Surprise? Notre Dame Grad Students Petition in Favor of HHS Mandate

A group of philosophy graduate students at the University of Notre Dame recently created a petition opposing the university’s lawsuit against the HHS mandate. They even go so far as to say that by accepting the mandate – i.e., giving up Notre Dame’s right to act according to its Catholic mission – the university could better fulfill its Catholic mission.

We the undersigned members of the Notre Dame community wish to express our disagreement with the university’s decision to file a lawsuit contesting the Health and Human Services mandate that requires employee health insurance plans to provide no cost birth control coverage to employees. We understand that the university administration believes this lawsuit will advance its Catholic mission and promote freedom of conscience. We too are fully committed to freedom of conscience. However, we believe the philosophical and legal arguments strongly favor compliance with the law. Further we believe Notre Dame would better serve its Catholic mission by focusing on improving campus services for families rather than embroiling itself in a legal challenge.
Although we recognize concerns regarding religious freedom ought to be taken seriously, it remains unclear whether providing access to artificial contraceptives actually would conflict with Catholic belief.

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Boston Has a Bigger Economy Than Greece - Business - The Atlantic Wire

Boston Has a Bigger Economy Than Greece - Business - The Atlantic Wire

Priest Could Be Ordered to Break Seal of Confession in Australia

A legislative committee in Australia’s state of Victoria is questioning whether the government should honor the confessional seal with new laws to toughen requirements for reporting abuse of children.

The prospect of government forcing priests to report what was said in confession is the sign of a "police state mentality", says one Australian priest and law professor.

Hundreds of years of Catholic tradition in the confessional could be overturned by Victoria's inquiry into child sex abuse. Priests would be ordered to reveal crimes told to them in private confessions under one proposal before the inquiry.

But priests say they will resist being forced to reveal secrets of the confessional.

Priest and law professor Father Frank Brennan said the move would be a restriction on religious freedom.
“If a parliamentary inquiry were to recommend a law by parliament saying that priests were forced to disclose anything revealed to them in the sacrament of confession I think that would be a serious interference with the right of religious freedom,” Father Brennan said today.

“Indeed it would be a very sad day if we moved to a police state mentality, it’s almost of Russian dimensions to suggest Catholic priests would have to reveal to state authorities what went on under the seal of the confessional.

“I am one of the priests who, if such a law were enacted, would disobey it and if need be I would go to jail.”

Father Brennan said disclosures to priests in the confessional were different to those made to doctors or counsellors, or even when a priest was acting in a counsellor role.

“If it were in the sacred realm of the sacrament of confession which in Catholic theology is akin to the penitent being in conversation with God, where the priest is simply an agent, then definitely the state has no role of interference in that.”

Prince of Liechtenstein Risks His Crown – and Defeats the Abortion Lobby

Prince Hans Adam II. and his son, Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein

In a previous post we reported about the attempts of the anti-life lobby to leganize abortion in Liechtenstein, a small principality in Central Europe that, as one of the last European countries, maintains a legal ban on abortion.


When in 2011 a popular initiative was held to legalize abortion, Hereditary Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein (who exercises regency on behalf of his father, Prince Hans Adam II.) announced that, irrespective of the result of the initiative or of any parliamentary vote, he would exercise his veto against any bill that would legalize abortion. The initiative was then rejected by a majority of the population.

This angered the abortion lobby, who launched yet another citizen’s initiative: this time with the purpose of limiting the prince’s veto right. According to the initiative, the Prince should be able to veto only decisions adopted by the Landtag (i.e., the country’s Parliament) but not decisions adopted under a popular referendum.Under the new Constitution of the Principality, which Prince Hans Adam II. had drafted himself several years ago, the monarchy can be abolished at any time by a popular referendum – but as long as monarchy exists, the Prince has a veto on all legislative matters.

As a reaction to this, the Hereditary Prince announced in an unprecedented step that, rather than accepting an obligation to promulgate laws that would violate his conscience as well as fundamental human rights, he and his family would renounce to the throne and leave the country if the new initiative were to be successful.


The outcome of the vote, which took place on the 1st July, is a resounding victory not only for the Principal Family, but also for the Right to Life: 76 percent rejected the proposal, the Prince stays in the country, and abortion remains illegal. The inhabitants of the Principality know too well that, to maintain their status as an independent nation and one of the most prosperous countries in the world, they need the Prince more than he needs them.

VIDEO: TFP--Louisiana Call to Chivalry Camp for Catholic Boys

As author Paul Claudel aptly put it, “youth was made not for pleasure, but for heroism.”

With this spirit, dozens of young men attended the eleventh annual Call to Chivalry Camp in Louisiana sponsored by TFP—Louisiana. Each year a specific historic theme is woven into the event, providing real life examples of virtue to follow. The valiant Saints and crusaders of Poland and Lithuania offered ample inspiration this time.

Get more information about future camps here