One Week to Chinese New Year

But, let's not forget the persecuted Church.

From http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=5364

Cardinal Zen defends underground Church in China, criticizes government’s Patriotic Association

February 05, 2010

Following the publication of an article in the Italian magazine 30 Giorni, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun has defended his criticism of Communist China’s Catholic Patriotic Association and his support of the underground Church.
“I absolutely support reconciliation,” he said. “However, since the government policy has not changed, I fear a unification in the structure could be done in a hurry without following the principles that the Pope has laid down.”
The retired Hong Kong bishop criticized the decision of an underground bishop to join the Catholic Patriotic Association in July 2009.
“I personally have great respect for the bishop,” said Cardinal Zen.” “He has borne great suffering for his faith,” but “respecting him does not mean we have to accept all his judgments. They are separate matters.”
Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.
Zen says magazine’s criticism groundless (UCAN)
Prelates differ on approach to China's 'official' Catholic Church (CWN)

Disturbing Info about the USSCB

Right to Life March 2010

Keep in mind that the forecaste was for precipitation and the day did start out with drizzle and cold balmy weather. Yet, over 300,000 people chose to march.

I took picutres at the beginning of the march and at the end. I saw absoluetely no pro-aborts, yet likely there were a handful.

What was odd, and you'll notice it at the end, was that after passing the Supreme Court, the police forced us marchers to funnel onto the sidewalk. This was especially difficult for people with baby strollers. [The officers passed the buck saying they were following orders when asked why we were being squeezed this way.]

You'll also notice the excessive police presence (surely mandated by absent abortion lover Obama) for a march which for the last 37 years consistently been huge and yet peaceful.

Meanwhile, here are some more photos of the extraordinary form Masses at St. Mary's.

The Problem With the St. James Concert

Concerts in Churches

Protocol number 1251/87

November 5, 1987

(The following declaration of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments was sent to the presidents of the national conferences of bishops and through them to commissions on Liturgy and sacred art.)

I. MUSIC IN CHURCHES OTHER THAN DURING LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS
1. The interest shown in music is one of the marks of contemporary culture. The ease with which it is possible to listen at home to classical works, by means of radio, records, cassettes and television, has in no way diminished the pleasure of attending live concerts, but on the contrary has actually enhanced it. This is encouraging, because music and song contribute to elevating the human spirit.

The increase in the number of concerts in general has in some countries given rise to a more frequent use of churches for such events. Various reasons are given for this: local needs, where for example it is not easy to find suitable places; acoustical considerations, for which churches are often ideal; aesthetic reasons of fittingness, that is to present the works in the setting for which they were originally written; purely practical reasons, for example facilities for organ recitals: in a word churches are considered to be in many ways apt places for holding a concert.

2. Alongside this contemporary development a new situation has arisen in the Church.

The Scholae cantorum have not had frequent occasion to execute their traditional repertory of sacred polyphonic music within the context of a liturgical celebration.

For this reason, the initiative has been taken to perform this sacred music in church in the form of a concert. The same has happened with Gregorian chant, which has come to form part of concert programs both inside and outside the church.

Another important factor emerges from the so-called "spiritual concerts," so-termed because the music performed in them can be considered as religious, because of the theme chosen, or on account of the nature of the texts set to music, or because of the venue for the performance.

Such events are in some cases accompanied by readings, prayers and moments of silence. Given such features they can almost be compared to a "devotional exercise."

3. The increased numbers of concerts held in churches has given rise to doubts in the minds of pastors and rectors of churches as to the extent to which such events are really necessary.

A general opening of churches for concerts could give rise to complaints by a number of the faithful, yet on the other hand an outright refusal could lead to some misunderstanding.

Firstly, it is necessary to consider the significance and purpose of a Christian church. For this, the Congregation for Divine Worship considers it opportune to propose to the episcopal conferences, and in so far as it concerns them, to the national commissions of Liturgy and music, some observations and interpretations for the canonical norms concerning the use of churches for various kinds of music: music and song, music of religious inspiration and music of non-religious character.

