Thursday, May 31, 2007

Catholic News-Thursday, May 31, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION

eHarmony Sued For Excluding Gays - Jill Serjeant, MSNBC I'm Back From Hawaii - Tito, Custos Fidei Barbara Walters Bigotry on 'The View' - Bill Donohue, Catholic Lg What I Think About Evolution - Sam Brownback, New York Times Priest Asks For Shop Owner's Death - Warner Todd Huston, NewsB.. Malaysia Rejects Lina Joy's Conversion - staff, BBC World News Lina Joy Wants to be a Christian - Tito, Custos Fidei Obligatory Motu Proprio Rumor Monger Postings of the Day: Latin Mass Firestorm Ahead - TMatt, GetReligion.org
Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: RealChoice by Christina Dunigan
Movie Review:
by Tito, Custos Fidei.
(this movie is still playing in Houston!)
Last Weeks News:
For May 30 click here. For May 29 click here. For May 23 click here. (Hat Tip: Lucianne & RealClearPolitics)

Back from Hawaii, Blogging, and CF's New Look

Well I'm back from my friends wedding in Lihue, Kauai and catching up with many of my childhood friends. I can't tell you how relaxing and enjoyable it was. It is nice to be back in Houston though, but I miss the extraordinary weather that I just came from. My blogging will be a little sporadic so bear with me. Congratulations to Matt for his very first posting on my blog. It only took him nine months, but hey, who's counting! Now all we need is for Handmaiden to post her as well to complete the quartet of bloggers. Fidei Defensor has posted some excellent articles thus far, I believe he probably is hunkered down for finals. So what do you all think of the new look CVSTOS FIDEI? I'm still tinkering around, teaching myself CSS and HTML to really spice up the blog. Any suggestions or comments? The picture in the middle of my blog title is that of Blessed Miguel Pro, S.J. outstretching his arms before being shot by the firing squad. In his left hand he is holding the Rosary and in his right hand a Crucifix. Moments before being shot he knelt down and prayed. He then stood up and stretched out his arms in the sign of the Cross and said, "May God have mercy on you. May God bless you. Lord, You know that I am innocent. With all my heart I forgive my enemies." Then he yelled out, "Viva Cristo Rey!", which translates to "Long Live Christ the King!". The anti-Catholic regime in Mexico executed a great man, a man of God. The 'Blancos' regime, a liberal and secular government bent on wiping out Christianity in Mexico continued the persecution of Catholics throughout the country. Eventually the 'Blancos' government put down the 'Cristos' uprising and we have the current form of governance in Mexico today. Many of my relatives were among the Cristos that lost their lives in Mexico and in remembrance of them and to show liberals and secularists that they will never destroy those that follow the Son of God I have put the image of Fr. Miguel Pro in open defiance. God bless, Tito
Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Catholic News-Wednesday, May 30, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI AFTERNOON EDITION
