Timely advice for faith-based organizations? Source: N. Kinney

Our president has a lot on his plate right now, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a battered economy and health care in need of reform.  Putting his own stamp on efforts to better utilize religious organizations as social problem-solvers is probably not at the top of his “to do” list.  However, for those like myself who have watched the policy developments concerning faith-based initiatives over the past decade or so, a bit of speculation seems warranted about what might happen under the Obama Administration.

Earlier this year, President Obama announced the formation of a new executive-level office that would guide his administration’s efforts to increase the participation of religious groups in addressing social problems.  Some had predicted that the new president might dismantle altogether George W. Bush’s White House Office of Community and Faith-based Initiatives.  However, the administration made some noticeable waves…

A certain Republican congressman yelled “You lie!” during President Obama’s

credit:WND

9/9/09 remarks on illegal immigrants during his speech to a joint session of congress on health care. The shout, apologized for an hour later, had the press off and running.

Had there been no yelling, perhaps the president’s next statement, all but drowned out in the uproar, would have received the attention it deserved. Maybe.

The president said,

And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up — under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions…..

Really? The president is being roundly criticized from many quarters for that whopper.

Consider first Douglas Johnson, legislative director, National Right to Life Campaign:

“Barack Obama needs to learn that the mere repetition of a verbal formula does not change reality. The reality is that the Obama-backed House bill would explicitly authorize the federal government insurance plan to pay for elective abortions and would explicitly authorize subsidies for…

President Barack Obama

Archbishop Raymond Burke

Former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke was in Washington Friday morning to give the keynote speech at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. And he didn’t hold back.

Speaking of the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama - an abortion rights supporter - at its commencement later this month, Burke said Catholic universities should not give a platform, let alone honor, “those who teach and act publicly against the moral law,” according to the Associated Press.

“The proposed granting of an honorary doctorate at Notre Dame University to our president, who is so aggressively advancing an anti-life and anti-family agenda is rightly the source of the greatest scandal,” Burke said.

The Washington Post’s God in Government blog reported that Burke “did not disappoint” the “1,300 mostly conservative Catholics at the event” who “interrupted his 45-minute address more than a dozen times with applause.” Post religion reporter and blogger Jacqueline L.…

President Barack Obama (Getty)

The Rev. John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame (Notre Dame)

Dozens of St. Louis Catholics will travel in a convoy of buses, cars and vans to South Bend, Ind. on May 16 to take part in campus protests against University of Notre Dame officials’ decision to award President Barack Obama - who supports abortion rights - with an honorary degree.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that since the first century…

…the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.

For some American Catholics, the idea that the nation’s premier Catholic institution of higher learning will honor a politician who has supported legislation “contrary to the moral law,” is infuriating.

“The minute I heard about this, I knew I had to…

Bishop Robert Finn of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph

“We are at war,” declared Bishop Robert Finn of the Roman Catholic diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Missouri at the Gospel of Life Convention in Overland Park, Kan. on Sat. Finn called himself and those gathered to hear his keynote address “warriors - members of the Church on earth - often called the Church Militant.”

“We are engaged in a constant warfare with Satan, with the glamour of evil, and the lure of false truths and empty promises,” Finn continued.

Finn, who has been mentioned as a possible successor to Archbishop Raymond Burke to lead the St. Louis Archdiocese, also predicted the president of Notre Dame will lose his job.

The gathering was co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and the Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph and Finn went on to discuss the current controversy at the…

Former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke

Former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke’s recent criticisms of American politicians who support abortion rights continued today. In the past Burke has chastised members of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. senators, presidential candidates, potential presidential cabinet picks and the entire Democratic party. This time he’s condemning the president himself.

In a 12-minute interview shown today at the National Press Club in Washington [transcript here], Burke said President Barack Obama’s popularity - both in the U.S. and in the rest of the world - has the capacity to make him “an agent of death.”

“President Obama uses this word ‘hope’ in a way that for us is very disturbing,” Burke said in the interview.

We need to have hope, the hope that is founded in Jesus Christ, alive for us in the Church; Jesus Christ who gave His life for everyone without exception, and with a particular love for…

Cardinal Francis George

The USCCB released a statement this afternoon saying President Barack Obama met with Cardinal Francis George of Chicago. Here’s the text of the release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Seeks Fruitful Dialogue for Common Good

CARDINAL GEORGE MEETS WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

WASHINGTON-Cardinal Francis George, OMI, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, met at the White House with President Barack Obama during the afternoon of March 17.

The meeting was private. Cardinal George and President Obama discussed the Catholic Church in the United States and its relation to the new Administration. The meeting lasted approximately 30 minutes.
At the conclusion, Cardinal George expressed his gratitude for the meeting and his hopes that it will foster fruitful dialogue for the sake of the common good.

George had released a statement Monday urging the Obama administration to “regulations governing conscience protections for health care workers.”