Catholic 2000! Newsletter ------------------------- Issue #7 --- Feb. 1, 2001 ------------------------- Readers, A lot has happened this past week of importance in the Pro-Life movement. On Jan. 20, George W. Bush was inaugurated. On Jan. 22, the 28th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, Bush issued not only a statement to marchers attending the March for Life but even made his first major action as president by banning federal funds to pay for abortions in the United States and other countries. Ironically, this was the opposite of former President Clinton's first major move as president. I know I remain optimistic in his four year term. Let us continue to pray for our new President Bush and to an end to abortion. Let us remember the hard work of the deceased Cardinal John O'Conner and Mother Theresea for there hard work to stop the evils of this world. Other happenings include Pope John Paul II appointing 37 new Cardinals. Let us pray for them. I had the oppertunity to attend the Vigil for Life Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception on Jan. 22 and the March for Life. At the Mass, we were invited to fast on Friday's year round in an effort to stop the evils of abortion. I would like to extended this invitation to you because some evils cannot be stopped but by prayer and fasting (NAB, Mt. 17:21). Some of you know may remember that I attend Oklahoma State University so, I ask for your prayers for the 10 people who died on an OSU chartered plane returning to Stillwater, OK from the Colorado Basketball game. Thoses in the plane crash were: two players, Nate Fleming-RS Freshman and Dan Lawson-Jr, OKC broadcaster, Bill Teegins, sports information employee Will Hancock, a basketball program executive, a trainer, a broad- caster engineer, and the two pilots. -Ash Lux (editor) ---------------------------------------------------- In This Issue: I....POPE NAMES 37 TO BE CARDINALS II...BUSH CUTS FUNDING TO INTERNATIONAL ABORTION GROUPS III..TEXT OF BUSH STATEMENT TO MARCH FOR LIFE IV...MARCH FOR LIFE A HUGE SUCCESS V....WARNING: BEING PRO-LIFE MAY BE DANGEROUS VI...PRO-ABORTION BANDS & COMPANIES: DON'T SUPPORT THEM VII..INCENSE: ORIGIN AND USE VIII.NORMA MCCORVEY, ROE OF ROE VS. WADE, WILL BE ON FOX NEWS FEB. 1 ---------------------------------------------------- ********************************* =The Catholic Shop= ************************* Find not only Catholic items at cheap prices, but do ALL your on-line shopping here! ************************* http://www.catholicreality.com/cs ********************************* ---------------------------------------------------- I..POPE NAMES 37 TO BE CARDINALS VATICAN, Jan, 21, 01 (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II today named 37 new members to join the College of Cardinals. The new cardinals will receive their red hats at a consistory on February 21-- the feast of the Chair of Peter. The Holy Father made this announcement during his regular Sunday Angelus audience, as he spoke to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square from the balcony of his apartment. Among the new cardinals, 33 will be under the age of 80, and thus eligible to vote in a papal election. Cardinals Ghattas, Honore, Scheffczyk, and Dulles will be over 80 at the time of their elevation to the College. Cardinal Tucci will celebrate his 80th birthday in April. After the consistory, the number of cardinals eligible to vote in a conclave will be 128. The Pope has used his authority to exceed the normal limit of 120. Also, the Pope still has not revealed the identity of two cardinals named "in pectore"-- that is, secretly-- in previous conclaves. Since the start of his pontificate, John Paul II has named 194 cardinals, of whom 154 are alive today. FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL 37 CARDINALS, PLEASE VISIT: http://www.catholicreality.com/37card.txt [reprinted with permission from Catholic World News Services Jan. 21, 2001] [please visit CWNews.com] ---------------------------------------------------- II..BUSH CUTS FUNDING TO INTERNATIONAL ABORTION GROUPS WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 22, 01 (CWNews.com) - President George W. Bush issued an executive order on Monday, ordering that funding for international population control groups that provide or advocate abortion be cut. Bush's order counteracts one issued by former President Bill Clinton in 1993 at the beginning of his presidency that reinstated the funding. The ban had originally been put in place in 1984 by then-President Ronald Reagan. The order came as tens of thousands of pro-lifers marched in Washington to mark the 28th anniversary of the US Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion on demand. Demonstrators said they were buoyed by the new administration in their hopes for a change in abortion policy in the US. On Sunday, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card said the administration would look at several regulations. Asked about the recently approved RU-486 abortion pill, Card said, "We're going to take a look at all of the regulations. We're going to take a look at all the executive