Archdpdx $$$..Where it Goes / Advent - Our Anticipation, maybe this year, His Expectation?

Dear Advocates for Life, Third Sunday in Lent - Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday - Pink Candle... This Sunday, the penitential season of Advent gives way to the joyful anticipation of Our Lord's Second Coming. When Christ comes again...no more anticipation exists, only the stark reality of His Expectations of us. Pray that we have kept the Faith, His Faith, having our priorities straight. Catholic employees paid with Catholic funds will certainly have many expectations. A Heavenly audit will be at hand. After four years, the Archdiocese of Portland has released the "Annual Financial Report" for 2008. Attached are comparisons of 2003-2003 (fiscal year 2004) and 2007-2008. Of the almost eight million dollars in 2002; the almost nine million dollars in 2003 and the thirteen million dollars it took to run the Archdpdx in 2008; the Respect Life Office is not mentioned in any budget. In this Archdiocese, it seems that Innocent human life is not a priority. However, funding the Office of Justice and Peace, IS a high priority with a budget of at least $107, 000 with more being spent for perks, a general retreat fund, travel to other countries and general expenses. Remembering the questions asked by the new Justice and Peace director of her board when hired by Mary Jo Tully in 2007... 1. "Why does the Office of Justice and Peace exist?" 2. "What do we hope to accomplish?" 3. "What are the values that guide us while we do that?" ...obviously a Justice and Peace office was not a matter of life and death...and souls/lives would have been saved with a Respect Life Office. However, groups like the "Saul Alinsky" Community Organizing Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (MACG), dissident Call to Action (CTA) with a women priests, married priests focus, and the pro-homosexual/pro-abortion Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon connection are all connected to the Office of Justice and Peace, and firmly entrenched and protected by the Archdiocese. The 2002-2003 budget shows an Office of Marriage and Family Life but that office was eliminated when director Jay Wonacott left. There was also no replacement for the Pastoral Services when Father Michael Maslowsky left to work for the SAGE-FEDE Corporation. What could be more important than families, marriage and innocent human life? These fundamental needs are not met in the Archdiocese of Portland with any money from the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal or Catholic collection plates. The Respect Life Office and Office of Marriage and Family Life do have a web page and links to resources....why not have the Office of Justice and Peace have just a web page and links to be fair. There will be much to answer for to Our Lord for from this Archdiocese. Knowing that even the hierarchy can go astray, the laity has been given the authority from Holy Mother Church to address these concerns when they cause scandal. "The Christian faithful are free to make known their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires to the pastors of the Church." (Canon 212, P2) "In accord with the knowledge, competence and preeminence which they possess, they have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church, and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other Christian faithful, with due regard for the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward their pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons." (Canon 212, P3) Persevering through the "Little Lent", making sure that we are in a state of Grace, in anticipation of His Return. God Bless you and yours, Carolyn "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." Luke 12:48 www.vocalnews.org for Archives / Vatican/ Archdpdx info. VOCAL Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 503-769-4767 Member of the Catholic Media Coalition "In line with the Church, on-line with the World".

CCHD: Collection Plate Parasite / Nov.15th 2008. Meet CCHD National Director in PDX

The USCCB has finally stopped, for a while at least, funding ACORN with Catholic Campaign for Human Development money in the US. The attachment above (CCHD ends funding, etc will inform you. There is also a CCHD 2008 Informational flyer from Catholic Media Coalition attached above)


With these strange bedfellows, you should know some things before donating your hard-earned money starting November 23rd to CCHD. Listed at the bottom are the programs given this summer. Look them up on your own...see what they're all about then start asking questions. REMEMBER:


