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ROME, November 13, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - If an embryo is human, it is a person - this is the golden rule for bioethics if it wants to uphold the full dignity of the human person, said the secretary of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on Tuesday. The "concept of person" and its application to all human beings at every stage of their development is the key to understanding the Catholic teachings on the life issues Archbishop Luis Ladaria told a conference in Rome.  Archbishop Ladaria was speaking to an audience of students at a...

The Man Behind the Curtain and his Drones. ...."In a November 2008 in and interview with Spiegel, Soros made some comments that accurately outlined precisely the course that President Obama's administration would eventually pursue in 2009: "I think we need a large stimulus package which will provide funds for state and local government to maintain their budgets -- because they are not allowed by the constitution to run a deficit. For such a program to be successful, the federal government would need to provide hundreds of billions of dollars. In addition, another infrastructure program is necessary. In total, the cost...

Regarding the Instruction Dignitas PersonaeAim In recent years, biomedical research has made great strides, opening new possibilities for the treatment of disease, but also giving rise to serious questions which had not been directly treated in the Instruction Donum vitae (22 February 1987).  A new Instruction, which is dated 8 September 2008, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, seeks to provide some responses to these new bioethical questions, as these have been the focus of expectations and concerns in large sectors of society.  In this way, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith seeks both...

NOTE: I hope I do not read anyone on FR calling Barack Obama a Nazi. That is a word unique onto itself and its horror is diminished by placing that label on your political adversaries. ==================================================== Are you ready for Barack Obama's CIVILIAN NATIONAL SECURITY FORCE There is no doubt that Barack Obama is an extreme socialist. Many of the things he believes, the things he has done, and the people with whom he surrounds himself create some very frightening signals that really do have the potential to threaten our liberty. In this election cycle, as in no other election...

Among the faithful endorsing the Children’s Sabbath are: Catholic Charities U.S.A., the Islamic Society of North America, the National Council of the Churches, several Jewish groups, the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, and 200 other religious groups who are largely happy for the state to displace religious institutions as the moral guardians of children. (In fairness to the Islamic Society, it probably is not quite so secularized as the other religious groups. Instead, it likely sees political cooperation with left-leaning Christian and Jewish groups as vital to its larger political goal of mainstreaming political Islam.)

Every three hours, more tragedy Report shows guns, kids an increasingly lethal mix The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 06/15/08 Who dies in greater numbers from firearms, police in the line of duty or preschoolers? The answer — contained in a searing new report by the Children's Defense Fund — is surprising and disturbing. In 2005, the most recent year for which data are available, guns killed 69 preschoolers, compared with 53 law enforcement officers. That's just one of the alarming facts in the Washington-based child advocacy group's "Protect Children, Not Guns" report. Among the others: • Since 1979, gun violence...

Vienna, May 30, 2008 / 04:54 pm (CNA).- In response to a report in the Italian daily “La Repubblica” that Cardinal Christoph Schönborn could become the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the spokesman for the Archdiocese of Vienna, Erich Leitenberger, said on Stephanscom Austrian Radio that the rumor was unfounded.On May 25, La Repubblica published an article by Marco Politi in which he offered a “general analysis” of the General Assembly of the Bishops’ Conference of Italy. Commenting on the rumor about Cardinal Schönborn, Politi said a personnel change at the Vatican was possible...

To hear Hillary Clinton talk, she's spent her entire career putting her Yale Law School degree to work for the common good. She routinely tells voters that she's "been working to bring positive change to people's lives for 35 years." She told a voter in New Hampshire: "I've spent so much of my life in the nonprofit sector." Speaking in South Carolina, Bill Clinton said his wife "could have taken a job with a firm ... Instead she went to work with Marian Wright Edelman at the Children's Defense Fund." The overall portrait is of a lifelong, selfless do-gooder. The...