orders." Pro-lifers also held out hope that Bush would appoint federal judges and Supreme Court justices who are pro-life. Just one appointment could tip the balance -- with many decisions now being made on 5-4 votes. Any nominee, however, would have to be approved by a Senate divided 50-50 along party lines. [reprinted with permission from Catholic World News Services Jan. 22, 2001] [please visit CWNews.com] ---------------------------------------------------- III..Text of Bush Statement to March for Life THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT Good afternoon, friends and fellow citizens. Two days ago, Americans gathered on the Washington Mall to celebrate our Nations ideals. Today, you are gathered to remind our country that one of those ideals is the infinite value of every life. I deeply appreciate your message and your work. You see the weak and the defenseless, and you try to help them. You see the hardship of many young mothers and their unborn children, and you care for them both. In so many ways, you make our society more compassionate and welcoming. We share a great goal: to work toward a day when every child is welcomed in life and protected in law. We know this will not come easily, or all at once. But the goal leads us onward: to build a culture of life, affirming that every person, at every stage and season of life, is created equal in God's image. The promises of our Declaration of Independence are not just for the strong, the independent, or the healthy. They are for everyone including unborn children. We are a society with enough compassion and wealth and love to care for both mothers and their children, to seek the promise and potential in every human life. I believe that we are making progress toward that goal. I trust in the good hearts of Americans. I trust in the unfolding promise of our country an expanding circle of inclusion and protection. And I trust in the civility and good sense of our citizens a willingness to engage our differences in a spirit of tolerance and good will. All of you marching today have never tired in a good cause. Thank you for your conviction, your idealism, and your courage. May God bless you all. GEORGE W. BUSH ---------------------------------------------------- IV..MARCH FOR LIFE A HUGE SUCCESS WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 24, 01 (CWNews.com/LSN.ca) - Tens of thousands of pro-lifers took part in the March of Life on Monday calling for the 1973 US Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion to be overturned. The hundreds of events leading up to the March for Life included demonstrations, pro-life speeches, sermons, and interviews. The crowd of tens of thousands, with a huge youth contingent, was delighted with the message from President George W. Bush and the announcement that he was re-establishing a policy banning US funds from international groups which provide and lobby for abortion. Two days before the anniversary, Archbishop Justin Rigali of St. Louis marched with 1,500 pro-lifers after a Mass at the cathedral to a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. The bishop described Planned Parenthood clinics as a kind of "Calvary" for unborn children. "It is also a hill of Calvary-- a place of banishment and execution," he said. American Life League and Rock for Life encouraged the thousands of youth present to subscribe to "absolute Truth" and reject "failed pragmatism," saying that "the pro-life movement must advance the principle of personhood in defense of every preborn person from fertilization." On Monday morning, the groups joined a youth protest at the Food and Drug Administration headquarters to protest FDA approval of the RU-486 abortion regimen. On Sunday, three US cardinals, one cardinal-designate, the Apostolic Nuncio, over 30 bishops, hundreds of priests, and over 6,000 faithful gathered at the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. At the event, held annually on the eve of the March for Life, Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore, chairman of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Pro-Life Committee, delivered a homily decrying the current "abortion license" as an "evil" and noted its "poisoning effect" nationwide. [reprinted with permission from Catholic World News Services Jan. 24, 2001] [please visit CWNews.com] ---------------------------------------------------- V..WARNING: BEING PRO-LIFE MAY BE DANGEROUS by Ash Lux (ashlux@catholicreality.com) On January 19, 2001, I left with a group from St. John's University Parish in Stillwater, OK for a 24-26 hour bus ride to Washington D.C. We were there for the March for Life, which was to take place on the anniversary of the infamous court case, "Roe vs. Wade," on Jan 22, 2001. During the trip, I made an interesting connection between our evangelizing and the numorous hearings for various positions under the new Bush Administration.. Abortion advocates seems to be suggesting that these candidates, like John Ashcroft, are not only extremest but are unable to follow the law of the land despite their feelings on certain life issues. It seems as though being Pro-Life equals being