Feeling down? Here’s a sort of a perrennial list, but a helpful one, I think, from this week’s editorial 10 Signs of Hope.
1. New Catholic Colleges.

“They will surprise us with what they accomplish.”

2. Young Catholics.

“They are comfortable with the new mediums of video and viral Internet messages.”

3. Pro-Life Majority.

“The slow and steady rise of right-to-life support sharpened this year.”

4. Renaissance of Religious Life.

“Many of the houses of [habited] nuns are experiencing a crisis of a different kind: not enough room for all the new postulants.”

5. “John Paul II” and “Benedict XVI” Priests.

“In 2005, new priests were more likely to subscribe to the Register than to a...READ MORE

In a not necessarily respectful, but nonetheless instructive, piece, Paul Doyle at the Guardian runs down “10 Pious Types” in (European) sports.

Here are three Catholics he covers:

“Holy shirt — Athletes of Christ, 1979: Former Brazil No. 1 Joao Leite didn’t merely join a church, he established one. Already known as ‘God’s Goalkeeper’ because of his adhesion to the Evangelist Church, in 1979 Leite formed the Athletes of Christ movement, took to presenting opponents with copies of the Bible before games and regularly daubed ‘Jesus Saves’ on his jersey. When officials eventually banned him from altering his shirt, he turned the other cheek and sniffed: ‘They can take...READ MORE

Usury isn’t often in the news.

But with his new credit card reforms “Obama has proposed and Congress has passed a series of minor reforms,” says Dick Morris, that “fail to reform the most basic offense of the companies: their usury.”

Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican have also spoken up about usury lately.

Here’s what Dick Morris explains:

“Congress explicitly rejected any limitation on the interest rate credit card companies can charge. It remains perfectly legal for them to charge rates that would make a loan shark blush.

“In our book Fleeced, we explain how, until 1979, credit card interest was subject to usury limits of the various states. But the Supreme Court...READ MORE

“Only 3 in 10 Americans would like to see the Court overturn Roe v. Wade,” reported CNN.com Monday.

CNN didn’t only report the number, they manufactured it in their own poll.  “I am astonished that CNN could not do a better job in accurately portraying what Roe v. Wade says and doesn’t say,” said Father Frank Pavone.

The Priests for Life head objected to the question that read: “The 1973 Roe versus Wade decision established a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion, at least in the first three months of pregnancy. Would you like to see the Supreme Court completely overturn its Roe versus Wade decision, or not?”

To that question, respondents said:

    30% Yes, overturn
    68%...READ MORE

Ireland’s Ryan report does necessary and important work. For one thing, it explains why many Irish Catholics stopped practicing the faith. Bad example kills faith.

It’s horrifying stuff. But news stories about it seem to prefer strong adjectives to strong statistics. You would expect the opposite. What’s up?

Bill Donohue asks the same question.

Here is what Donohue, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Liberties, had to say (link here):

Reuters is reporting that “Irish Priests Beat, Raped Children,” yet the report does not justify this wild and irresponsible claim.

Four types of abuse are noted: physical, sexual, neglect and emotional. Physical abuse...READ MORE

Sunday was a frustrating day for pro-lifers. As Father John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, and Barack Obama, president of the United States, spoke, pro-lifers felt the urge to argue with what was being said. But there was no opportunity to argue.

Said Father Jenkins: “We honor all people of goodwill who have come to this discussion respectfully and out of deeply held conviction.”

What discussion? This is a commencement address and the conferral of an honorary doctorate. It’s Notre Dame proposing a model to its students. There’s no discussion!

“When we face differences with fellow citizens … do we condemn those who differ with us for not seeing the truth that we see?”

U.S. President Barack Obama gets a pat on the back from University of Notre Dame’s president, Father John Jenkins, before Obama’s address at Notre Dame during commencement ceremonies in South Bend, Ind., May 17.

A student displays her mortarboard with a pro-life image next to a fellow student displaying an “Obama for President” campaign symbol at the University of Notre Dame commencement ceremony in South Bend, Ind.

Obama: 100 Days of Abortion