WASHINGTON — To hear Hillary Clinton talk, she's spent her entire career putting her Yale Law School degree to work for the common good. She routinely tells voters that she's "been working to bring positive change to people's lives for 35 years." She told a voter in New Hampshire: "I've spent so much of my life in the nonprofit sector." Speaking in South Carolina, Bill Clinton said his wife "could have taken a job with a firm ... Instead she went to work with Marian Wright Edelman at the Children's Defense Fund.".....

ABC News' Eloise Harper: For the first time the press has been invited to join New York Senator Hillary Clinton on an outing to church - a woman led the congregation, Associate Pastor Rev Jill Flyr. Coincidently the topic of the sermon was the Children's Defense Fund - a cause familiar to Clinton - and one she brings up regularly while campaigning. Flyr said to the audience in her sermon ""let the candidates know that they need to be strong advocates for children." Bonnie Campbell, the owner of the church, served in the Clinton administration as Head of the Violence...

Young girl running for President to "insure the 9 million uninsured children in America..." Get a load of this site. I don't know whether to yell at the kid, feel sorry for her, or take her aside and explain the Constitution to her and admire her for her concern.

Earlier this month, as Cardinal Edward Egan reached the retirement age of 75, it didn't take long for the buzzmill to hit a fever pitch with visions, rumblings, floaters and speculations of the succession to one of global Catholicism's most visible posts, the archbishopric of New York. Tomorrow's start to Year Three of B16 has brought a fresh set of reports predicting "revolution" or "earthquake" in the Roman Curia. Of course, prior alarms of the same all failed to come to pass, but when even the papal intimates are talking openly of "surprises" -- and others of "big surprises" --...

The Talk Shows Sunday, January 15th, 2006 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Reps. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., John Boehner, R-Ohio, and John Shadegg, R-Ariz., candidates in the upcoming House majority leader race; Harry Johnson, president, Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation. MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Paul Bremer, former U.S. administrator in Iraq; Taylor Branch, civil rights author and historian; Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow John McWhorter; Children's Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman. FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and...

Sen. Hillary Clinton narrowly avoided political disaster yesterday by staying at least 15 feet away from Harry Belafonte at all times during the Children's Defense Fund lunch in the Rainbow Room. That, presumably, was a safe distance. With any luck, New York's junior senator won't be captured in any photographs - even those taken with a wideangle lens - cozying up to the tough-talking activist, who last weekend on a trip to Venezuela called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world." In Caracas, Belafonte also lavished praise on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, saying: "We respect you, we admire you"...

I am new here and am hoping i can get some help on finding some in depth information on Stand For Children an affiliate of the Childrens Defense Fund. They are starting a local chapter here in my toen in Massachusetts. I have some basic background info on them but was hoping someone might have some more in depth stuff. Like their major supporters or major sources of funding. If I have this posted in the worng place can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks,

It may surprise some of you to learn that old Akron Al is happy to see that the Archbishop of San Francisco will be the new Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. But how can this be? Archbishop William J. Levada of San Francisco did absolutely nothing to clean up his cesspool of an archdiocese. Just check out Bettnet today if you haven't heard enough about this guy. So how can I prefer Levada over the man who is now Pope? The answer is simple. At least with Levada we know what we are getting. Cardinal...

POPE Benedict XVI has headhunted a little-known Scots priest for a top job at the Vatican. Father Patrick Burke, 40, will soon start work in the department which was run until recently by the pontiff when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Father Burke, a parish priest in Stirlingshire, will take up his post as an official in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in September. They asked Scots Cardinal Keith O'Brien to release Father Burke and, although short of priests himself,he agreedParishioners say Father Burke40, was close to tears when he told them during Mass he was leaving....

The founding chairman of a panel formed by San Francisco's Roman Catholic Archdiocese to look into allegations of priestly child abuse has resigned from the board, accusing church leaders of "deception, manipulation and control'' for refusing to release the investigation's results. James Jenkins, one of six members of the Independent Review Board and its chairman until last December, said Archbishop William Levada has blocked the release of the panel's findings on sexual-abuse allegations involving 40 priests. At least nine of those priests have agreed to refrain from "public ministry," the archdiocese said Thursday without identifying them. "There has been no...