The CCHD is NOT a MANDATORY COLLECTION, no one is going to starve, it will only slow down the community organizing/voter registration of anti/non Catholics waiting for us to throw them some of our money.
We don't know who is on the Committee to hand out these grants of at least $5,000. Our pro-life budget is nil...where is the Justice? We aren't supposed to give money to groups that undermine our Church/why do we do it?
The grants handed out during the summer were just in time to register the homeless/minorities/low income voters to the democrat party? Very interesting timing.
Saul Alinsky groups are being given large sums of money from the National CCHD campaign. Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (MACG) is the offspring of Portland Organizing Project, an Alinsky Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) group, about five years old and in Oregon Catholic Churches.
When's the last time any Respect Life Committees got an Archdiocesan funded yearly Lecture series, like Justice and Peace Tobin Lectures series...NEVER, NO MONEY. Only Justice and Peace and Cat Willett (the director) can have their friends spread their message.
This has been going on for about forty years. Catholic Money to anti-Catholic groups. We cannot afford, in more ways than one, to be compliant and assume, because programs are from the USCCB or the Archdiocese that they are necessarily for the betterment of our Soul or those of others.
The Faith in Public Life/Saul Alinsky/Jim Wallis/George Soros/World Bank/Bono/ONE/Oprah/JustFaith etc., movement is set to destroy the Holy Mother Church.
******************************************
WHAT'S GOING ON....Find out who's running the show, CCHD. Ralph McCloud is the National Executive Director and he's coming to town. "While there is value in registering low-income voters, I am concerned that the whole ban on partisanship has been violated," Ralph McCloud, the new executive director for the CCHD, said Monday.

Mr. McCloud said he could not reassure Catholics that the funds donated before 2008 were not used in voter fraud.

"There is no way we can tell," he said. "All our applications go through a rigorous screening, and we ask each organization to commit to being nonpartisan. The overwhelming reality is most of the groups we fund do tremendous work." (Ask to see the statistics on success VOCAL)
The CCHD draws $9,439,000 a year in "second collections" from Catholic churches, the next one slated for Nov. 23. CCHD funds go to groups that fight poverty, interfaith associations, peace and justice groups, immigrant aid groups, environmental coalitions, cooperatives, housing coalitions and labor rights groups. (these are community organizing groups that in most cases undermine the Teachings of the Catholic Church with their connections VOCAL)

Although Bishop Morin said USCCB money was not knowingly misused, the CCHD grants were doubled from $465,000 in 2006 to the $1 million in 2007, according to the National Catholic Register, paralleling ACORN's dramatic rise in its efforts to register 1.3 million voters.
The group ended up registering about 450,000 voters, mostly among poor and minority communities in battleground states.
Charles Jackson, communications director for ACORN, said no one from the Catholic Church has contacted his group.

"We've had no communication from Catholic investigators," he said. "ACORN's board has started its own forensic audit to look into all these matters."

In June, ACORN disclosed the embezzlement of $948,607 from the organization in 1999 and 2000 by Dale Rathke, brother of ACORN founder Wade Rathke. The embezzlement was kept secret from most of ACORN's board members until a whistleblower publicized the matter, and Dale Rathke subsequently was dismissed from the national board.

He still organizes ACORN's international nonprofit arm.

The USCCB has finally dumped ACORN, for now, when the the media revealed that Wade Rathke's "SDS (Students for a Democratic Society - ACORN FOUNDER "Wade Rathke's brother in 1999-2000 embezzeled one MILLION dollars from ACORN. The Catholic's apparently hadn't picked up on it for almost ten years. (see attachment for more about this VOCAL).

November 23rd is the Oregon Catholic kick-off for the

2008 Catholic Campaign for Human Development to fund 2009.

2008 Tobin Lecture

This year's theme is "Hear the Voice of the Poor: Standing in Solidarity with the Poor in Our Community."(Get out your hankys VOCAL) We are lucky enough to have Ralph McCloud, national director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, join us as the keynote speaker. There will also be presenters from a number of community organizations throughout the Archdiocese.

2008 Tobin Lecture Details:
When: November 15th, 9:00am-12:00pm (doors open at 8:30am)
Where: All Saints Catholic Church (3847 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR)
Admission is free and open to the public. Continental breakfast will be provided.

**********
The African American Catholic Community of Oregon will also be hosting a public reception for Ralph McCloud on Friday, November 14th, from 5:30-6:30pm. It will be held in the St. Andrew's Community Center (806 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR).

For more information on either of these events, please contact the Office of Justice and Peace at 503.233.8361 or justiceandpeace@archdpdx.org

Thank you for your support of the Tobin Lecture,

Cat Willett
Director, Office of Justice and Peace
Archdiocese of Portland
*************************************************************************************Bottom Line: Oregon Catholics have the power to dramatically slow down the culture of death in Oregon by NOT giving money to Campaign for Human Development, which is NOT a mandatory collection. We are smart enough to tithe to Culture of Life ministries on our own. The salaries needed for the management of this campaign could be put to better use..

