TCA Podcast, – “Conversations with Consequences,” Episode 171 – Carter Snead Talks Women & Children First & Kay Hymowitz On Still Coming Apart! Dr. Grazie Christie and Leigh Snead discuss a very unique program designed to help mothers and babies in a post-Roe world called the Women and Children First initiative. City Journal’s Kay Hymowitz also joins discussing her recent analysis on the family unit and why children need to be the primary concern. Father Roger Landry also offers an inspiring homily for this Sunday’s Gospel. Catch the show every Saturday at 7amET/5pmET on EWTN radio! https://thecatholicassociation.org/podcast/ep-171-carter-snead-on-women-children-first-kay-hymowitz-on-still-coming-apart/___________________________________________________________ 1. Why Catholicism Remains Strong in Canada, Even as Catholicism wanes in many Western countries, in Canada, it is holding steady as the largest religious denomination., By Ian Austen, The New York Times, July 29, 2022, 5:00 AM The centerpiece of ​Pope Francis​’s journey to Canada this week ​was his historic message o​f apology on Monday ​to ​the country’s ​Indigenous people​ for the Catholic Church’s role in the notorious residential school system that tried to erase their culture, and in which thousands of children were abused and died. But as Francis continued his travels across the country — from Alberta, where he delivered the apology, to Quebec and Nunavut in the Arctic — his stops also told the story of the church’s unusually stable position in Canada. Large numbers of immigrants from South Sudan, India, the Philippines, South Korea and elsewhere were prominent in the crowd at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, on Tuesday, just as they are in the country’s Catholic churches, a product of Canada’s generous immigration policy, which embraces immigrants and formally promotes multiculturalism. While the Roman Catholic church is in severe decline in many Western countries, it remains the largest denomination in predominately Christian Canada, accounting for about 38 percent of people who identify with a particular faith. And outside Quebec, a French speaking province it once dominated, the church’s decline has been modest. In 1951, 41 percent of Canadians said they were Catholics. The reason for the church’s stability, most analysts agree, is Canada’s relatively open immigration policies, which mean that immigrants make up a much larger share of Canada’s population than they do in the United States and other Western countries where Catholicism is waning. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/29/world/canada/pope-francis-canada-catholics.html___________________________________________________________ 2. Treating Ectopic Pregnancies in A Pro-Life Culture, By Grazie Pozo Christie, Newsweek, July 29, 2022, 7:00 AM, Opinion Two years ago, my very-pro-life sister-in-law nearly lost her life due to an ectopic pregnancy. Her little embryo lodged in her fallopian tube instead of her uterus and, at only the seventh week of pregnancy, her tube ruptured. Blood spilled into her abdominal cavity, causing excruciating pain and bringing her to the brink of death. A distinguished lawyer in Washington, D.C., a loving wife and devoted mother of three daughters, she was rushed to the hospital. There, doctors removed the embryo and the ruptured tube—and saved her life, though it took many months before she fully recovered. Her story is a snapshot of what ectopic pregnancy treatment looks like in a perfectly pro-life setting. It refutes the disingenuous pro-choice talking point that women suffering miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies will be put at risk in a post-Roe v. Wade world. You see, my brother and sister-in-law strive to live their lives according to the teachings of the Catholic Church, including its teaching on the moral significance of human life from conception to natural death. For them, their tiny embryo was a son or daughter whose life was precious. For OB-GYN care, she specifically chose a provider who also believes that every human life is to be treasured and that elective abortion is a grave evil. My sister-in-law wanted a doctor who would honor and respect the nascent life inside of her as much as she and that little one’s father did. In short, she, her husband, and her doctors proceeded through the crisis from a purely pro-life moral position. And yet, she received the same treatment that any woman would have received: the surgical termination of her pregnancy. Why? Because the medical treatment for ectopic pregnancy is not an elective abortion. An elective abortion has, as its central purpose, the ending of the life of the embryo or fetus and is performed electively (that is, for social or personal reasons). Surgery or medical treatment for an ectopic pregnancy is not “elective.” It’s absolutely necessary. Its object is not the death of the embryo but the saving of the mother. The embryo is, in fact, already doomed by his or her location, and the mother will almost surely die if the pregnancy is not ended as quickly as possible. You would hardly know all this—all this medical and moral nuance—if all you hear is the drumbeat of pro-choice activists since the Dobbs v. Jackson decision. Against all evidence to the contrary, they’re out insisting that the lives of pregnant women with ectopic pregnancies and other potentially fatal conditions will be endangered in states that limit elective abortion. This dangerous misinformation is a complete fallacy. … Despite the alarmist pro-choice rhetoric, Americans can rest assured that limiting elective abortion will not put expectant mothers in danger. Indeed, even in situations where the most sensitive respect for nascent human life is exercised, necessary life-saving treatments are always considered ethical and moral. They are also explicitly legal. Even when, as in the case of my pro-life sister-in-law, they result in the death of the embryo or fetus. Rhetoric to the contrary is dangerous and irresponsible. Grazie Pozo Christie, MD, is a Senior Fellow for The Catholic Association. https://www.newsweek.com/treating-ectopic-pregnancies-pro-life-culture-opinion-1728492__________________________________________________________ 3. I’m a pro-life physician — here’s what it’s like to be targeted by left’s violent ‘summer of rage’, The left’s violent ‘summer of rage’ has targeted pro-life physicians – and I’m one of them, By Grazie Pozo Christie, Fox News, July 29, 2022, 7:00 AM, Opinion When you are going quietly about your regular volunteer work helping women and families facing the challenge of a new baby, you don’t expect to find yourself in the crosshairs of unhinged domestic extremists.   