Two interesting articles on the HHS mandate which offer an alternative analysis of the situation. Paul Rahne sees the situation as the outcome of a long history of compromise on the part of the Catholic Church in the USA.
Taylor Marshall thinks we are approaching the issue from the wrong angle - we should not be using the religious liberty card at all, but a more fundamental argument.
And here's George Weigel's latest article on the issue.
Another thought-provoking article from Ross Douthat. He describes the "compromise" "suggested" (imposed) by Obama, in interesting terms. As I would interpret it, Obama is saying: "Let's just pretend I am respecting your consciences, and you pretend you are not paying for contraceptives and abortaficients." That sums it up. Douthat also asks an interesting question, do the Catholic bishops have a strategy for a long war? Given that Obama will probably get in for a second term, and he will be very keen to push ahead and finish what he started before he's forced to leave office, there may be a battle royal ahead. Time for the bishops, faithful and other people, religious and non-religious, to get together and devise an effective means of resistance. Perhaps it is time for interested parties to call a council of war. At the heart of the plan of resistance must be prayer and sacrifice because there is a force at work in this administration and it is not human, and human effort will not be enough to defeat it.
Another thought-provoking article from Ross Douthat. He describes the "compromise" "suggested" (imposed) by Obama, in interesting terms. As I would interpret it, Obama is saying: "Let's just pretend I am respecting your consciences, and you pretend you are not paying for contraceptives and abortaficients." That sums it up. Douthat also asks an interesting question, do the Catholic bishops have a strategy for a long war? Given that Obama will probably get in for a second term, and he will be very keen to push ahead and finish what he started before he's forced to leave office, there may be a battle royal ahead. Time for the bishops, faithful and other people, religious and non-religious, to get together and devise an effective means of resistance. Perhaps it is time for interested parties to call a council of war. At the heart of the plan of resistance must be prayer and sacrifice because there is a force at work in this administration and it is not human, and human effort will not be enough to defeat it.
And a wonderful, though heart-breaking, pro-life story which reminds us that even in the most awful of situations, we must choose life.
Today is St Valentine's Day - the secular world is running around with flowers, chocolates and cards to fill the coffers of various businesses in the stump between Christmas and Easter. In Dublin, though, the faithful will gather in the Carmelite Church in Whitefriar Street to venerate the relics of the martyr which are enshrined there.
However, liturgically, today is the feast of SS Cyril and Methodius, the brothers who evangelised the Slavs, and gave the world the Cyrillic alphabet. We devoted one of our programmes in the latest series of Forgotten Heritage to them. In Europe today is their feast day, as they are co-patrons of Europe. May they watch over us in these times.
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