"For Us, the Church is mater et magistra (Mother and Teacher) : for dissenters, she is a source of jobs, or Marty Haugen music, or opportunities for self-display, or political soapboxes. "

Diocenes "TAPEWORMS, or Why "loyal" dissent is impossible in the Church."

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Just for Fun....then to work.... Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are http://www.theonion.com/content/video/obama_win_causes_obsessive?utm_source=EMTF_Onion copy and paste God Bless you and yours, Carolyn "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting...it has been found difficult and left untried." GK Chesterton What's Wrong with the World The Faith, gives a man back his body and his soul and his reason and his will and his very life." GK Chesterton The Thing www.vocalnews.org VOCAL Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 503-769-4767 Member of the Catholic Media Coalition "In line with the Church, on-line with the World".

VOCAL Voter's Guide / Where to go for "40 Days", etc./ Plenary Indulgence for Poor Souls

Dear Advocates for Life, For those of you who have asked and for those of you who are interested, here is a "Votes Of Catholics Advocating Life" voter's guide. The suggestions are from Oregon Right to Life Voter's Guide, Oregon Family Council and Oregon Citizens for a Sound Economy PAC, with my two cents. President - John McCain and Sarah Palin, Vice President Why? What do They support? John McCain Barack Obama Partial Birth Abortion ? NO YES Parental Involvement Laws? YES NO Taxpayer Funded Abortion? NO YES Human Cloning? NO YES Same-Sex Unions? NO YES Gambling Off Reservation? NO YES Decency in Libraries - Internet filters YES NO Reducing Taxes? YES NO Religion - conscience clause? YES YES Education - YES unclear (state licensing of private /homeschool? teachers) US Senator from Oregon - Gordon Smith (we need him in the US Senate) US Representatives from Oregon by District 2 - Greg Walden 3 - Delia Lopez 5 - (I wrote in Kevin Mannix, he's the only pro-life option) Mike Erickson was NOT endorsed by ORTL Secretary of State - Rick Dancer State Treasurer - Allen Alley Attorney General - no suggestions from ORTL, but John Kroger was a bi-partisan pick over the others. There was a major concern over a large contribution from special interest groups that was believed to engage in the very unethical, but currently legal practice of commingling of Political Funds that are gathered at Public expense. (Yes on 64 to end this.) Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries - State Senators by District 1 - Jeff Kruse 2 - Dennis Atkinson 9 - Fred Girod 12 - Brian Boquist 14 - Lisa Michaels 17 - no one 18 - John Wight 23 - no one 25 - Dave Kim 27 - Chris Telfer not against abortion but better on marriage, PRC protection, Conscience for religion, etc. 29 - David Nelson 30 - Ted Ferrioli State Representatives by District 1 - Wayne Krieger 2 - Tim Freeman 3 - Ron Mauer 4 - Dennis Richardson 5 - no one 6 - Sal Esquivel 7 - Bruce Hanna 9 - Al Pearn 12 -? 15 - Andy Olson 16 - no one 17 - Sherrie Sprenger 18 - Vic Gilliam 19 - Kevin Cameron 20 - no one 22 - Tom Chereck, Jr. 23 - Jim Thompson 24 - Jim Weidner 26 - Matt Wingard 27 - no one 28 - no one 29 - no one 30 - Andy Duyck 32 - Tim Bero - no response on pro-life, but yes on PRC/marriage/conscience. etc. 33 - Jim Ellison 34 - no one 35 - Tony Marino 36 - ? 37 - Scott Brunn 38 - ? 