Recently, however, our humble, unmarked storefront in a nondescript South Florida strip mall was spray-painted with violent threats. It was our introduction to the “summer of Rage” that so-called pro-choice activists are carrying out across the United States. Staff and volunteers at our center were shocked and scared but feel fortunate in one respect. We know that many other pregnancy resource centers have been attacked, and some have not only been graffitied but firebombed. Thankfully, nobody has been physically hurt.   Yet.   … Although not always located just across from Planned Parenthood, our pregnancy care centers are always diametrically opposed to abortion centers in their respective purposes. Planned Parenthood is a business that profits from abortion. When it performs an ultrasound, it’s to determine the age and size of the baby, to better plan the type of life-ending procedure staff will sell their clients. The price tag is generally many hundreds of dollars, borne by the taxpayer in the 16 states whose Medicaid programs cover abortion when it’s not borne by the woman herself.   By contrast, the cost of an ultrasound at a pregnancy resource center is covered by the loving charity of strangers, usually but not always people of vibrant faith. A listening ear, a pat on the arm, the utter lack of judgement or condemnation greets the troubled expectant mother. We offer her a free ultrasound so she can see the reality of the little one inside her, so that she can make an informed choice. We do the best we can to minister to her needs, no strings attached. And if she still chooses abortion, she can cross the street and get one. Later, if (when) the grief that stalks post-abortive women strikes, our trained counselors will help her find peace and consolation. All at no cost.   These centers — along with the Supreme Court Justices and their families, along with many Catholic churches — are experiencing the bitter fruits of the “pro-choice” “summer of Rage.” They have been targeted by extremists like Jane’s Revenge, a shadowy group whose communiqué calls for rage from “people who can get pregnant,” so that everyone fully feels its wrath. First, they exhort, feel the fury and then carry that anger out into the world and express it physically. The result: a rash of pregnancy care center vandalism and bombings across the country — at least 60 since the Supreme Court leak. And we’ve already seen the arrest of a man for the attempted murder of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and how irresponsible appeals to fury and wrath can trigger the unhinged. It’s all shocking and scary. But it’s also ironic. While abortion advocates have been ginning up their violent “summer of rage,” pregnancy resource centers and others in the pro-life community have been doing the important work of preparing for a post-Roe world. Accompaniment, support, sympathy, and welcome material assistance for women and girls who need it is what these centers do so beautifully, and apparently what makes the absolutists on the other side so furious.    Grazie Pozo Christie, MD, is a Senior Fellow for The Catholic Association. https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/pro-life-physician-targeted-left-violent-summer-rage__________________________________________________________ 4. Religion Is Dying? Don’t Believe It, By Byron R. Johnson and Jeff Levin, The Wall Street Journal, July 29, 2022, Pg. A13, Opinion Reports of religion’s decline in America have been exaggerated. You’ve heard the story: Churchgoers are dwindling in number while “Nones”—those who tell pollsters they have no religious affiliation—are multiplying as people abandon their faith and join the ranks of atheists and agnostics. Headlines declare that the U.S. is secularizing along the lines of Europe. From Britain’s Daily Mail in 2013: “Religion could disappear by 2041 because people will have replaced God with possessions, claims leading psychologist.” These conclusions are based on analyses that are so flawed as to be close to worthless. In a new study with our colleagues Matt Bradshaw and Rodney Stark, we seek to set the record straight. Data from five recent U.S. population surveys point to the vibrancy, ubiquity and growth of religion in the U.S. Americans are becoming more religious, and religious institutions are thriving. Consistent with some previous studies but contrary to widely held assumptions, many people who report no religious affiliation—and even many self-identified atheists and agnostics—exhibit substantial levels of religious practice and belief. … Religion is constantly evolving, but it isn’t in decline in the U.S. More Americans attend and support more religious congregations than ever before. Social scientists can’t count them unless they know where to look. Mr. Johnson is a professor of social sciences at Baylor University, where Mr. Levin is a professor of epidemiology and population