Breaking News From EWTN

EWTN Picks Up the Ball NBC Dropped in Refusing to
Air Pro-life Commercial During Super Bowl

Irondale, AL (EWTN) – See the pro-life commercial NBC refused to air during the Super Bowl on EWTN Global Catholic Network this Sunday Feb. 1, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET and continuing through midnight ET.
The commercial, sponsored by Fidelis and catholicvote.com, centers around the theme: “Life: Imagine the Potential.” It will begin airing during “Faith Bowl II,” an annual Family Theatre made-for-television special, which analyzes the role that the Catholic/Christian Faith plays in professional and collegiate sports. This year, Major League Baseball’s Mark Loretta of the Los Angeles Dodgers will guest along with former professional soccer player Antonio Soave.
The commercials will continue throughout EWTN’s Sunday evening lineup, including the shows with popular series Hosts Father Benedict Groeschel and Father John Corapi, and will conclude at midnight ET.
EWTN also aired this powerful commercial several times during its extensive coverage of the March for Life; an event which has been boycotted by virtually every mainstream media outlet in the country, despite the fact that every year it is Washington, D.C.’s largest march.
The commercial can also be viewed on EWTN’s pro-life webpage, www.ewtn.com/prolife, after 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, and, of course, on http://www.catholicvote.com/.
What follows are the words that flash across the screen over a picture of an ultrasound during the must-see pro-life commercial: “This child’s future is a broken home, he will be abandoned by his father, his single mother will struggle to raise him, despite the hardships he will endure, this child will become the 1st African-American president. Life, imagine the potential.”
EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 28th year, is available in over 148 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website http://www.ewtn.com/ and publishing arm, EWTN, is the largest religious media network in the world.

Michelle Johnson
Director of Communications
EWTN Global Catholic Network
5817 Old Leeds Road
Irondale, Alabama 35210-2198 USA
(205) 795-5769 – Office
(205) 441-6248 ­– Cell
(205) 795-5781 – Fax
mjohnson@ewtn.com

Gay Marriage Revisited in 2009

The issue of homosexuality and gay marriage has come up again (first time this year- probably not the last and that's OK- we're open to repeat topics if you've got comments or questions). For more responses to this issue, please see previous posts: The Catholic Church's Opposition to Gay Marriage, Same Sex Couples and the Catholic Church, and Christians and Same Sex Marriage.

Jen D. writes: I am a devout practicing Roman Catholic and I do not believe a gay/lesbian couple being in a monogamous loving relationship who are committed to each other until they are parted by death is immoral, I believe it is a beautiful virtue to be admired. Its also a virtue these people want to adopt children that heterosexuals apparently do not want. What is right and wrong is written on the human heart -between each person and God. Also, love and commitment is always right- can never be wrong or sinful, and covers a multitude of sins. Denying gays/lesbians these human rights (marriage) breaks the moral code to love your neighbor as you love yourself. How can we (Catholics) deny anyone such a right? Love is the most important thing, who cares what sex you are, love is love.

My response: Thanks for writing Jen D. and sharing your thoughts with Connecticut Catholic Corner. Let's be clear. Homosexuals are to be treated with respect and acceptance just like everyone else (see the official Catholic teaching below). The problem is, we humans don't make the rules or decide what is sin and what isn't sin. God does- and He didn't ask our opinions on it. We either accept it or reject it. It's really that simple. It was God who created humans and when he did, he made woman for man. Female for male and created them so that they could procreate. Both the Old Testament and New Testament agree that same sex sexual relationships are sinful TO GOD. That means, it hurts God when these sins are committed. Now it may not personally effect your life or my life, but when anyone sins against God, it hurts God- and that is the whole point. If someone on the other side of the world commits a sin, be it stealing, coveting, murder whatever, it won't effect me personally, but it will hurt God and as a Christian any sin that hurts God should bother us and hurt us because of our relationship with God. I don't know if you have children or not, but if someone hurts my kids, it hurts me because I love my children. God is our Father in Heaven, if one of his children hurts He hurts. Sin hurts mankind. Some sins effect us personally more than others, but all sin hurts us. And same sex relationships are no more sinful than heterosexual sins. All sexual immorality is equally wrong (read 1 Cor. 5 in your bible for more). To accept one and condemn another only makes you a hypocrite. What I mean by that, is society today (especially the media) doesn't seem to make such a big deal out of pre-marital sex or adultery- but watch out if you bring up gay marriage! Shouldn't be like that because its all sinful according to God. But humans are often the pick and choose types and currently gay marriage is the target. Decades ago it was divorce & remarriage and being shunned because you had pre-marital sex. All these sins are forgivable if we are repentant and truly sorry for offending God. He decided what was sin long ago, we have the God given free will to accept His Word or reject it. Which ever you choose to do, will decide your fate.