FCC Ruling Will Help Cath' Radio to Grow - Tim Drake, NCRegister US Hate Crimes Bill May Ban Bible - Kathy Shaidle, Relapsed Cath.. Vatican For Turkey E.U. Membership - staff, CWN Bartholomew I: Turkey Must Protect Minorities - staff, ZENIT High Demand For Classical Liturgy Training - Shawn Tribe, NLM Beckwith: Bad Liturgy Drives People Away - Jeffrey Tucker, NLM Bishop Trautman's Liturgical Opinion - Diogenes, Off the Record Liturgy Wars - Gerald Augustinus, The Cafeteria Is Closed Cardinal O'Brien Warns Pro-Choice Cath' Pols - staff, Catholic Onl.. Applying Canon 1398 To Pro-Choicers - Dr. Edward Peters, ItLotL Fred Thompson Opposes Abortion - Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com ...and he... Will Run! - Mike Allen, The Politico Divergence in the Gospels - Mark Shea, National Catholic Register Pope: Only God is Flawless - Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service Discerning a Vocation - Carley, Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony Great Theology Requires Communion With Church - staff, CWN Amy on Her Summer Reading List - Amy Welborn, Open Book Russians Bid for Control in Jerusalem - Hillel Fendel, Arutz Sheva Pope on Abortion, Politicians, & Communion - George Weigel, CE Obligatory Motu Proprio Rumor Monger Postings of the Day: The Pope's Language Lesson - John L. Allen Jr., NY Times Evolutio - New Catholic, Rorate Caeli
Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony (RCP) by PJP & Sarah
Pic of the Day: by Roman Catholic Vocations
Movie Review:
by Tito, Custos Fidei.
(this movie is still playing in Houston!)
Last Weeks News:
For May 29 click here. For May 23 click here. (Hat Tips: LifeSite & Lucianne)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Catholic News-Tuesday, May 29, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION
Bartholomew I: Turkey Must Protect Minorities - staff, ZENIT WaPo Slams Archbishop Burke - Michael Chapman, NewsBusters 'Snuff' Gun Owner, Says Fr. Pfleger - Susan Jones, CNS News 4000 Christians in India Arrested During Protest - staff, ZENIT The New Irish, Vietnam! - staff, California Catholic Daily 200 Million Persecuted Christians - Brian Monyahan, London Times CVSTOS FIDEI AFTERNOON EDITION
38 New Priests for Opus Dei - staff, ZENIT Stay-at-Home Economics - Domenico Bettinelli, Bettnet.com Stigmatize Planned Parenthood - Kathryn Jean Lopez, Townhall.com Swiss Suicide Worries - Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke ByzFaith Blog Folds - Karen, ByzFaith Vatican Goes Green - staff, United Press International The Pill & Its Abortifacient Side Effects - Christina, CoaCS Brownback: GOP Won't Nominate Pro-Abort - Steven Ertelt, LN ..but..Social Cons Back Giuliani - David Paul Kuhn, The Politico Madeleine's Parents to Meet Pope - Press Association, The Guardian 1/2 Million Bulgarian Catholics at Whitsun Pilgrimage - Palma, PRF Bell Tolls on Catholic Tradition in Italy - Nick Pisa, Telegraph DePaul University Plans Gay Conference - staff, TFP When Reality is Up for Grabs - Mark Steyn, Western Standard Anglican Church in a 'Mess' - Jonathan Petre, Telegraph
Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: Musings of a Pertinacious Papist by Dr. Philip Blosser
Movie Review:
by Tito, Custos Fidei.
(this movie is still playing in Houston!) Odd News Item of the Day: Big Cat Likes Getting Wet & Wild by Michael Hanlon, Daily Mail
Last Weeks News:
For May 23 click here.
Friday, May 25, 2007