Fr. Eugene Heidt and Archbishop Levada Excerpted from “Priest Where Is Thy Mass, Mass Where Is Thy Priest.” Q: So obedience is not really an objection against saying the traditional Mass, when you consider that it’s not forbidden by the Church? Fr. H: Correct. There is no question of disobedience involved here, no way. Q: How did your convictions about the old Mass sit with the Chancery? Fr. H: Things just got worse. A couple of years before, I had written a letter about what they called the “Stewardship Council.” That was a program that they used to raise money...

Born: June 15, 1936Ordained a Priest: December 20, 1961 in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, for the Archdiocese of Los AngelesAppointed Bishop: March 29, 1983, Titular Bishop of Capri and Auxiliary Bishop of Los AngelesOrdained a Bishop: May 12, 1983Appointed: July 1, 1986, Archbishop of Portland in OregonAppointed: August 17, 1995, Coadjutor Archbishop of San Francisco in CaliforniaSucceeded: December 27, 1995, Seventh Archbishop of San Francisco Archbishop Levada is a fourth-generation Californian, born in Long Beach on June 15, 1936. His great-grandparents immigrated to the San Francisco Bay area from Portugal and Ireland in the 1860's. Except for a three-year interval...

It appears, based on very reliable sources, that indeed Archbishop William Levada of San Francisco is going to be appointed the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This is not good news. Archbishop Levada is the prelate who compromised with the city of San Francisco over the city’s demands that Catholic Charities and other Church organizations provide “domestic partner” benefits to employees. His archdiocese is also a mess with dissenting priests, homosexual activists running all over the place, the University of San Francisco trampling the faith, and more. I’m really very surprised by this. I...

The Children's Defense Fund has released its annual rankings of U.S. representatives and senators based on their votes on 2004 legislation affecting the lives of children. But the CDF's measure of "child protection" seems to be money -- and no pro-life bills were included in the rankings. In fact, the lawmakers who received the CDF's highest child-protection ratings are Democrats who support the legal right to abortion. And lawmakers who received the lowest ratings are mostly pro-life Republicans. "This is a dangerous time for children in America and we need to know which of our leaders are voting to protect...

January 31, 2005 Contact: Avram Goldstein: (202) 662-3615 Ron Eckstein: (202) 662-3609 Current Press Releases Press Release Archive A Moral Outrage: One American Child or Teen Killed by Gunfire Nearly Every 3 Hours New Data Show National Death Toll Reached 2,867 in 2002 The horrific death toll from gunfire in the United States included 2,867 children and teens in 2002 — nearly eight deaths a day and 55 a week, according to a report released today by the Children's Defense Fund. Firearms are the second leading cause of death among 10- to 19-year olds, second only to motor vehicle accidents....

Firefighters also were battling a 5,400-acre wildfire elsewhere in Eldorado National Forest in Amador County. The Power fire broke out Oct. 6 and had been contained at about 500 acres Tuesday, but flared up and spread wildly in high winds Wednesday. By Thursday evening, the blaze had charred 12,000 acres and was just 10 percent contained.

Insight on the News - National Issue: 03/02/04 Special Report Saffuri's Ties to Terror Suspects By Kenneth R. Timmerman The rise of Khaled Saffuri to political prominence within the U.S. Muslim community has all the ingredients of a Horatio Alger success story. Brought up as a stateless exile in Kuwait, Saffuri came to America as a student in 1982, went to college in San Diego, and soon gravitated into the world of Muslim activism. A talented fund-raiser and behind-the-scenes power broker, Saffuri built bridges to politicians in both parties by generously contributing to their election campaigns, from California libertarian Rep....