health. https://www.wsj.com/articles/religion-is-dying-dont-believe-it-nones-others-surveys-faith-institutions-atheists-agnostics-practice-minority-11659017037__________________________________________________________ 5. A papal apology, belated but apt, Speaking to Canada’s Native peoples, Pope Francis acknowledges words are not enough., By The Washington Post, July 29, 2022, Pg. A18, Editorial When error, abuse or crimes are committed, the perpetrator’s contrition and atonement are first steps and preconditions of any possible reconciliation. That’s true when harm is caused by individuals or institutions — even ones as vast and magisterial as the Catholic Church. Pope Francis, more than any of his predecessors, has grasped that. He showed so again this week in delivering a profound and moving apology to Indigenous Canadian peoples whose culture, communities and children were victimized by what he called an “evil committed by so many Christians.” … Just as important, he acknowledged that apologies are not sufficient, and said that he agreed that “concrete” actions would be required to achieve a full reconciliation. The onus therefore remains on the Vatican, in this papacy or the next, to make good on Francis’s words. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/07/28/pope-apologizes-to-native-peoples-in-canada/__________________________________________________________ 6. Americans dismayed at end of Roe are less certain they will vote, poll finds, A Washington Post-Schar School poll finds 65 percent of Americans view the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling as a major loss of women’s rights, while 35 percent say it is not, By Hannah Knowles, Emily Guskin  and Scott Clement, The Washington Post, July 29, 2022, 6:00 AM Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the end of Roe v. Wade represents a “major loss of rights” for women, a Washington Post-Schar School poll finds, but those who support abortion access are less certain they will vote this fall — a sign of the challenges facing Democrats who hope the issue will motivate their base in the midterms. … But the poll also provides evidence of an enthusiasm problem for Democrats: Those who reject the idea that the court’s ruling is a loss for women are 18 percentage points more likely to express certainty they will vote in the midterms — 70 percent compared with 52 percent of those who do see such a loss, according to the Post-Schar School poll conducted July 22 to 24. Democrats and women, especially younger women, are particularly uncertain they will vote. About 1 in 3 women under 40 are sure they will cast a ballot even as they have strong concerns about rollbacks in abortion access. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/07/29/abortion-roe-midterms-poll/__________________________________________________________ 7. Pope Francis, in Canada, Tries to Distinguish Evangelization From the Pain Caused by Colonialism, The pontiff apologized for Catholics’ role in forced assimilation of indigenous children and praised early missionaries for their appreciation of indigenous cultures, By Francis X. Rocca, The Wall Street Journal, July 29, 2022, 7:28 AM Pope Francis repeatedly denounced colonialism during his visit to Canada this week as he apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in establishing residential schools for indigenous children to strip away their own cultural practices and beliefs. Yet among the pope’s expressions of sorrow and requests for forgiveness, he included praise for some of the earliest missionaries to Canada, proposing them as models of cultural inclusivity in the church then and today. The tension between those positions reflects the complexity of the challenge of reconciling the church and indigenous peoples in Canada and elsewhere. The pope “hasn’t apologized for evangelization, he’s apologized for modes of evangelization,” said the Rev. Dorian Llywelyn, president of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California. Father Llywelyn said the history of the residential schools illustrates that “the wagon of evangelization can easily get hitched to political projects.” https://www.wsj.com/articles/pope-francis-in-canada-tries-to-distinguish-evangelization-from-the-pain-caused-by-colonialism-11659094115?__________________________________________________________ 8. Liberal cities face legal hurdles in flouting states’ pro-life laws, Seek taxpayer funds for travel by women, By Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times, July 29, 2022, Pg. A1 Some deep blue cities in bright red states want to help cover costs for women seeking to cross state lines for abortions. Although Apple and Yahoo are doing the same thing, the municipalities plan to spend taxpayer dollars. That may be a problem in states that ban public funds to provide or assist with abortions. That scenario is playing out in Missouri and Ohio. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt stepped in after the St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted last week to direct $1.