Poll: American Muslims reject extremes

The headline in the Houston Chronicle - U.S. Muslims reject extremism, poll finds in USA Today- Poll: American Muslims reject extremes The reality: - 27% hold "no opinion" about Al-Queda, 5% view it favorably. Can you imagine if a large group of Americans held "no opinion" about Nazi Germany after they knew about the gas chambers? - 60% believe that 9/11 attacks were not carried out by Arab Mohammedan terrorists. - 22% of U.S. Mohammedans said the use of suicide bombings against civilian targets to defend Islam can be justified. The complete survey is here:Muslim-Americans This liberal attempt to hide the true facts of Islamic extremism does no service to America, or the Mohammedans themselves. In order to root out the extremists they need the light shined on them like the cockroaches they (the extremists) are. God Bless, Matt
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Catholic News-Wednesday, May 23, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI AFTERNOON EDITION ACLU Selective on "Free" Speech - Wendy Kaminer, Opinion Journal The College "Hook Up" Culture - Ashely Herzog, Townhall.com Animal Cloning's Slowdown - Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke Europe's Culture War - Paul Belien, The Washington Times Charges Dropped Against Pro-Life Advocate - staff, ADF Hollywood Values vs. Family Values - Don Feder, Family...Matters A Presbyterian Converts - The God Fearing Fiddler, TGFF Church Aided Indigenous People - staff, ZENIT FDA Approves Period Suppression Pill - Andrew Bridges, AP Church is Not Homophobic - staff, ZENIT Vatican: Gender Grounded in Biology - staff, CathNews Communion With Saints by an Evangelical - Richard J. Mouw, TCC Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: A Catholic Life by Seminarian Matthew Movie Review: Into Great Silence (Die Groß Stille) by Tito, Custos Fidei. (this movie is still playing in Houston) Last Weeks News: For May 22 click here. For May 21 click here. For May 19 click here. For May 18 click here. For May 17 click here. (Hat Tips: Catholic Report, National Catholic Register, New Oxford Review, The Brussels Journal, & Townhall.com)
Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Catholic News-Tuesday, May 22, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI AFTERNOON EDITION YouTube Catholics - Tim Drake, National Catholic Register Abp Chaput Speaks to Young Adults - PJP, Recapturing...Patrimony One Line Review of Benedict's New Book - Jeff Smith, Curt Jester Help Promote 'Bella' Movie - Esther, A Catholic Mom in Hawaii Vatican-Sino Power Struggle - staff, Catholic World News Facts About Same-Sex Attraction - ad hoc cmt, Mercatornet USA Today Poll: Giuliani Losing More Ground - Steven Ertelt, LN Vocations Boom in England - staff, Catholic News Agency College Years Strengthens Catholic Faith - Carol Zimmermann, CNS Priestless Pittsburgh Parish - Rocco Palmo, Whispers in the Loggia Bill Maher Compares Gay Sex to Communion - Michael Chapman, NB 'Into Great Silence' Playing in Houston - Tito, Custos Fidei Feminists Hypocrisy - Nancy Morgan, Right Bias Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: In the Light of the Law by Dr. Edward Peters (Canon Lawyer) Beautiful Catholic Pics of the Day: More London Oratory - Shawn Tribe, New Liturgical Movement Movie Review: Into Great Silence (Die Groß Stille) - Tito, Custos Fidei. Last Weeks News: For May 21 click here. For May 19 click here. For May 18 click here. For May 17 click here. For May 16 click here. (Hat Tips: Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony, Catholic Report, & Lucianne.com)
Monday, May 21, 2007

Catholic News-Monday, May 21, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION Unique Catholic Evangelizing - Gerald Augustinus, The Cafeteria... Baby Emilio Passes Away Naturally - Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Another USCCB/NAB Whopper - Diogenes, Off the Record Brownback Backs Abstinence Program - Steven Ertelt, LifeN... Combating Underpopulation - Steven Mosher, LifeNews.com Cultural War by Proxy - Wolfgang Bruno, Global Politician Alan Responds to Bill Cork's Deversion - Alan Phipps, Ad Altare Dei Robert Koons Catholic Conversion - Robert Koons, Right Reason Military Chaplains - Fidei Defensor, Custos Fidei 'Into Great Silence' Playing in Houston - Tito, Custos Fidei Joel Osteen's False Reading - TexLonestar22, Life Haunting Echos of Eugenics - Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke Raising a Generation of Narcissists? - Steve Chapman, Reason Liberal Feel-Good Failure - Big Jolly, Lone Star Times Movie Review: Into Great Silence (Die Groß Stille) - Tito, Custos Fidei. Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: Life by TexLonestar22. Last Weeks News: For May 19 click here. For May 18 click here. For May 17 click here. For May 16 click here. For May 15 click here. (Hat TipS: Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony & National Catholic Register)
Saturday, May 19, 2007

Catholic News-Saturday, May 19, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI MORNING EDITION Marie Claire Magazine Publishes Pornography - Karen, ByzFaith Tony Blair & the Catholic Church - Dr. Edward Peters, ItLotL Thomas Aquinas College in California - Shawn Tribe, NLM James Dobson: NO on Giuliani - Russell D. Moore, Mere Comments LifeTeen Leader Fired for Sex Abuse of Minor - AP/Houston Chron Military Chaplains - Fidei Defensor, Custos Fidei 'Into Great Silence' Playing in Houston - Tito, Custos Fidei Catholic Baby Boom!: Grace Assumpta Anderson Movie Review: Into Great Silence (Die Groß Stille) - Tito, Custos Fidei.

Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony.