Special ReportSaffuri's Ties to Terror Suspects Posted Feb. 23, 2004 By Kenneth R. Timmerman Saffuri (above) has formed relationships with several questionable allies, including Sami al-Arian, who was arrested last year. The rise of Khaled Saffuri to political prominence within the U.S. Muslim community has all the ingredients of a Horatio Alger success story. Brought up as a stateless exile in Kuwait, Saffuri came to America as a student in 1982, went to college in San Diego, and soon gravitated into the world of Muslim activism. A talented fund-raiser and behind-the-scenes power broker, Saffuri built bridges to politicians in both...

Children's Defense Fund: Welfare Rolls Drop but Poverty Does Not 3/22/2004 6:28:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National Desk Contact: John Norton of the Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3609 WASHINGTON, March 22 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Deborah Ortiz, Director of Family Income for the Children's Defense Fund, today issued the following statement in response to a New York Times article about the declining number of welfare recipients: "Today the New York Times reported that welfare rolls shrank over the last three years even during a sluggish economy. This counter intuitive finding is not a cause to rejoice. The reasons behind the decline in...

<p>March 17, 2004 -- Parents and their kids missed out on $727 million in benefits last year by not applying for food stamps and federal tax credits, according to a report released yesterday. Half of New Yorkers eligible for food stamps didn't collect all the benefits they are permitted, the Children's Defense Fund study found.</p>

Children's Defense Fund Says Bush Administration Budget Perpetuates 'School to Prison Pipeline' 2/4/04 1:50:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National Desk, Education Reporter Contact: John Norton of the Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3609 WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Children's Defense Fund today said the Bush Administration's budget proposals for education and juvenile justice leave out critical resources that could help communities keep at-risk youth out of trouble and put them on a path to success. "We simply cannot perpetuate this 'school to prison pipeline' that is destroying the lives of young people who have no options that lead to success,"...

Children's Defense Fund Reviews Congress in 2003 12/23/03 4:00:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National Desk Contact: John Norton of the Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3609 WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Children's Defense Fund today released an analysis of decisions made by Congress over the past year and determined that Ebeneezer Scrooge could easily have been a member of Congress in 2003. The President and Congress did much more for special interests and the wealthy than they did for America's children. While there were some important gains for all children and families, on balance, the choices made by our federal...

State legislators have quietly passed a $77 million bill that would charge thousands of rural property owners a first-ever state fee for fire protection. The bill, intended in part to offset $50 million in cuts the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection absorbed in this year's state budget, is expected to raise $52.5 million annually from a $35-a-parcel fee on 1.5 million properties statewide. It's unknown exactly how many rural parcels in Sonoma County would be affected, but the number could be as high as 70,000, Sonoma County Tax Collector Tom Ford said... ...Ford hustled to Sacramento Friday as the...

New Data Shows Welfare Not Helping Neediest Families Says the Children's Defense Fund 8/22/03 4:55:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National Desk Contact: Toby Chaudhuri of the Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3609 WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Single mothers without work and welfare income reached its highest level in recorded history, according to data released today by the Children's Defense Fund. The number of jobless women with children not receiving welfare rose by 188,000 in one year, leaving a record three quarters of all single mothers without public assistance and causing a sudden surge in extreme child poverty. Single parents and...

Hundreds Not Receiving Child Tax Credit Check to Surround White House; Edelman, Daschle, Pelosi Rally Hundreds Left behind 7/21/03 2:01:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor Contact: Toby Chaudhuri of the Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3609 News Advisory: -- Edelman, Daschle, Pelosi Rally Hundreds Left behind -- Congress to Recess While Richer Families Receive Checks this Week More than 700 youths living in households denied the child tax credit check their richer friends and neighbors will receive beginning late this week will surround the White House Wednesday to demand that President George Bush not delay their families' fair share....

<p>The same folks that led the unsuccessful opposition to welfare reform in 1996 are now targeting Republican efforts to reform Head Start, the federal government's $6.8 billion preschool program for the poor. When President Clinton finally signed the Republican-controlled Congress' historic welfare-reform legislation, Children's Defense Fund (CDF) President Marian Wright Edelman harshly denounced Mr. Clinton.</p>