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to create the Reproductive Equity Fund, designed to provide travel and other “logistical support” for abortion. “The move by the City of St. Louis to use taxpayer dollars to help push out-of-state abortions plainly and clearly violates Missouri law,” said Mr. Schmitt. “My Office today filed suit to put a stop to Mayor Jones and the City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen’s blatantly illegal move to spend Missourians’ hard-earned tax dollars on out-of-state abortions.” He cited state law barring the use of public funds to “encourage” or “assist” in accessing most abortions. … In Ohio, at least four deep blue cities are moving ahead with proposals to provide taxpayer-funded support for abortion and related services, despite a state law banning the use of state or local dollars “for payment or reimbursement for abortion services.” https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jul/28/liberal-cities-opposition-bids-taxpayer-money-abor/__________________________________________________________ 9. Pope in Canada apologizes for ‘evil’ of sex abuse, By Elise Ann Allen, Crux, July 29, 2022 Pope Francis Thursday asked forgiveness for the sexual abuse of children at Church-run residential schools in Canada and vowed “never again,” building on an earlier historic apology made the day after arriving in Canada. At an evening Vespers service in the Quebec Cathedral of Notre Dame with bishops, priests, and nuns in Canada, the pope reflected on the challenges they face in being credible witnesses to the Gospel, saying “The Church in Canada has set out on a new path, after being hurt and devastated by the evil perpetrated by some of its sons and daughters.” “I think in particular of the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable people, scandals that require firm action and an irreversible commitment. Together with you, I would like once more to ask forgiveness of all the victims,” he said. “The pain and the shame we feel must become an occasion for conversion: never again!” he said. https://cruxnow.com/pope-in-canada/2022/07/pope-in-canada-apologizes-for-evil-of-sex-abuse__________________________________________________________ 10. Parallels between Pope Francis in Canada and John Paul II in Jerusalem, By John L. Allen Jr., Crux, July 29, 2022, Opinion Every papal trip is unique, but some are more alike than others. As Pope Francis moves through a five-day outing to Canada this week, interesting parallels have emerged to another historic voyage: Pope John Paul II’s March 2000 trip to the Holy Land, the highlight of which was the Polish pontiff leaving behind a note of apology in Jerusalem’s Western Wall for centuries of anti-Semitism. … [W]hen John Paul died in 2005, Jewish leaders around the world praised his efforts at reconciliation, saying what however imperfect his legacy may have been, it marked an historic sea change in Jewish-Catholic relations. “With the passing of Pope John Paul II, we have lost the strongest advocate for reconciliation for the Jewish people in the history of the Vatican,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center. Though it’s too early to be sure, it’s a good bet Indigenous leaders around the world will say something similar about Pope Francis when the time comes, considering not merely his “pilgrimage of penance” in Canada this week but also his Synod for the Amazon and many other aspects of his record. In other words, maybe the goal here isn’t universal satisfaction, which is probably unattainable anyway. Maybe it’s simply to remind Indigenous people that they’ve got a friend in Rome, and trust in providence to sort out the rest. https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2022/07/parallels-between-pope-francis-in-canada-and-john-paul-ii-in-jerusalem__________________________________________________________ 11. ‘Rescind the Doctrine’ protest greets pope in Canada, By Rob Gillies and Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, July 28, 2022, 6:20 PM Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Thursday at Canada’s national shrine and came face-to-face with a long-standing demand from Indigenous peoples: to rescind the papal decrees underpinning the so-called “Doctrine of Discovery” and repudiate the theories that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today. … Beyond the apology, Indigenous peoples have called on Francis to formally rescind the 15th century papal bulls, or decrees, that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity. Those decrees underpin the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has come to be understood as meaning that ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they “discovered” it. It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/rescind-the-doctrine-protest-greets-pope-in-canada/2022/07/28/f93f1ff6-0e8b-11ed-88e8-c58dc3dbaee2_story.html__________________________________________________________ 12. Massachusetts ordinances target pro-life pregnancy centers, By Joe Bukuras, Catholic News Agency, July 28, 2022, 12:45 PM Ahead of a new poll showing overwhelming support for legalized abortion among Massachusetts residents, several cities in the state have taken steps to fine pro-life pregnancy centers if they engage in “deceptive” advertising practices. … The poll results come on the heels of municipal ordinances enacted in Cambridge and Somerville, located north of Boston, to issue fines of up to $300 for every instance of “deceptive” advertising by local pregnancy clinics that do not perform abortions or refer clients to those that do perform them. Neither measure defines what constitutes “deceptive” advertising. In Cambridge, the ordinance contains additional language that prohibits its city manager from issuing licenses or permits to pro-life pregnancy centers that wish to operate within city limits. According to crisispregnancycentermap.com, a project by two professors at the University of Georgia, there are no pro-life pregnancy centers in either Somerville or Cambridge. A third city in the state, Worcester, is drafting an ordinance modeled after those in Somerville and Cambridge, directed at so-called “limited services pregnancy centers.” Meanwhile, the city council in East Hampton, located in southwestern Massachusetts, is scheduled to consider a similar ordinance at its next meeting on Aug. 3. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251900/massachusetts-ordinances-target-pro-life-pregnancy-centers__________________________________________________________

TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association.
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