Last Weeks News: For May 18 click here. For May 17 click here. For May 16 click here. For May 15 click here. For May 14 click here. For May 13 click here. (Hat Tip: Pro Ecclessia*Pro Familia*Pro Civitate)
Friday, May 18, 2007

Catholic News-Friday, May 18, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION LifeTeen Leader Fired for Sex Abuse of Minor - AP/Houston Chron Sex Attack in NY Church - Scott Weinberger, WCBS Woman Loses Life to Save Baby - Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Another Pro-Abort Speaker Cancelled! - staff, LifeSite Barbara Walters the Bigot - Bill Donohue, Catholic League Gang of 18 Should Resign Now - Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Homeschooling Girl Returns Home - Bob Unruh, WorldNetDaily.com Military Chaplains - Fidei Defensor, Custos Fidei 'Into Great Silence' Playing in Houston - Tito, Custos Fidei

Movie Review:

Into Great Silence (Die Groß Stille) - Tito, Custos Fidei.

Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: Confessions of a Crazy Schoolmarm.

Shameless News Promo of the Day: 3rd-Party White House Race? By John Whitesides, Reuters/Yahoo News

Last Weeks News: For May 17 click here. For May 16 click here. For May 15 click here. For May 14 click here. For May 13 click here. For May 12 click here. (Hat Tip: Matzilla & Lucianne)

Light Blogging Next Week

I will be away for a friends wedding so my blogging will be a little light. I will blog from where I'm at so keep a lookout for me! In the meantime, enjoy Fidei Defensors postings and head on over to Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony (RCP) blog. God bless & Aloooha!
Thursday, May 17, 2007

Catholic News-Thursday, May 17, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION Tony Blair to Become Catholic! - staff, This is London Military Chaplains - Fidei Defensor, Custos Fidei Catholic America - editors, National Catholic Register Arab Diplomats Learn Vatican 101 - Cindy Wooden, CNS Brownback Blasts Giuliani Over Abortion - Steven Ertelt, LifeNews Giuliani Losing Steam - Linda Feldmann, Christian Science Monitor Planned Parenthood Follow Up - Christina, COACS Catholics Respond to Gang of 18 - Peter J. Smith, LifeSite Is the Pope American? - James Taranto, Wall Street Journal Muslims Shutdown Catholic Website - Rak/AKI 'Into Great Silence' Playing in Houston - Tito, Custos Fidei

Obligatory Motu Proprio Rumors Postings: Cardinal Hoyos - Gerald Augustinus, TCIS 'Imminent' - Shawn Tribe, New Liturgical Movement Notimex Reports - New Catholic, Rorate Caeli

Movie Review: Into Great Silence (Die Groß Stille) - Tito, Custos Fidei.

Odd News Item of the Day: Baldness Remedy Found - Roger Highfield, Daily Telegraph Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: Confessions of a Crazy Schoolmarm.

Last Weeks News: For May 16 click here. For May 15 click here. For May 14 click here. For May 13 click here. For May 12 click here. For May 11 click here. (Hat Tips: Catholic Report & Lucianne.com)
Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Military Chaplains

Here is a question, maybe if any of our readers are military or clergy they can answer this... Where do the bulk of Catholic Chaplains for the U.S. Military come from? Are they just on loan from a patchwork of various dioceses across the land? Are there any religious orders that have traditionally had a reputation for loaning their men to the military? Are there any religious orders that would absolutely forbid or discourage their priests from serving in such a capacity? Does the military Archdiocese get most of its vocations from young servicemen already within the armed forces?

Catholic News-Wednesday, May 16, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI AFTERNOON EDITION Russian Orthodox Church Reunification - Interfax/AFP More Americans Want Roe v Wade Overturned - Steven Ertelt, LN Students Suspended for Resisting Gay Event - Allie Martin, ONN Planned Parent'd Threatens to Sue Activist - Nathan Burchfiel, CNS Cardinal Mahony Pays For Gay Priest Sins - staff, BBC News More on Catholic Dems Losing It - Daniel Burke, USA Today A Few Questions For Philip Jenkins - staff, OUPblog Poland: The Last Bastion - Fidei Defensor, Custos Fidei 'Into Great Silence' STILL Playing in Houston - Tito, Custos Fidei Liberals Spew Hate in Wake of Falwell Passing - Bob Owens, NB

Movie Review: Into Great Silence (Die Groß Stille) - Tito, Custos Fidei. Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony (RCP).