39 - Bill Kennemer 40 - no one 41 - Randy Uchytil 42 - no one 45 - no one 49 - John Nelson 50 - John Lim 51 - Linda Flores 52 - Matt Lindland 53 - Gene Whisnant 54 - Chuck Burley 56 - Bill Garrard 57 - Greg Smith 58 - no one 59 - John Huffman 60 - Cliff Bentz County Commissioners Benton - #3 Christopher Nusbaum Clackamas - #4 Dave Mowry Clatsop - #2 Patricia Roberts - questionable on abortion, supports prc/marriage/conscience/no gambling Columbia - #1 Glenn E. Dorschler Crook - #1 Ken Fahlen for abortion but supports prc/marriage/conscience/no gambling Curry - #2 George Rhodes no comment on abortion question? yes on marriage/prc/conscience, etc. Marion - #2 Sam Brentano Gilliam - toss up/both candidates are for abortion but for traditional marriage Jackson - Dennis CW Smith Josephine - #3 Dwight F. Ellis Lane - no one Lincoln - no one Linn - #3 Will Tucker Multnomah - no one Tillamook - Charles J. Hurliman Umatilla - Democrat Glenn Youngman questionable on abortion, supports prc, traditonal marriage, conscience, Republican Dennis Doherty declined to answer OFC questionnaire Union - no one Wallowa - no one Yamhill - #2 Leslie Lewis Marion County Clerk Randy Franke *************************************************************************************** BALLOT MEASURES 54 - YES 55 - YES 56 - NO 57 - NO - This needs to be NO. It is from the Legislature to stop #61 and #62 which will protect us. 58 - YES - English as a second language is big business, this helps move education along and reduces waste 59 - YES 60 - YES - Children's education at taxpayers expense will improve with teacher excellence. 61 - YES 62 - YES 63 - YES 64 - YES - no Commingling of political funds with funds collected at public expense 65 - OFC Recommends NO/ PAC has no opinion This information is great, but the prayers, fasting, vigils and processions for Life and Victory are what will make the difference. ******************************************************** 40 Days for Life Date: Sunday, November 2. Event: Closing prayer vigil and lunch for 40 Days for Life. Time: Prayer vigil begins at 1:00 PM, and lunch is at 2:00. Location: Vigil will be on MLK Blvd, at the location of the future Planned Parenthood there, and lunch will be in the Parish Hall of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Portland. Special Note: Please bring a small snack or side dish to share. ******************************************************** Holy Rosary Catholic Church 327 NE Clackamas St. Portland OR EVERY DAY - Monday, October 27 through Tuesday, Election Day November 4. 11:30 AM - Rosary for Our Lady of Victory begins, followed by The Litany in Response to Abortion. (Parishioners have already signed up to lead the rosary.) 12:00 Noon - Mass God Bless you and yours, Carolyn Indulgences for the Poor Souls Current regulations in force by Pope Benedict XVI I On All Souls' Day (Nov. 2) a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit any parish church or public oratory and there recite one Our Father and one Credo. II On all the days from November 1 though November 8 inclusive, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray even if only mentally for the departed. Conditions for both indulgences: 1. Only one plenary indulgence can be granted per day. 2. It is necessary to be in the state of grace, at least by completion of the work. 3. Freedom from attachment to sin, even venial sin, is necessary; otherwise the indulgence is only partial. (By this is meant attachment to a particular sin, not sin in general.) 4. Holy Communion must be received each time the indulgence is sought. 5. Prayers must be recited for the intentions of the Holy Father on each day the indulgence is sought. (No particular prayers are prescribed. One Our Father and one Hail Mary suffice, or other suitable prayers. 6. A sacramental confession must he made within a week of completion of the prescribed work. (One confession made during the week, made with the intention of gaining all the indulgences, suffices.) www.vocalnews.org VOCAL Voice Of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 503-769-4767 Member of the Catholic Media Coalition "In line with the Church, on-line with the World".

Message from Our Pro-Life Director/Also "White Privilege" Trial Balloon in Archdpdx.

