You shouldn’t miss this week’s “Register Radio.”

In the first half, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty’s senior counsel, Kyle Duncan outlined the recent Health and Human Service’s mandate that will force religious organizations to not only provide contraception, abortifacients, and sterilization, but also counseling for such services. Duncan explained how the mandate will impact Christian hospitals, charities, and universities. In a recent article for the National Catholic Register, Duncan described the mandate as an “inversion of the Good Samaritan.” The only exception, Duncan described, would be for those organizations that hire and serve only people of their own faith, and...READ MORE

This afternoon I had the opportunity to talk with writer/director/actor Emilio Estevez about the release of his independent film “The Way” on DVD. It becomes available on video-on-demand February 9, and will be available in stores on Feb. 21. The movie opened last October 7th in 283 theaters and grossed $4.3 million. It uses the Camino de Santiago - the ancient Spanish pilgrimage route which leads to the burial site of St. James the Apostle - as the backdrop for a story about family and forgiveness.

It’s a beautiful, inspirational, transformational, and understated film. In the film, Tom (Martin Sheen) is an irascible American doctor who learns of the tragic death of his son (real-life son...READ MORE

Today on Register Radio, Thomas McDonald, correspondent for the National Catholic Register, provides a thorough history of so-called “same-sex marriage” legislation in the state of New Jersey. Democrats in the legislature have introduced same-sex marriage legislation despite already having a civil union law which permits same-sex unions. “They got civil unions, which is marriage in all but name, but that wasn’t enough,” said McDonald. “This is a cultural battle.”

In our second half, National Catholic Register film critic Steven Greydanus provides a look at his top film picks of 2011. He spoke about why the documentary “Buck” is one of his must-see’s, he talked about the similarities...READ MORE

Yesterday, thousands of protestors gathered in St. Paul, Minn. to pray and demonstrate against the legalized killing of the unborn, and state-sponsored taxpayer funding of abortion. The Cathedral of St. Paul was filled for noon Mass, celebrated by New Ulm Bishop John LeVoir and Duluth Bishop Paul Sirba. Bishop LeVoir in his homily spoke of the importance of prayer and work, work and prayer, to end our country’s practice of legalized abortion.

After Mass, those in attendance walked over to the State Capitol for the March for Life. Groups of pro-life supporters picked up various signs, designating their city or community, and then began marching on the plaza in front of the State Capitol. At...READ MORE

Today on Register Radio, Grace-Marie Turner, president of the Galen Institute, a public policy research organization devoted to patient-centered health care, addressed the issue of religious liberty. Turner said that the Constitution’s protections for freedom of religion are being shredded and this can most clearly be seen through the requirements of the new health care law. “Catholic institutions will be forced to provide contraception, sterilization, abortifacients,” said Turner. She also addressed what’s meant by so-called waivers and exemptions. She described the law as “unconstitutional,” and encouraged listeners to share their concerns with elected officials, the United States...READ MORE

Actor Gigi Proietti portraying St. Philip Neri in "St. Philip Neri: I Prefer Heaven."

– Moris Puccio

This past weekend at the Drake home was like living in a plague ward. Earlier in the week, two of our children had come down with a norovirus (a.k.a. the misnamed “Stomach Flu”). Late on Saturday evening, it had hit the remaining five of us, with a vengeance. All five of us spent most of the evening in the bathroom, or with a bucket. I’ve had noroviruses in the past, but nothing like this one. Our eldest son, who had eaten a hearty supper, had it worst of all.

For most of Sunday, we sat around like zombies, staring off into the distance, drifting in and out of sleep. It was the first time that we, as a family, have ever missed a Sunday Mass. Never has so little food been consumed in our...READ MORE

Today’s Register Radio features an interview with National Catholic Register senior editor Joan Frawley Desmond about her time with the Archdiocese of Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley. Naturally, the discussion dealt a great deal with the repercussions of the clergy sexual abuse crisis and the efforts undertaken by Cardinal O’Malley to rebuild trust and the Church in Boston. To learn what insights Desmond took from her interview with Cardinal O’Malley, listen to the show.

In our second half, National Review Online editor and National Catholic Register columnist Kathryn Jean Lopez joined us to talk about the GOP Primaries and the rise of Catholic Rick Santorum. Lopez offered her insights as...READ MORE

The Nativity by Gerrit van Honthorst

– Gerrit van Honthorst

If the wood of the Cross was the scandal at the end of Christ’s life, the wood of the manger was the scandal at the beginning.

At Christmas we fully encounter the radical reality of Emmanuel – God with us. We’ve been praying and singing in preparation for this event during the preceding four weeks, and just as the Mass re-presents Christ’s death and Resurrection for us, so Christmas (Christ’s Mass) re-presents the seminal moment when the Babe-God was born into this world.

What a world he was born into. In an inconspicuous place – Bethlehem (“House of Bread”) – to a carpenter and his young bride, in a region beset by political and religious squabbles between the Jewish people and their...READ MORE