4. At this juncture it is necessary to re-read recent documents which treat of the subject, in particular the constitution on the Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, the instruction Musicam Sacram of March 5, 1967, the instruction Liturgicae Instaurationes of September 5, 1970, in addition to the prescription of the code of Canon Law, can. 1210, 1213 and 1222.

In this present letter the primary concern is with musical performances outside of the celebration of the Liturgy.

II. POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION
The character and purpose of churches

5. According to tradition as expressed in the rite for the dedication of a church and altar, churches are primarily places where the people of God gather, and are "made one as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, and are the Church, the temple of God built with living stones, in which the Father is worshipped in spirit and in truth." Rightly so, from ancient times the name "church" has been extended to the building in which the Christian community unite to hear the word of God, to pray together, to receive the sacraments, to celebrate the Eucharist and to prolong its celebration in the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Cf. Order of the Dedication of a Church, ch. II, 1).

Churches, however, cannot be considered simply as public places for any kind of meeting. They are sacred places, that is, "set apart" in a permanent way for divine worship by their dedication and blessing.

As visible constructions, churches are signs of the pilgrim Church on earth; they are images that proclaim the heavenly Jerusalem, places in which are actualized the mystery of the communion between man and God. Both in urban areas and in the countryside, the church remains the house of God, and the sign of his dwelling among men. It remains a sacred place, even when no liturgical celebration is taking place.

In a society disturbed by noise, especially in big cities, churches are also an oasis where men gather, in silence and in prayer, to seek peace of soul and the light of faith.

That will only be possible in so far as churches maintain their specific identity. When churches are used for ends other than those for which they were built, their role as a sign of the Christian mystery is put at risk, with more or less serious harm to the teaching of the faith and to the sensitivity of the People of God, according to the Lord's words: "My house is a house of prayer" (Lk 19:46).

Importance of sacred music
6. Sacred music, whether vocal or instrumental, is of importance. Music is sacred "in so far as it is composed for the celebration of divine worship and possesses integrity of form" (Musicam sacram n. 4a). The church considers it a "treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art," recognizing that it has a "ministerial function in the service of the Lord" (Cf. SC n. 112); and recommending that it be "preserved and fostered with great care" (SC n. 114).

Any performance of sacred music which takes place during a celebration, should be fully in harmony with that celebration. This often means that musical compositions which date from a period when the active participation of the faithful was not emphasized as the source of the authentic Christian spirit (SC n. 14; Pius X Tra le sollecitudini) are no longer to be considered suitable for inclusion within liturgical celebrations.

Analogous changes of perception and awareness have occurred in other areas involving the artistic aspect of divine worship: for example, the sanctuary has been restructured, with the president's chair, the ambo and the altar versus populum. Such changes have not been made in a spirit of disregard for the past, but have been deemed necessary in the pursuit of an end of greater importance, namely the active participation of the faithful. The limitation which such changes impose on certain musical works can be overcome by arranging for their performance outside the context of liturgical celebration in a concert of sacred music.

Organ
7. The performance of purely instrumental pieces on the organ during liturgical celebrations today is limited. In the past the organ took the place of the active participation of the faithful, and reduced the people to the role of "silent and inert spectators" of the celebration (Pius XI, Divini cultus, n. 9).

It is legitimate for the organ to accompany and sustain the singing either of the assembly or the choir within the celebration. On the other hand, the organ must never be used to accompany the prayers or chants of the celebrant nor the readings proclaimed by the reader or the deacon.

In accordance with tradition, the organ should remain silent during penitential seasons (Lent and Holy Week), during Advent and Liturgy for the dead. When, however, there is real pastoral need, the organ can be used to support the singing.