Dear Advocates for Innocent Human Life, There is so much going around in this campaign. Some of these things we hear have a "racist overtone" to them. This is just a little sidebar, but very important for you to know. We know that there is an attempt to create class envy from the last email on "Let's Play the Candy Game", we would hope that this wouldn't be an issue with so many other things we have to deal with. What a way to get votes. Here is a recent homily from our Director of Pro-Life Ministries, Father John Cihak (sigh-ack). He has no budget, has no office in the Archdpdx no staff. Yet, has the responsibility to educate Oregon Catholics on REAL Life issues. The Office of Justice and Peace who would hijack the term "pro-life" so their various projects will be funded have a bucket of money of $100,000 or more. The ads, salaries, perks, benefits, "expenses", travel, meetings, handouts, etc. are not as important as innocent human life, or the Saul Alinsky-based "Catholic"Campaign for Human Development that is starting it marketing now for the November collection. Let us spend some time to hear Father John Cihak's words for us, since he has no other way to get to large numbers of folks during this time. Also..here are some videos... Native Oregonian Video...Go Oregon Go!!!! http://www.americaschoicenow.com Bella star - "Heartthrob" in more ways than one...English and Spanish. http://www.obamamustsee.com:80/ "Harvesting and Voting" 25th Sunday in OT (A) Sacred Heart-St. Louis Parish, Gervais, Oregon September 21, 2008 Fr. John Cihak, S.T.D. It seems that now most of the harvests are in. Since this is my second summer as pastor here in French Prairie, I am beginning to learn the order of the crops. Something that has impressed me about the harvest is the beautiful technology that is the combine. As I understand it, a combine has a series of sieves, the first of which eliminates the largest and most obvious refuse, kicking the chaff back onto the field for baling. The rest goes through the other sieves until you have mostly seed. Now I also understand that even after combining the seed still needs to be taken to a plant and cleaned until there is a certain percentage of pure seed. The combine is truly a marvelous, though expensive, invention. (I'm also amazed at the sheer amount of cash that goes into farming. One farmer recently told me that during harvest has was spending $1,000/day in diesel fuel!) Well the harvest season is over, yet we find ourselves in the midst of another season, an election season. This is a season where we find people yelling at their televisions and it's not some sporting event. In this election season, I think the image of the combine can help us sift through the issues and candidates of the complex political field, to help separate out the issues and candidates in order to produce good seed. Today St. Paul tells us, "Conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ." In everything we think, say and do, we are to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ – in how we live, how we spend our money, how we raise our children, and how we vote. We are about to cast our vote for a new president. As Catholics, our allegiance to Jesus Christ and His Church is always first, yet because we love our country, we seek to enflesh His law in the laws of our country. Such a task reveals the heart of a true patriot – that our republic, this great experiment in democracy, would be enbued with the truth of natural law revealed through human reason and the revealed law revealed through faith. The first thing we should be doing for the election is engaging in the necessary spiritual work. In other words, this is a season where we Catholics should be praying and fasting for the good of our nation. We can accomplish no good deed without the help of divine grace, and prayer and fasting help to open up channels of grace in the world. We Catholics can obtain many graces for the good of our country. Because we live in a democratic republic, our vote is also important. It may not seem like much, one vote among so many millions, but it is our exercise of political power and it is a sacred duty – not one to be taken lightly. This exercise of political power is not for ourselves or for special interest groups, but for what is objectively good for our country. Therefore, we don't vote according to our pocketbooks, and we don't vote simply based on party affiliation. We vote according to the Truth as thinking human beings who follow the dictates of reason (natural law) and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (revealed law). As thinking Catholics we approach a political scene which does not completely reflect the Catholic position. Moreoever, two very prominent Senators who identify themselves as Catholics have greatly misrepresented the Church's teaching in the media. And the bishops of the United States have responded to these misrepresentations in a statement by Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia and Bishop Lori of Bridgeport. The Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson, has also published an open letter in many secular newspapers across the nation to one of those senators calling him to task for his position on abortion. How are we to navigate through the issues in voting for a new president, and how as your pastor can I help to clarify some of the political issues? Well, I think the image of a combine helps us. Through human reason, we can set up some "sieves of logic" which can filter the issues and candidates, and help to identify a candidate who most closely resembles the truth of the natural law and our Catholic faith for this would be what is objectively good for our country. There are two basic sieves, or categories, of issues. Not every issue holds the same weight as others. The first sieve screens the candidates on issues having to do with life itself; the second sieve screens