Ten Things that Caught My Eye Today (March 23, 2018)

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1. Cardinal Timothy Dolan in the Wall Street Journal:

the dignity and sanctity of human life, the importance of Catholic schools, the defense of a baby’s civil rights—were, and still are, widely embraced by Catholics. This often led Catholics to become loyal Democrats. I remember my own grandmother whispering to me, “We Catholics don’t trust those Republicans.”

Such is no longer the case, a cause of sadness to many Catholics, me included. … the needs of poor and middle-class children in Catholic schools, and the right to life of the baby in the womb—largely have been rejected by the party of our youth. An esteemed pro-life Democrat in Illinois, Rep. Dan Lipinski, effectively was blacklisted by his own party. Last year, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez insisted that pro-life candidates have no place in the modern Democratic Party.

Talking about New York, he noted:

what is already the most radical abortion license in the country may soon be even more morbidly expanded. For instance, under the proposed Reproductive Health Act, doctors would not be required to care for a baby who survives an abortion. The newborn simply would be allowed to die without any legal implications. And abortions would be legal up to the moment of birth.

The “big tent” of the Democratic Party now seems a pup tent….

I’m a pastor, not a politician, and I’ve certainly had spats and disappointments with politicians from both of America’s leading parties. But it saddens me, and weakens the democracy millions of Americans cherish, when the party that once embraced Catholics now slams the door on us.

More here.

2. The Guardian on the decline of Christianity in Europe.

3. Elizabeth Kirk on the ACLU and adoption agencies.

4.

5. Mary Eberstadt in the Claremont Review of Books on Cheap Sex by Mark Regnerus.

6. A new podcast on faith from Kirsten Powers and Jonathan Merrit.

7. Chad Pecknold on what we can still learn from Fr. Richard John Neuhaus (reflecting a bit on a conference about him I spoke at earlier this month).

8. NBC on millennials and religious life:

9.On the gift of prayer.

10.