This is our Roman Catholic Faith:

Catholic Catechism: #2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

#2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

#2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

#2396 Among the sins gravely contrary to chastity are masturbation, fornication, pornography, and homosexual practices.

Save The Date!

Come Join Us for Our

10th Annual Catholic Awareness Day
Sponsored by the Connecticut Catholic Conference

Monday, February 9, 2009, at the State Capitol
in Hartford from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.


This is the day to learn and understand the Catholic viewpoint on
important issues facing our State, learn about the legislative process and plan to meet with your State legislators.

Attend one or more of the following workshops:

· Immigration
· Life Issues
· Health Care Reform
· Parochial School Challenges

Pastors are encouraged to send groups of parishioners.
Please see your pastor if you are interested in having a group
attend from your church.

Want to meet your legislator? Plan ahead and
make an appointment!

Senate Democrats:1-800-842-1420 Senate Republicans:1-800-842-1421
House Democrats: 1-800-842-1902 House Republicans:1-800-842-1423

For more information, contact the
Connecticut Catholic Conference at 860-524-7882
or visit our website at: www.ctcatholic.org
-------------------------------------------------------

CONNECTICUT CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
RELEASED A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON ABORTION TRENDS AND ISSUES IN
CONNECTICUT TODAY

Wednesday, January 21, 2009
At the Legislative Office Building, Room 1C
at 1:00 p.m.

On the eve of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Connecticut Catholic Conference, as the public policy office of the Catholic Bishops of Connecticut, announced efforts to seek changes in Connecticut’s abortion laws to better protect minor teenage girls.

**this message is from the Connecticut Catholic Conference**

EWTN Launches New Pro-Life Site On Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Notice By Michelle Laque Johnson,
Director of Communications (EWTN)

EWTN has just launched a new pro-life site. Check it out at www.ewtn.com/prolife. Pro-life advocates are welcome to link to this page.

The new site will be updated daily and will include the latest pro-life video and audio segments from EWTN’s many pro-life programs, schedules of upcoming television and radio programs, and highlights from archived programs.

Among the many features of the site are a Pro-Life Forum and a Natural Family Planning Forum where people can post questions about any of the life issues and receive on-line answers. These forums are searchable so people can research answers to questions already posed.

The site also includes relevant papal documents, pro-life links, a pro-life voters’ guide and much more. There are plans for even more features to be added, so log on every day.

We hope you enjoy the new site – and will tell your friends about it!

**notice directly from EWTN**

Father John Corapi & the catechism pt 1

Health Care Reform in Connecticut

HEALTH CARE REFORM IN CONNECTICUT

"Affordable and accessible health care is an essential safeguard of human life and a fundamental human right. With an estimated 47 million Americans lacking health care coverage, it is also an urgent national priority."

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The upcoming legislative session will present our elected officials with many difficult choices as they try to balance our state budget during difficult financial times. However, one issue that must continue to make progress in our state is health care reform that provides coverage to the ever increasing number of uninsured. As unemployment increases, the number of people who will no longer be able to access health services will also increase. The uninsured in our state, which number in the hundreds of thousands, are comprised of not just the unemployed, but many working people who do not have a sufficient income to afford health insurance.

Employers are also becoming increasingly burdened by ever rising health care costs.

The Connecticut Catholic Conference is a member of the Interfaith Fellowship for Universal Health Care. More information will be provided to you on this very important topic as the 2009 legislative session progresses.

SPECIAL NOTICE: The Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut will unveil a major proposal for health care reform in Connecticut on Tuesday, January 13, at 5:30 p.m. at Union Station in Hartford.

Although the Catholic Conference has not endorsed a particular solution to the health care crisis, we do encourage you to help to keep the drive for
health care reform alive - please try to attend this important event.

Your attendance will show our elected officials how important this issue is to the people of Connecticut.

**this notice is entirely from Connecticut Catholic Conference

RICO Charge Against Norwich Diocese

Connecticut woman files RICO charge against diocese in sex-abuse case
December 31, 2008

A Connecticut woman has filed a sex-abuse lawsuit against the Norwich diocese, using a federal law designed for use against organized-crime figures. The lawsuit cites RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) law in claiming that the diocese engaged in a criminal conspiracy to cover up evidence of priestly abuse. The lawsuit names Bishop Daniel Reilly, who headed the Norwich diocese from 1975 to 1994; and Father Thomas McBride, the vicar general. (Bishop Reilly, who moved to the Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1994, is now retired.)

Source of the above article: http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=1541


Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

Norwich Diocese Faces Racketeering Lawsuit Over Abusive Priests (Hartford Courant)
Sex abuse lawsuit alleges racketeering by diocese (Newsday)