Last Weeks News: For May 15 click here. For May 14 click here. For May 13 click here. For May 12 click here. For May 11 click here. For May 10 click here. (Hat Tips: Catholic Report, New Oxford Review, & LifeSite.)
Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Catholic News-Tuesday, May 15, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI AFTERNOON EDITION A Few Questions For Philip Jenkins - staff, OUPblog Immigrant Catholics - Philip S. Moore, National Catholic Register Why Western Art is Unique & Muslims Threaten It - Fjordman, TBJ Planned Parenthood Caught on Film Lieing - Jeff Miller, Curt Jester CO Abortion-Statutory Rape Cover Up - Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Planned Parenthood Looked Other Way - Peter Bronson, ZTR Catholic League Responds to Catholic Democrats - Bill Donohue, CL Catholic Democrats Lose It - Thomas N. Peters, AmP Poland: The Last Bastion - Fidei Defensor, Custos Fidei Pelosi's Houston Adventure - Tito, Custos Fidei 'Into Great Silence' STILL Playing in Houston - Tito, Custos Fidei Jerry Falwell Passes Away - AP/Yahoo News Sen. Danforth Loses His Religion - G. Tracy Mehan III, Crisis

CVSTOS FIDEI MORNING EDITION Jerry Falwell in 'Gravely Serious' Condition - AP/Breitbart.com NCR on Brownback - Jay Anderson, Pro Ecclesia . . . Pro Civitate Surprised by Vocation - Jeff Miller, The Curt Jester Pope Sparks Bidding War - Jaqueline Head, BBC News Bishop Queiros Advocates Priestesses - New Catholic, Rorate Caeli Anglican Revision of Whitby - Argent, Argent by the Tiber

Beautiful Catholic Pics of the Day: Art Treasures of Malta by Shawn Tribe, New Liturgical Movement

Movie Review: Into Great Silence (Die Groß Stille) - Tito, Custos Fidei. Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony (RCP).

Last Weeks News: For May 14 click here. For May 13 click here. For May 12 click here. For May 11 click here. For May 10 click here. (Hat Tips: Catholic Report, Lucianne, & Drudge Report)
Monday, May 14, 2007

Catholic News-Monday, May 14, 2007 A.D.

CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION Pelosi's Houston Adventure - Tito, Custos Fidei Nancy Does Houston - Big Jolly, Lone Star Times Speaker Pelosi in Houston - Kristen Mack, Houston Chronicle Poland: The Last Bastion - Fidei Defensor, Custos Fidei 1 Million at 90th Anniversary of Fatima - Carlos Pontes, SwissInfo Cardinal Bertone's Visions - Rocco Palmo, Whispers in the Loggia 1.5 Million Rally for Family in Rome - Bernardo Cervellera, AN 14 Ordained at Archdiocese of New York - Jeff Miller, Curt Jester Rome Falling Apart - Christian Fraser, BBC News Imperial Catholics - Michael Novak, First Things Abortion Common for College Athletes - Steven Ertelt, LifeNews Indians Upset Over Pope's Comments - New Catholic, Rorate Caeli Pope Condemns Capitalism & Marxism - staff, Daily Telegraph NY Priest Would Deny Communion to Giuliani - staff, NY Daily News Pre-teen Sues School for Showing Gay Movie - Terry Trippany, NB Milestone 1000th Posting! - Tito, Custos Fidei 'Into Great Silence' STILL Playing in Houston - Tito, Custos Fidei Where's the Protestant Benedict? - Frank Pastore, Townhall.com

(Hat Tips: Catholic Report & New Oxford Review.)