extreme. It seems as though being Pro-Life equals being untrustworthy. It seems as though being Pro-Life equals being evil. It seems as though being Pro-Life equals being against everything that America stands for. You can see this by viewing Planned Parenthood's website (www.plannedparenthood.org). The left side of the screen is cluttered with phrases such as "STOP ASHCROFT," "Planned Parenthood Leads Fight to Oppose Ashcroft as Attorney General," and finally, "ROEvBUSH.COM." (Ironically, "ROEvBUSH" shows little consideration that Norma McCorvey, the Roe of Roe vs. Wade, is no longer an abortion advocate and now a major supporter of Pro-Life..) Numerous times on the trip I repeated to several people that there should be a warning to being in the march... WARNING: Participation in the March for Life may hamper your future public life esspecially in the government. Is there really anything wrong with being Pro-Life? Of course not. The Pro-Life movement is based on care for the mother and child. For you see, you may only care for BOTH or you may care for none. ----- SPECIAL THANKS TO FR. JOE AT ST. JOHN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH IN STILLWATER, OK FOR THE IDEA I TOOK FROM HIS HOMILY ON JAN. 27, 2001. ---------------------------------------------------- VI..PRO-ABORTION BANDS & COMPANIES: DON'T SUPPORT THEM We urge you to not support bands and companies that support abortion. There are many ways bands have made this list including songs carrying pro-abortion messages, donate money to pro-abortion organizations, or have taken a strong pro- abortion stance. Companies make this list for donating money to pro-abortion organizations. NOTE: This is NOT a complete list of bands or companies. For a complete list, please visit http://www.rockforlife.com/ for bands (both pro-life and pro-abortion) and also, http://www.ohiolife.org/ - for business. "Abortion is advocated ONLY by persons who have themselves BEEN BORN." - Ronald Reagan One charity which should be noted to NOT donate to is the March for Dimes for advocating abortion. PRO-ABORTION BANDS: (a partial list). ------------------- Is your listening pleasures as important as the life of a baby? We ask you to go on boycott and not support these bands or those listed on the Rock for Life website. **Alice In Chains**Bare Naked Ladies**Dave Matthews Band** **Green Day**Korn**Madonna**Nirvana**No Doubt**Offspring** **Pearl Jam**R.E.M.**Rage Against the Machine**Santana** **Foo Fighters**Primus**Presidents of the United States** and more... **please check www.rockforlife.com for more bands.** PRO-ABORTION COMPANIES: (a partial list). ---------------------- If possible, we ask you to not work for any of these companies. Also, please do not buy from any of these companies esspecially those which you might buy from often like Pepsi Cola: **American Express**AT&T**Capital Cities**Disney**ABC** **Chicago Sin-Times, Inc.**Forbes, Inc.**Hewlett-Packard** **Johnson & Johnson**Kraft Foods**Phillip Morris** **Levi Strauss**Loews**Merrill Lynch**New York Times** **NEBCO**Paramount**Viacom**Pepsi Cola**Pillsbury Corp.** **Quacker Oats**Prudential**Reebox**State Farm Mutual** **Subaru**Williams Corp.**Bank One Corp.** and more... **Please check www.ohiolife.org for more companies** ---------------------------------------------------- VII..INCENSE: ORIGIN AND USE by Ash Lux (ashlux@catholicreality.com) ***************************** *If you have a question and* *you would like us to answer* *it, please E-Mail us at:* *---------------------------* *ashlux@catholicreality.com** ***************************** "We are looking for why incense is used in the mass what it actually does or means" - J. K. Dear J. K. Thank you for your E-Mail, I hope this helps you understand the origin and use of incense during Mass...: Incense was very common in the ancient world during religious ceremonies to keep demons away and it was very popular amoung the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Egyptians. Judaism also used it in their thanksgiving offerings (Num. 7:13-17) and the Lord also instructed Moses to build a golden altar for the burning of incense (Ex. 30:1-10). The use of incense was continued in use by Christian Jews in the early Church. Some like to claim the use of incense was an "invention" when even scripture itself disproves that claim. The purpose of incense was of symbolic value of purification and sanctification (notice it is used mostly before the reading of the Gospel and also before the sacrafice takes place on the altar). Also, the use of incense adds to the sense of solemnity and mystery of the Mass and reminds us of the transcendence of the Mass linking heaven and earth. --In other words, incense is merely an aid in prayer and does not have any real power attributed to it. God Bless, Ash Lux ---------------------------------------------------- VII..NORMA MCCORVEY, ROE OF ROE VS. WADE, WILL BE ON FOX NEWS FEB. 1 Former abortion supporter, Norma McCorvey, Roe of Roe vs. Wade, will be on Fox News on Feb. 1st on the Hannity and Colmes Show. The show starts at 8pm Centeral. Please check to make sure this is the correct time... -Ash