope), containing …

Brothers in Arms: Top 12 Dioceses That Supported Maine

2009-11-12T20:39:56+00:00

By Tim Drake | Maine released its campaign finance filings, showing contributors to the Diocese of Portland’s successful effort to prevent the legalization of same-sex “marriage.” According to the campaign finance records, nearly five dozen dioceses and bishops made financial contributions to the effort. Among the largest donations were $50,000 donations from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Phoenix. …

Bishop Tobin Asks Kennedy: What Does It Mean to Be Catholic?

2009-11-11T15:54:24+00:00

By Tim Drake | When Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., originally attacked the Church’s position with regard to the proposed health-care reform bill, Diocese of Providence, R.I., Bishop Thomas Tobin responded and the two agreed to meet. Congressman Kennedy voted against the Stupak amendment, which barred the use of federal funding for abortion in the House’s health-care reform bill. Kennedy responded that …

Who Deserves Credit for the Berlin Wall's Fall?

2009-11-10T20:32:48+00:00

By Tim Drake | Taking a look at the vast majority of stories commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, there’s one pivotal person missing from the majority of the mainstream coverage: Pope John Paul II. Is this lack of inclusion an accidental oversight or an intentional act? If the previous Pontiff played no key role worth …

House Passes Health-Care Bill, So What's a Catholic to Do?

2009-11-9T16:53:49+00:00

By Tim Drake | After Saturday’s passage in the U.S. House of the health-care reform bill, highlighted by the amendment prohibiting federal funding for abortion, what’s a Catholic to do? It’s being seen as a victory for pro-life advocates who worked to ban federal funding for abortion in the legislation, but observers wonder whether the bill will retain the amendment as …

Apostolic Constitution Released

2009-11-9T15:10:58+00:00

By EDWARD PENTIN | The Vatican has published the apostolic constitution that allows for groups of Anglicans to come into communion with the Catholic Church while retaining their heritage and traditions. The lengthy, detailed document was signed by the Holy Father Nov. 4, the memorial of St. Charles Borromeo. Accompanying it were a note on complementary norms for the constitution, a …

Expunging Christ: The Crucifix and the Nation

2009-11-6T16:31:46+00:00

By Tim Drake | “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.” — Psalm 33: 12 On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights fined the Italian government for having crucifixes in its schools. It’s yet another example of oversized, secular bureaucracies pitted against the most natural forms of human …