Res & Explicatio for A.D. 5-20-2009

Salvete AC readers!

Here are today’s Top Picks in the Catholic world:

1. In sharp contrast to having the most pro-abortion president in the history of our great nation, my favorite prelate Francis Cardinal Arinze delivered an electrifying speech at Thomas More College which is located in Merrimack, New Hampshire.  His Eminence touched on the importance of a Catholic university shaping and forming solid Christian citizens.  Some highlights include the following [emphasis mine]:

“A Catholic college or university educates students to appreciate that moral rules of right and wrong apply also to science, technology, politics, trade and commerce, and indeed to all human endeavors.”

“But what does it profit us if a student is an intellectual giant but a moral baby… if he or she can shoot out mathematical or historical facts like a computer but is unfortunately a problem for the parents, corrosive acid among companions in the College, a drug addict and sexual pervert, a disgrace to the school, a waste-pipe in the place of work and Case number 23 for the Criminal Police? It is clear that intellectual development is not enough.”

Cardinal Arinze doesn’t play the cowardly intellectual game of “nuance”.  That is why I love this man.  He speaks the truth without inhibition and with charity.

For the article click here.

2. In a recent Knights of Columbus-Marist College survey, Pope Benedict XVI is receiving a 59% approval rating from Americans.  The number jumps up to 76% when polling only American Catholics.  One interesting fact from this poll is that Americans want to hear our German shepherd speak out about abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and marriage by a margin of 2 to 1 or more!

Very impressive numbers considering the negative light the mainstream media has put his papacy.  It goes to show that Pope Benedict XVI’s communication skills are highly effective and have found a receptive audience in America.  The constant barrage of moral relativism and biased reporting from the likes such as CNN and the New York Times hasn’t been able to cloud the message of love that our Pope constantly sends out.

This is wonderful news combined with the fact that more Americans identify themselves as pro-life than pro-abortion/pro-choice for the first time since the passage of Roe v. Wade, we are making strides.

For the poll click here.

3. Speaking of the mainstream media, they failed to note that over 3000 people attended a rally on the University of Notre Dame campus on the same day that President Obama spoke.  Not to mention the many prayer vigils and protests that were a constant on campus for many weeks prior to President Obama’s speech.  A surprise visit by Father John Corapi, among many other notable luminaries, made it a prominent event that CNN failed to report on.

Over 300,000 came to March for Life in Washington, DC and not a peep was mentioned on any major network and cable news, which is par for the course when they don’t report on the counter rally this past weekend.

For an in-depth story by the Catholic News Agency on the pro-life rally click here.

4. One item that got lost in the Pope’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land was the unusual warm reception he received from the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in Jerusalem, who is arguably one of the most ardent anti-Catholics of all the patriarchs.

For the story click here.

5. Ecclesia Dei has a new site up.  It’s similar to the previous site they had, but with more information.

For the site click here.

6. For the last Res & Explicatio click here.

7. For more news stories on Catholicism click here.