Obligatory Motu Proprio Rumor of the Day: Pope to Bring Back Latin Against Opposition by Shawn Tribe, New Liturgical Movement

Movie Review: Into Great Silence (Die Groß Stille) - Tito, Custos Fidei. Book Review: Reasons to Believe by Scott Hahn - Jeff Miller, The Curt Jester. Shameless Blog Plug of the Day: Roman Catholic Vocations. Video of the Day: Vocations Video of Diocese of Lexington by Fidelis Servus, Roman Catholic Vocations

Last Weeks News: For May 13 click here. For May 12 click here. For May 11 click here. For May 10 click here. For May 8 click here.
Sunday, May 13, 2007

Milestone: 1000th Posting!

I figured I needed to put this up before I forget. I would have never thought I would still be blogging this much at all! Thanks for even bothering to read this blog. I'd also like to thank Fidei Defensor for joining me in blogging about our faith and to Matt & Handmaiden for contributing many great leads. On another note, today is the 90th anniversary of Fatima. How nice that Mother's Day falls on this beautiful anniversary! God bless, Tito

Poland: The Last Bastion

Well, not quite the last bastion, after all, even in secular strongholds like France and Sweden there are still outposts of the ancient Catholic Culture. However, with the recent defection of Portugal to the culture of death and a continuing decline of faith in Ireland, increasingly Poland is the only nation that is able to defend the way, the truth, and the life, on an international level. Even in our globalized world, there is a lot of importance and power related to nation states, and thank God there is a nation like Poland, the "Helm's Deep" of Christendom, so to speak. There are few certainties in this world, beyond "death and taxes," but another one you can add to that short-list, is that whenever civilization is at a moment of crisis, it is the good people of Poland, inspired and protected by Our Lady of Czestochowa, the Queen of Poland, who will come to the rescue. Consider... -Poland was the resolute rock on which wave after wave of barbarian invasions from the east crashed and receded, most notably, in one 13th century battle, Poland sacrificed its entire army to keep the Mongols out of Europe. -In 1683 when no other crowned head of Europe would come to the aide of the city of Vienna, the King of Poland and his famous "Winged Hussars," galloped the the rescue, descending on the Sultan's hordes and saving Central Europe from becoming another province of the Ottoman Empire. -In the 1920s, with the rest of the free world not lifting a finger, the newly reborn Polish nation stood toe-to-toe with the Red Army and routed them in a miraculous battle at the gates of Warsaw, saving Europe from the grim prospect of Communist domination. -Poland was the first nation to stand up to Hitler on the battlefield, and while their armies were broken and their cities destroyed, people fail to consider that the Poles were simultaneously battling Nazi Germany and the USSR. Even in the face of such disaster, Poland did not surrender, and, in fact, had the most effect resistance movement in all of occupied Europe. -Inspired by John Paul II, the people of Poland peacefully resisted their communist government, setting into motion a chain of events that ended the Cold War without mushroom clouds. A sad footnote to all those examples of Poland rising to the occasion is the fact that in their wake, Poland was sold-out. Most shamefully, in the allies allowing Soviet control of the nation in 1945. In retrospect, and in the eyes of history, all of Poland's lonely stands were later vindicated as heroic, crucial battles of good vs. evil. Anyway, the most recent incarnations of such battles are now being fought, the narrative is familiar, again, Catholic Poland stands tall, and almost alone, against tyranny, not the tyranny of the Mongols, the Turks, or Stalin, this time, but rather, the Dictatorship of Moral Relativism. H/T to Dad29 for bringing this to my attention. Maybe someone can make a nifty "we support Poland," sidebar graphic for bloggers? Just a thought. Anyhow, bellow is, in full, a very fine article about what Catholics in Poland are doing to fend off the secular, post-Christian culture of death. It stirs the heart. (Emphasis added.) 'Repulsive' Poland confronts Europe' They are inspiring people around the world with their stance' By Art Moore© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com WARSAW – Nearly 70 years after the invasion of Poland marked the beginning of a global cataclysm, the Central European nation once again finds itself confronting a foe it sees as a threat to Western civilization. While the rest of Europe largely accommodates a rising tide of secularism, many Polish leaders are prepared to fight back with a bold, traditional social agenda they envision not only for their own country but for the continent and the world. Poland's vice premier and minister of education, Roman Giertych told the World Congress of Families here his multi-pronged plan – including a proposal issued last month to ban "homosexual propaganda" in schools – is "something I have to do." "The family is the hope for Poland, the hope for Europe, the hope for the entire world," the 