It is fitting that the organ be played before and after a celebration as a preparation and conclusion of the celebration. It is of considerable importance that in all churches, and especially those of some importance, there should be trained musicians and instruments of good quality. Care should be given to the maintenance of organs and respect shown towards their historical character both in form and tone.

III. PRACTICAL DIRECTIVES
8. The regulation of the use of churches is stipulated by canon 1210 of the Code of Canon Law:

"In a sacred place only those things are to be permitted which serve to exercise or promote worship, piety and religion. Anything out of harmony with the holiness the place is forbidden. The Ordinary may, however, for individual cases, permit other uses, provided they are not contrary to the sacred character of the place."

The principle that the use of the church must not offend the sacredness of the place determines the criteria by which the doors of a church may be opened to a concert of sacred or religious music, as also the concomitant exclusion of every other type of music. The most beautiful symphonic music, for example, is not in itself of religious character. The definition of sacred or religious music depends explicitly on the original intended use of the musical pieces or songs, and likewise on their content. It is not legitimate to provide for the execution in the church of music which is not of religious inspiration and which was composed with a view to performance in a certain precise secular context, irrespective of whether the music would be judged classical or contemporary, of high quality or of a popular nature. On the one hand, such performances would not respect the sacred character of the church, and on the other, would result in the music being performed in an unfitting context.

It pertains to the ecclesiastical authority to exercise without constraint its governance of sacred places (Cf. canon 1213), and hence to regulate the use of churches in such a way as to safeguard their sacred character.

9. Sacred music, that is to say music which was composed for the Liturgy, but which for various reasons can no longer be performed during a liturgical celebration, and religious music, that is to say music inspired by the text of sacred scripture or the Liturgy and which has reference to God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the saints or to the Church, may both find a place in the church building, but outside liturgical celebration. The playing of the organ or other musical performance, whether vocal or instrumental, may: "serve to promote piety or religion." In particular they may:

a. prepare for the major liturgical feasts, or lend to these a more festive character beyond the moment of actual celebration;
b. bring out the particular character of the different liturgical seasons;
c. create in churches a setting of beauty conducive to meditation, so as to arouse even in those who are distant from the Church an openness to spiritual values;
d. create a context which favors and makes accessible the proclamation of God's word, as for example, a sustained reading of the Gospel;
e. keep alive the treasures of Church music which must not be lost; musical pieces and songs composed for the Liturgy but which cannot in any way be conveniently incorporated into liturgical celebrations in modern times; spiritual music, such as oratorios and religious cantatas which can still serve as vehicles for spiritual communication;
f. assist visitors and tourists to grasp more fully the sacred character of a church, by means of organ concerts at prearranged times.

10. When the proposal is made that there should be a concert in a church, the Ordinary is to grant the permission per modum actus. These concerts should be occasional events. This excludes permission for a series of concerts, for example in the case of a festival or a cycle of concerts.

When the Ordinary considers it to be necessary, he can, in the conditions foreseen in the Code of Canon Law (can. 1222, para. 2) designate a church that is no longer used for divine service, to be an "auditorium" for the performance of sacred or religious music, and also of music not specifically religious but in keeping with the character of the place.

In this task the bishop should be assisted by the diocesan commission for Liturgy and sacred music.

In order that the sacred character of a church be conserved in the matter of concerts, the Ordinary can specify that:

a. Requests are to be made in writing, in good time, indicating the date and time of the proposed concert, the program, giving the works and the names of the composers.
b. After having received the authorization of the Ordinary, the rectors and parish priests of the churches should arranged details with the choir and orchestra so that the requisite norms are observed.
c. Entrance to the church must be without payment and open to all.
d. The performers and the audience must be dressed in a manner which is fitting to the sacred character of the place.
e. The musicians and the singers should not be placed in the sanctuary. The greatest respect is to be shown to the altar, the president's chair and the ambo.
f. The Blessed Sacrament should be, as far as possible, reserved in a side chapel or in another safe and suitably adorned place (Cf. C.I.C., can 928, par. 4).
g. The concert should be presented or introduced not only with historical or technical details, but also in a way that fosters a deeper understanding and an interior participation on the part of the listeners.
h. The organizer of the concert will declare in writing that he accepts legal responsibilities for expenses involved, for leaving the church in order and for any possible damage incurred.