the candidate on issues having to do with the quality of life. The first and most important category contains those issues having to do with life itself: that human life has an inherent dignity given by God from the moment of conception until natural death and would receive equal protection under the law. We cannot begin to talk about the quality of human life until we have first established life itself. To disregard the issues regarding life itself and to go directly to issues concerning the quality of life doesn't make any logical sense. It is also important to remember that the issues that form the filter of the first sieve come to us from the natural law and are reinforced in the revealed law. In other words, we can know the truth of these matters through our human reason. It doesn't matter whether we are Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, agnostic, humanist or even atheist. If we exercise our rational capacity, we can come to know these non-negotiable issues having to do with life itself, and in the current political scene they are five: 1) Abortion; 2) Euthanasia; 3) Embryonic Stem Cell Research; 4) Human Cloning and 5) Homosexual "Marriage". Why are they non-negotiable? Because they involve intrinsically evil acts that are never, under any circumstances permissible. So the issue of abortion is part of the mesh of that first sieve. Abortion is the deliberate killing of an innocent human life. In this country on average, more than 4,000 children are killed everyday by abortion. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I must tell you that even Hitler and Stalin cannot claim such numbers. Just to give you an idea, every day more children are killed in this country than in the 5-year war we've had in Iraq, as terrible as it is (about 4,200 US lives lost to date). War is always terrible, and I think most everyone believes we should be seeking a way to end it as justly and safely as possible. I have a stake in the war myself. I have a friend who just finished his third tour in Iraq; I know of another who in his first tour was clearing mines for a civilian area and things went terribly wrong. He never came home. War is terrible, but sometimes it can be justifiable, especially to stop on unjust aggressor. Abortion, euthanasia and the destruction of innocent children in the name of research (embryonic stem cell research) is never justifiable. Without the first category of life itself, we cannot guarantee any of the issues having to do with the quality of life. That first sieve must clear out the obvious stuff before reaching the second sieve. Life must first exist and receive protection by the law before any other rights are guaranteed. The second sieve has to do with issue of the quality of human life, sometimes called "social justice issues" (although we should recognize that the right to life is the first right and issue in "social justice"). Once there is human life, then we talk about the important issues that help human life to flourish. These are important issues like immigration, health care, education, employment, fair trade, economic exploitation, the environment and other similar issues. Notice, however, that they have to do with the quality of human life. They flow from the first category; they presume that life already exists and is protected. Logically these issues cannot supercede the issues of the first sieve. As a thinking human being and as a thinking believer, these are the two logical sieves to help us sort through the issues as a thinking person and as a follower of Jesus Christ. With these sieves we can help to identify the candidate that most closely resembles the truth of the natural law and the revealed law among the available choices. The USCCB has issued voting guidelines in a document called Faithful Citizenship which is available online, and will be provided in the back of church. Like any document, it is open to interpretation. Recently the other bishop in Oregon, Bishop Robert Vasa, gave a talk at the national Catholic Leadership Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, in which he clarified two important aspects of Faithful Citizenship. He noted that according to the document, a pro-abortion stance would disqualify candidates from consideration by faithful Catholics. He said, "When we were working on the document 'Faithful Citizenship', and the issue of whether or not a person's adamant pro-abortion position was a disqualifying condition, the general sense was 'yes that is a disqualifying condition'." However, during the discussions mention was made of the letter written to the US Bishops by then Cardinal Ratzinger just prior his elevation to the pontificate which noted that Catholics may in good conscience vote for a politician who supports abortion in the presence of "proportionate reasons". Bishop Vasa explained the notion of proportionate reasons. He says, "The conditions under which an individual may be able to vote for a pro-abortion candidate would apply only if all the candidates are equally pro-abortion." He added: "And then you begin to screen for the other issues and make a conscientious decision to vote for this pro-abortion candidate because his positions on these other issues are more in keeping with good Catholic values." In that case, he said, "It doesn't mean that you in any way support or endorse a pro-abortion position but you take a look in that context at the lesser of two evils." Notice, however, how a "proportionate reason" works. It only comes into play if the candidates are equally pro-abortion. But what about the relationship between abortion and another important issue like the war in Iraq? Let us reason it through with Bishop Vasa. "If we had a candidate in favor of a war in Iraq in which we decimate the entire population and we kill as many civilians to impose as much terror on everybody as possible, if that was in opposition to a pro-abortion person