36-year-old leader told the global gathering of more than 3,200 from 75 nations. "... Without the family, there is no nation, there is no continent, there is no civilization, there is nothing." As WND reported, the fourth World Congress convened this weekend to address Europe's "demographic winter" of plunging birthrates by promoting the "natural family" as the "springtime of Europe and the world." In April, members of the European Parliament quickly denounced Giertych's "homosexual propaganda" proposal as "repulsive" and "hateful" and passed a resolution of condemnation 325-124, with 150 abstentions. It's no wonder then that Polish pro-life activist Eva Kowalewska told the World Congress delegates, "Your presence here gives us strength." Janina Fetlinksa, a member of the Polish Senate and the Council of Europe, told WND in an interview the European Union doesn't really understand Poland. "When I hear we are intolerant, homophobic and so forth, I think, my God," she said, pointing to her peoples' long history of living among many nationalities. "The majority of Poles love life, they love family. I think the misunderstanding from this is that we are intolerant moralists. It is not true." While many Poles don't practice the country's traditional Catholic faith, it's still deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, Fetlinska said. Our pope, John Paul II, moved our spirits toward God," she explained. "I think this is the reason the value of life is very important to us. It's in our politics, too, because politics are from people." 'The truth is on our side' Giertych, whose father and grandfather were prominent Polish politicians, says Poland is threatened by "various ideologies … that have nothing to do with the well-being of children, that promote attitudes which are not true to life." "This world of permissiveness, of certain attitudes which promote homosexuality, which promote pornography, this world is coming to an end, because our civilization is built on virtues, on Roman law … on the Decalogue," said Giertych, according to an English interpretation. "This civilization has great strength for rebirth. The rebirth will take place in the family, not only in Europe, but in the entire world." Giertych's appointments to his posts in May 2006 were met one day later with a protest in front of the Ministry of Education by about 100 activists. Just a couple of weeks later, more than 140,000 people signed a petition to remove him from office. At the Congress, Giertych offered encouragement to fellow Poles and to foreigners attacked for their views. "Please don't let people shut you down," he said. "Please don't be convinced that others who are promoting lies are telling the truth. The truth is on our side." Giertych said the world needs a breakthrough like the one that took place at the beginning of the 13th century in England with the signing of the Magna Carta. In March, at a meeting of ministers of education in Heidelberg, Germany, he proposed a "Great Charter of Rights of European Nations." The world will never be free from dangers threatening the family, he said, if there are no rights in place protecting life from the very beginning until natural death. "Today we need a great charter for the rights of the family and nations that defines the right to life, that would define abortion as murder," Giertych told the World Congress delegates. "Whether three months old or three months before birth, whether 60 or 90 years old, murder is always murder. It is always a crime." One of the fundamental truths that should be in that charter, he said, is that families are led by a man and a woman. "Let's never accept mommy and mommy or daddy and daddy," he said. "There is only one truth." Giertych said the consequences of "alternative" family structures must be frankly communicated, and several World Congress presenters did just that, including Patrick Fagan of the Heritage Foundation, who presented research data in numerous categories showing "the safest place for children is in the natural family." Another proposal, Giertych said is to restructure a tax and pension system that essentially takes from those who have many children and gives to those who have none. "This is contrary to equality of law," Giertych said. "A fair system allows the family to regain some of the money they spend on their children, because they are investing in the next generation. This is not symbolic but realistic, lowering the cost of upbringing children." A further initiative is to prohibit circulation of pornography. "Pornography is evil; it is an evil that touches the family and threatens the development of young people," the deputy prime minister said. "Its circulation should be treated as a crime, because it ruins what is most virtuous in a human being." Dangerous proposal To many European activists such as Robert Biedron, president of the Polish homosexual-rights group Campaign Against Homophobia, such proposals make Poland a pariah. The ban on "homosexual propaganda" is a "dangerous" measure that made him feel "embarrassed" when he heard about it. "Poland is like an island drifting away from the rest of Europe," Biedron said at the time. Tomasz Bilicki, who