11. The above practical directives should be of assistance to the bishops and rectors of churches in their pastoral responsibility to maintain the sacred character of their churches, designed for sacred celebrations, prayer and silence.

Such indications should not be interpreted as a lack of interest in the art of music.

The treasury of sacred music is a witness to the way in which the Christian faith promotes culture.

By underlining the true value of sacred or religious music, Christian musicians and members of scholae cantorum should feel that they are being encouraged to continue this tradition and to keep it alive for the service of the faith, as expressed by the Second Vatican Council in its message to artists:

"Do not hesitate to put your talent at the service of the Divine Truth. The world in which we live has need of beauty in order not to lose hope. Beauty, like truth, fills the heart with joy. And this, thanks to your hands" (Cf. Second Vatican Council, Message to Artists, December 8, 1965).

Rome, November 5, 1987
Paul Augustine Card. Mayer, O.S.B.
Prefect

Virgilio Noë
Tit. Archbishop of Voncaria
Secretary

Lecture on Atheism in Manhattan

St. Thomas Day Lecture 2010

- The New Atheism: Its Virtues and Its Vices -

Presented by Rev. Brian Davies, OP
Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University

Date: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: The Church of St. Vincent Ferrer
Lexington Avenue at East 66th Street
New York, New York

For more information about this event, please see the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer blog.
For directions, please see the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer's website.

Sex Abuse by D.C. Public School Teachers

From Les Femmes - The Truth:

Head of D.C. Schools Said Some Laid Off Teachers Had Sex with Children
Rhee: Laid-off D.C. teachers abused kids

Okay, where's the outrage?

The newspapers (as well they should) went after abusive Catholic priests and the bishops who covered up for them for months, no years! So where's the call for full disclosure of the public schools and teacher abuse of children in the nations's capitol? Who had sex and with whom? Was it heterosexual, homosexual? What was the degree? Fondling? Rape? What were the ages of the children?

Were parents told? Did those who discovered the abuse call the police? Public school officials are MANDATORY REPORTERS. They must call the police when they are aware of sex abuse of minors.

What does Michelle Rhee know and when did she know it? What about school principals. And where are the newspapers running articles every day about sex abuse in the public schools? Where's the Washington Post's front-page coverage?

All I could find was a blog entry from their education reporter. Is that it? Or is sex abuse by Catholic priests bad but sex abuse by public school teachers no big deal?

And as an anonymous commentator added: "If only they would allow public school teachers to marry. This would never have happened if it were the case!"

Why the Extraordinary Form?

The following is found on Angel Queen.
While some of Ms. Devine's analysis is typical of those who denigrate the extraordinary form, I believe she is overall balanced. Some of her comments which I have highlighted are very telling of the value of the extraordinary form.

Antiquity confers solemnity in shape of Latin Mass
Cate Devine
Published on 17 Jan 2010



Attending a traditional Latin mass in Glasgow yesterday was a chilling experience.

There was no heating in the Sacred Heart RC church in Bridgeton, a vast 100-year-old building in the bosom of a parish first established in 1873.

Perhaps that was because there were only 31 of us in the congregation, [Apparently, this Mass took place on Saturday, January 16th. I don't know the time. I wonder how well attended their Novus Ordo Mass is on Saturday?] but being freezing cold certainly helped focus the mind. After all, they do say austerity is good for the soul.

I was curious to remind myself what mass used to be like, [and how Mass still is] following a debate about how the liturgy is celebrated. This was revealed in the Herald on Saturday, and has been sparked by Pope Benedict XVI’s imminent visit to Scotland.