then we would have a real conflict of conscience. Why? Because you would have a direct and intentional killing of innocent persons on one hand and the direct and intentional killing of persons on the other hand. But we do not have that issue with capital punishment, and we don't have that issue with the war in Iraq. In this election we do not have candidates with equally pro-abortion positions." Through this logic, the logic of reason and the logic of faith, the first sieve would eliminate pro-abortion candidates from our consideration. Their position would not make it through the first sieve because these non-negotiable issues have to do with intrinsically evil acts. Abortion is always the direct killing of innocent human life. It is the defining issue for a rational person who understands the natural law; it is the defining issue for a Catholic who knows Jesus Christ and His revealed law. Certain acts and political positions are always wrong, and no one may deliberately vote in favor of them. Those with a direct vote (legislators) may not support these evils in legislation or programs. Those who elect politicians (citizens) indirectly support these evils if they vote in favor of candidates who propose to advance them. Abortion is the taking of innocent human life, and to support that and to vote for those who support it and promote it means that one takes at least indirect responsibility in the deaths of those children. Back in the last election in 2004, our own Archbishop Vlazny also clarified the issue of pro-abortion candidates and the reception of Holy Communion. He writes, "Let me say this. Catholics who publicly disagree with serious church teaching on such matters as abortion or same sex marriage should refrain from receiving Holy Communion. These women and men need to understand that what the reception of a sacrament means in the life of the church. The reception of Holy Communion is a sign that a person not only seeks union with God but also desires to live in communion with the church. Such communion is clearly violated when one publicly opposes serious church teaching. Reception of Holy Communion by such public dissenters betrays a blatant disregard for the serious meaning and purpose of the reception of the Eucharist." If you are struggling with these words, pray for illumination; pray for conversion. So we have our two basic "sieves of logic" to help us sort through this election and every election. We are rational persons who can know and follow the natural law, and we are Catholics who know, love and strive to follow the Lord Jesus. We have our rational combine to cut through and sort the political landscape. Jesus tells us today that it doesn't matter whether we come to the harvest at the very beginning or in the twilight of the day. He wants us working there nonetheless, and will reward us with the "daily wage" he longs to give us, eternal life. I think we now live in a time when we have to choose. We have to choose between being a Catholic in communion with Christ and His Church and supporting a pro-abortion position. This I know is difficult for some people because some Catholics have never before been explicitly asked to choose. But now we have to choose between those two. We cannot adhere to both. St. Paul tells us that there is nothing in common between Christ and Belial. Now the request that we choose is an invitation to conversion. I don't know about you, but the pro-choice position will not bring me to heaven. Jesus Christ will bring me to heaven. When we go to vote in November, I would ask that you think of final judgment that will determine our eternal destiny. We will be judged according to our deeds in this life. How do I want to stand before God and the millions of little children in His arms? I know when push comes to shove, I want to be where Jesus Christ is because for me "For me life is Christ." Sources: Cihak, John, excerpts from a previously preached homily at St. John the Baptist, Milwaukie (23 May 23 2004). Vasa, Bishop Robert. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/08091203.html Vlazny, Archbishop John, "Public Dissenters Should Themselves Refrain from Communion," Letter of May 6, 2004 [ecolumn@sentinel.org]. Vlazny, Archbishop John, "Political responsibility among Catholics", Catholic Sentinel, 15 August 2008 (http://www.sentinel.org/node/9327). Portland Archdiocesan Pastoral Council Meeting Regarding White Priviledge One of the goals of the APC in developing the racism materials was to raise awareness of the issue. The eyes of the council were opened to the problem through a study of “white privilege”. The “white privilege” angle was a great entrée into the topic of racism for the council, and it was hoped that this experience could be duplicated at the parish level through the materials that were developed. Unfortunately, however, because of copyright permissions and cost issues, the whole concept of “white privilege” had to be removed from the materials that were developed. As a result, the extremely effective “white privilege” approach to the topic could not be used as a hook to get people interested in discussing the issue of racism. Three of the people listed as resources in the racism materials are still willing to help the archdiocese and the APC if it is decided that more should be done to address the topic. Their names are Marie Langenes, Frances Portillo, and Susan Helzer. In addition, it is likely that the racism materials can be posted on the multicultural web pages that are being developed for the archdiocese. The recent movie, “Crash”, which is set in Los Angeles, addresses the theme of latent racial prejudice in human relations. It is a critically acclaimed movie and while raw in nature, the movie deftly exposes some of the existing racial prejudices that affect daily life in modern American society. God Bless you and yours, Carolyn "Be Not Afraid....I have overcome the world."