battles the spread of pornography as deputy director of the Center of Family Service in Lodz, Poland, told WND through an interpreter his nation does, indeed, often feel alone. "It's very often, on the international field, Poland has only one country it can cooperate with – the Vatican," he said. "Sometimes it's Ireland or Spain, but only sometimes. "We are alone, we are the last bastion." Bilicki gave a presentation in a panel session on pornography that included American scholar Robert Knight of the Media Research Center in Alexandria, Va. Knight affirmed in an interview with WND that Poland is "nearly alone" as the European Union promotes abortion, homosexuality and pornography "as hard as it can as part of an overall deconstruction of the family." "You can't blame them for feeling as if they're the lone soldier on the battlefield," he said. "They are inspiring people around the world with their stance." Knight said Poland's stand against the European Union has been a topic among defenders of the family across the U.S. "We have taken our courage in what the Poles are doing," he said. "This is a nation that has suffered enormously over many decades. First from Nazism and then communism. They're a tough bunch of people who appear to have the strength to resist especially the homosexual agenda. "If you've been victim of communists and Nazis, you're not going to run in fright from the forces from San Francisco." Knight said it was wise for Poland to host the World Congress, because "they know you need allies." "Even the bravest soldier can't stand alone forever. And they don't need to," he said. "I think the lesson for Americans is that we need more soldiers out on the battlefield." Knight said observing Poland reminds him of a principle he learned from watching former Republican Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina "stand up and be attacked by the left." "His courage gave others the excuse to move toward his position even if they didn't vocalize it publicly," Knight said. "We need that kind of leadership. … It's far easier to isolate someone and make them out to be a crank or far-right if nobody else is talking the way they are." Poland, he said, isn't "waiting to see what others are doing, they are taking leadership." "Others will come to them because they are the rallying point," said Knight. "So our hats have to go off to the Poles." Wesley Smith, a bioethics expert and senior fellow with Seattle's Discovery Institute, told WND after contributing to an international panel on euthanasia that he, too, has been impressed by the Poles. "It strikes me that they are willing to stand against the cultural tide, and that takes courage," Smith said. "And if that continues, eventually the tide sometimes can be shifted." The Polish Senate's Fetlinksa concurred. "We are idealists," she said, "but only idealists can change the world. END" Bellow are some excerpts from the EU's condemnation of Poland, for the entire sorry document go here. "...whereas in its above-mentioned resolution of 15 June 2006, Parliament has already expressed its serious concern at the situation in Europe and notably in Poland, condemning the declarations of incitement to hatred and violence by the leaders of the Party of the League of Polish Families and, notably, by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, H. whereas in March 2007 the Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education announced draft legislation punishing "homosexual propaganda" in schools, and illustrated its content, which is to provide for dismissing, fining or imprisoning school heads, teachers and pupils in the event of LGBT rights "activism" in schools..." For more on Poland's fight with the EU from Catholic blogger feminine-Genius go here. For Fumare's take and some good links go here. For an example of Poland doing its part to spread its values, check out this inspiring little story about Polish soldiers inviting their NATO allies to join them on a pilgrimage, read the excerpt bellow and the entire story here. It was US Army on this pilgrimage but I'll bet this would have been right up the Caveman's ally had the opportunity presented itself back in his day. "Throughout the march, Polish Soldiers handled most of the daily logistics for roughly 800 Soldiers. When troops reached the end of a day’s journey, the Poles had camp and hot food waiting for them. As the pilgrimage drew to a close, blistered and weary troops collectively marched the final two kilometers down Czestochowa’s main thoroughfare to the cheers of thousands of spectators lining the city’s streets. People hung out of windows. Mothers held their babies high. Old men stood and saluted as Soldiers marched by, waving greetings and shaking hands with the crowd as the people parted to let them pass. " Dear Polish people, rest assured, your fight for all that is good and decent in the world is not in vain. The prayers of people all around the world are with you. All the world-over owes you a debt of gratitude many times over that is beyond repayment. Thank you. Update: Poland has an ally in the fight for the soul of Europe. God bless Croatia!

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