It was the first time I’d been at Latin mass since I was a child in the 1960s, pre-Vatican Council II, and boy did I have to concentrate. Hard. [Is this not a good thing. We should be challenged to concentrate at Mass. Such an activity involves interior active participation.]

Although I attended a convent school, have a Latin O-Grade and studied French at University, the rhythmic delivery of our affable celebrant was difficult to follow. Yet the church was in total silence: this being low mass, there was no singing or any [verbal] participation in the liturgy, apart from responding to Mgr. Hugh Boyle’s familiar repetitions of “Dominus Vobiscum”.

Traditional Latin Mass is said with the priest facing the altar rather than the congregation. This is to help us focus on the altar, the symbol of Christ’s perfect sacrifice to his Father’s will. Thus is the mass depersonalised. As Father genuflects and kisses the altar more frequently than usual[in the ordinary form], the sense of reverence is palpable.

By the term “Latin mass”, I mean traditional mass said in the Extraordinary Form – that is, the old rite, according to the Roman Missal of l962, before Vatican Council II. [and after Vatican II.] It is better known as Tridentine Mass. The version that most modern Catholics are familiar with is the Ordinary Form, or new mass, issued by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

In Scotland there has been a resurgence of interest in, and the practice of, the Latin mass, yet traditional Latin mass was effectively re-instated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. In his apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum the Holy Father said that there were two forms of expression of the Roman Rite of the Mass, effectively decreeing that all priests were now free to choose whether to offer the Tridentine Mass or the new mass.

However, the majority of parishes in Scotland don’t offer Latin mass, and some Scottish bishops are not in favour of it. This, say traditionalists, contradicts not only Benedict but even the late Pope John Paul II, who in 1988 asked bishops to actively support those who felt “attached to the Latin liturgical tradition”.

The anticipated visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Scotland in September therefore highlights a problem. If as expected the Holy Father will want to celebrate mass, could it be in the Extraordinary Form?

The majority of his concelebrants, and therefore their congregations, do not know the liturgy in Latin. Unlike 73-year-old Mgr Boyle, who has celebrated Latin mass throughout his ministry, if not always in public, younger priests will not have learned liturgical Latin.

Father Stephen Dunn, the 48-year-old parish priest at Sacred Heart in Bridgeton, started saying mass in Latin only last May, having made what he calls a “concerted effort” to learn it since 2007. Ordained in 1994, he says he feels “bullied and suppressed” by the Glasgow Archdiocese’s “reluctance to accept” the Pope’s 2007 decree, as shown in Archbishop Conti’s response to it in a letter to Glasgow’s priests on August 10, 2007, in which he questioned the need for it.

Yet as I was about to rediscover yesterday, it’s not just the fact that it’s said in Latin that makes the Extraordinary Form so different. The entire structure of the Mass is almost [un?]recognisable from what it is today.

The first thing I noticed on entering Sacred Heart were the altar railings. These are a rarity in Catholic churches, because most were removed post-Vatican II to facilitate the taking of the Host from the priest at Holy Communion and self-administering it. [Not exactly a correct appraisal, but interesting that she interprets it this way.] The traditional mass, by contrast, encourages us to kneel and be given Communion as we did in the old days because it helps engender a greater sense of reverence for the sacrament, and humility to God. [An interesting and poignant perceived contrast.]

We’re reminded that only baptised Catholics, and those in the state of grace, are invited to receive Holy Communion. This is to remind us that we are sinners and to encourage us to attend Confession.

Nobody recites the Creed except the priest, and he says most [?] of the Offertory quietly to himself. The Canon – the very heart of the mass, as it leads to the Consecration – is also silent. There is only one form of the Canon, though there are four options in the new mass.

There are no tambourines or guitars, and no lay church members stepping on to the altar.

Everything is in the priest’s gift, which leaves us free to take from mass what we’re meant to. [?]

It does at first feel stern and authoritarian, but in the end I was humbled by Latin mass, and felt awed by its solemn simplicity. It forced me turn in on myself and to examine my conscience in a way that, for better or for worse, reminded me what being a Catholic is really all about. As soon as I returned home, I felt compelled to look out my childhood Catechism and to re-learn the fundamentals of my faith. [This speaks volumes!!! This is from a woman who hasn't attended a Traditional Mass since her childhood!]

Yes, I could warm to it. If they turned up the heating a bit.

March for Life Traditional Masses at St. Mary's Washington, D.C.

St. Mary's openned its doors around 7:30 a.m. on Friday, January 22, to accomodate the Franscican Friars of the Immaculata and the crowds of people they brought with them.

One Mass began at the side altar.

A little afterward, another Mass began at the high altar.

This is a beautiful sight and something not seen too often even in old churches, where side altars are used as flower stands or have been barbarically ripped out by haters of traditional practice. But, thanks be to God, St. Mary's pastors of the past had the foresight (or perhaps lack of funds!) to make "renovations."

My camera batteries were low, so I didn not get other photos. But, at 8 a.m. another extraordinary form Mass began at the high altar. Unfortunately, I could not attend.

This was an inspiring way to begin the March for Life.

Abomination in St. James Church, Manhattan

Brooklyn Vegan reports the following exceedingly disturbing news:

St. James Church is a new Manhattan venue - show w/ Real Estate, Tony Castles, Beach Fossils & Total Slacker (dates)

THIS FRIDAY, January 15th, our good friends at Less Artists More Condos are hosting a show at a rad new venue: the St. James Church in Chinatown.

MIDNIGHT: Real Estate (Last show before Europe Tour)
11PM The Beets
10PM Tony Castles (with secret special guest!)
9PM Beach Fossils
8PM Total Slacker

10 dollars & OPEN BAR FROM 8-9

LAMC Presents: Curren$y from Creative Control on Vimeo.

Saint James Church
23 Oliver StreetNew York, N.Y. 10038
Tel. (212) 233-0161
Fax. (212) 964-0132
e-mail: info@stjamesnyc.org


Present Pastor of St. James, Fr. Walter Tonelotto, C.S.

Abortion Lover Obama Skips Town to Avoid American Pro-Lifers

Obama was not in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Conveniently he left town to avoid the direct experience of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who reject murder of innocent human beings. Abortion is a settled issue for Mr. Arrogance supports the killing of what he claims might be human life.

Obama's radical and intransigent pro-abortion show what a wretch he is. Deluded fools still support him. But, his record speaks louder than their delusion. This man cares nothing about "coming together." He cares nothing about listening. It's his way or no way. And human life at its earliest stages is expendible to him. And while Judas Catholic stooges like Doug Kmiec go off to spend their thirty pieces of silver in sunny Malta, babies continue their silent scream in the womb as Obama supports their slaughter.

Lifesite reports his horrendous anti-life record:


President Barack Obama's Pro-Abortion Record: A Pro-Life Compilation
by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com
Editor December 20, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The following is a compilation of bill signings, speeches, appointments and other actions that President Barack Obama has engaged in that have promoted abortion before and during his presidency. While Obama has promised to reduce abortions and some of his supporters believe that will happen, this long list proves his only agenda is promoting more abortions.
During the presidential election, Obama selected pro-abortion Sen. Joe Biden as his vice-presidential running mate.Post-Election / Pre-Inauguration
November 5, 2008 - Obama selects pro-abortion Rep. Rahm Emanuel as his White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel has a 0% pro-life voting record according to National Right to Life.
November 19, 2008 - Obama picks pro-abortion former Sen. Tom Daschle as his Health and Human Services Secretary. Daschle has a long pro-abortion voting record according to National Right to Life.
November 20, 2008 - Obama chooses former NARAL legal director Dawn Johnsen to serve as a member of his Department of Justice Review Team. Later, he finalizes her appointment as the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Legal Counsel in the Obama administration.
November 24, 2008 - Obama appoints Ellen Moran, the former director of the pro-abortion group Emily's List as his White House communications director. Emily's List only supported candidates who favored taxpayer funded abortions and opposed a partial-birth abortion ban.
November 24, 2008 - Obama puts former Emily's List board member Melody Barnes in place as his director of the Domestic Policy Council.
November 30, 2008 - Obama named pro-abortion Sen. Hillary Clinton as the Secretary of State. Clinton has an unblemished pro-abortion voting record and has supported making unlimited abortions an international right.
December 10, 2008 - Obama selects pro-abortion former Clinton administration official Jeanne Lambrew to become the deputy director of the White House Office of Health Reform. Planned Parenthood is "excited" about the selection.
December 10, 2008 - Obama transition team publishes memo from dozens of pro-abortion groups listing their laundry list of pro-abortions actions they want him to take.Pro-Abortion Presidential Record - 2009
January 5, 2009 - Obama picks pro-abortion Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as the chairman of the Democratic Party.
January 6, 2009 - Obama chooses Thomas Perrelli, the lawyer who represented Terri Schiavo’s husband Michael in his efforts to kill his disabled wife, as the third highest attorney in the Justice Department.
January 22, 2009 - Releases statement restating support for Roe v. Wade decision that allowed virtually unlimited abortions and has resulted in at least 50 million abortions since 1973.
January 23, 2009 - Forces taxpayers to fund pro-abortion groups that either promote or perform abortions in other nations. Decison to overturn Mexico City Policy sends part of $457 million to pro-abortion organizations.
January 26, 2009 - Obama nominee for Deputy Secretary of State, James B. Steinberg, tells members of the Senate that taxpayers should be forced to fund abortions. Nominee erroneously says limits on abortion funding are unconstitutional.
January 29, 2009 - President Obama nominates pro-abortion David Ogden as Deputy Attorney General.
February 12, 2009 - Obama nominates pro-abortion Elena Kagan to serve as Solicitor General. February 27, 2009 - Starts the process of overturning pro-life conscience protections President Bush put in place to make sure medical staff and centers are not forced to do abortions.February 28, 2009 - Barack Obama nominates pro-abortion Kathleen Sebelius to become Secretary of Health and Human Services.
March 5, 2009 - The Obama administration shut out pro-life groups from attending a White House-sponsored health care summit. Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business, made the invitation list as did other pro-abortion groups.
March 9, 2009 - President Barack Obama signed an executive order forcing taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research.
March 10, 2009 - Obama announces the creation of a new foreign policy position to focus on women's issues. He names Melanne Verveer, an abortion advocate, to occupy the post.
March 10, 2009 - Reverses an executive order to press for more research into ways of obtaining embryonic stem cells without harming human life. The order Obama scrapped would have promoted new forms of stem cell research.
March 11, 2009 - Obama signed an executive order establishing a new agency within his administration known as the White House Council on Women and Girls. Obama's director of public liaison at the White House, Tina Tchen, an abortion advocate, became director of it.March 11, 2009 - Obama administration promotes an unlimited right to abortion at a United Nations meeting.March 11, 2009 - Obama administration officials deny negative effects of abortion at United Nation's meeting.
March 17, 2009 - President Barack Obama makes his first judicial appointment and names pro-abortion federal Judge David Hamilton to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
March 26 - President Obama announced $50 million for the UNFPA, the UN population agency that has been criticized for promoting abortion and working closely with Chinese population control officials who use forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations.
April 7 - The Vatican has rejected three Obama ambassador nominees because of their positions in favor of abortions.
April 7 - Obama has named pro-abortion law professor Harold Hongju Koh as the top lawyer for the State Department.
April 7 - Put more abortion advocates on his White House advisory council for faith-based issues.
April 8 - Obama nominee for assistant attorney general for legislative affairs, Ron Weich, is pro-abortion.
April 14 - Obama administration releases document that claims pro-life people may engage in violence or extremism.
April 17 - Obama administration releases the proposed guidelines that implement his decision to allow taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research that involves the destruction of human life.
April 23 - Refused to appeal a ruling requiring the FDA to allow 17-year-old girls to purchase the morning after pill without either a doctor visit or parental involvement beforehand.
April 27 - Obama's women's ambassador Melanne Verveer touted Obama's decision to send $50 million to the United Nation's Population Fund.
May 5 - Details emerge about a terrorism dictionary the administration of President Barack Obama put together in March. The Domestic Extremism Lexicon calls pro-life advocates violent and claims they employ racist overtones in engaging in criminal actions.
May 8 - President Obama releases a new budget that allows the Legal Services Corporation to use tax dollars to pay for pro-abortion litigation.
May 8 - President Obama's new budget calls for taxpayer funded abortions in the nation's capital.
May 8 - President Obama's budget eliminates all federal funding for abstinence-only education.
May 15 - Appointed pro-abortion New York City health commissioner Thomas Frieden as head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
May 17 - During his commencement speech at Notre Dame, Obama deceived listeners into thinking he wants a conscience clause, promoted embryonic stem cell research and misstated his pro-abortion record.
May 26 - Appoints appeals court judge Sonia Sonotmayor as a Supreme Court nominee. Sotomayor agrees that the courts should make policy, such as the Roe v. Wade case. Sotomayor is later opposed by pro-life groups and supported by pro-abortion groups and those who know her say she will support abortion on the high court.
July 2- Calls for an unlimited right to abortion at a United Nation's meeting.
July 7- The Obama administration admits it ignored the majority of Americans who opposed the proposed guidelines that would implement Obama's decision to force taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research.
July 14 - Obama science czar nominee John Holdren is revealed to have written before that he favors forced abortions.
July 30 - Awards several pro-abortion activists with the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
July 31 - Tells the National Institutes of Health to adopt rules that allow embryonic stem cell research.
August 4 - Information becomes public that Ezekiel Emanuel, an Obama advisor at the Office of Management and Budget and a member of Federal Council on Comparative Effectiveness Research, supports rationing health care for disabled Americans that could lead to euthanasia.
August 6 - Obama criticized for asking for people to "snitch" on groups and people who oppose the pro-abortion health care bills in Congress.
August 13 - Obama wrongly said a senator backed the pro-euthanasia components of the health care bill.
August 23 - Said pro-life advocates were making "phony claims" about the health care bills. Also said the claims were false.
August 24 - Releases veterans guide promoting euthanasia.
September 13 - Misleads on the federal conscience clause in a health care speech and misleads on abortion funding.
September 13 - Obama waits two days to comment on shooting of pro-life advocate whereas he commented immediately on shooting of abortion practitioner.
September 15 - Senate confirms Obama's new regulatory czar Cass Sunstein, who is pro-abortion.
October 5 - Selected pro-abortion lawyer and Georgetown University law professor Chai Feldblum for the EEOC.
October 5 - Anounces he will give the keynote speech for pro-abortion group Human Rights Campaign.
October 19 - Obama's serve.gov web site promotes the Planned Parenthood abortion business.
October 21 - Obama administration web site promotes pro-abortion health care bills.
November 6 - Endorsed the House version of the health care bill that, at the time, contained massive abortion funding, rationing and assisted suicide promotion.
November 26 - Copies Thanksgiving proclamation of President Bush but leaves out pro-life message.
December 2 - Authorized taxpayer funding for embryonic stem cell research that kills days-old unborn children.
December 3 - A pro-abortion Obama judicial pick, Louis Butler, is approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
December 7 - Announces his endorsement of the pro-abortion Senate health care bill.
December 16 - Obama administration forces Americans a second time to spend millions more on embryonic stem cell research that destroys human life.
December 17 - Signed a bill that overturned the 13-year-long ban on funding abortions with tax dollars in the nation's capital.