CatholicVoteAction.org

I with the rest of the people of the state of Louisiana continue to enjoy the Saints’ victory over the Colts in the Superbowl. The rest of the week figures as a mild interruption between the great parties of Lombardi Gras & Mardi Gras. Needless to say, remembering where I was in 2005 when the Saints were widely believed to be on their way to San Antonio and the city being abandoned & ignored by those outside LA & the Gulf Coast, this win is very special to me and everyone I know around here.

You should be thankful that the world has not ended yet, as many Saints fans predicted would happen when the Saints won the Superbowl. However, as former Governor Kathleen Blanco pointed out our prediction about hell freezing over seems to be more accurate. Read the rest of this entry »

Is this the first time in modern memory that the Editorial page of the New York Times has disagreed with the National Organization for Women?

The controversy surrounds an ad by Focus on the Family that tells the story of Pam Tebow who was told to abort her child in 1985. She did not and her child, Tim Tebow, won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and is poised to enter the NFL Draft this year. Pro-abortion groups don’t want Americans to watch the ad and have called on CBS to not air it.

You can sign the petition at CatholicVote.org and encourage CBS to stand strong and air the ad.

And the New York Times has weighed in on the Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad controversy, praising CBS for lifting its total ban on advocacy ads during the Super Bowl. The Times said that CBS could screens ads for accuracy and taste, and then “viewers can watch and judge for themselves. Or they can get up from the couch and get a sandwich.”

The New York Times called the protest by NOW and NARAL “puzzling and dismaying.”

Said the Times:

A letter sent to CBS by the Women’s Media Center and other groups argues that the commercial “uses one family’s story to dictate morality to the American public, and encourages young women to disregard medical advice, putting their lives at risk” — a lame attempt to portray the ad as life-threatening. Others argue that even a mild discussion of such a divisive issue has no place in the marketing extravaganza known as the Super Bowl.

The Times said “the would-be censors are on the wrong track.” The Times said wohould be making the NOW and NARAL should be making arguments for why abortion should be legal and “instead of trying to silence an opponent.”

Wonders never cease.

Daniel Cardinal Dinardo, the Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, and incoming head of the US Bishops’ pro-life activities office, graciously met with me and a small group of other Catholic media representatives this morning.

Cardinal DiNardo celebrated the annual Mass for Life last night at the Basilica of the National Shrine here in Washington DC, and will be very active today for the March itself.

Here are a couple notes I tweeted after my meeting, now with some editing:

Cardinal Dinardo stressed the continuity of the pro life office despite the head of that office changing on a consistent basis (the head of this office is always a cardinal, representing the importance and priority attached to it by the bishops). The staff remains much the same, though he is inviting some new bishops to join the committee and he has invited the former head – Justin Cardinal Rigali – to also remain as a member.

The cardinal expressed openness to more new media outreach from the pro life office, saying he has nothing against such initiatives in theory, but obviously would have to see the proposal before approving it. (The USCCB already has a media blog and twitter account, as well as Facebook. There is a consensus, however, that these social networks need to be better utilized.)

The cardinal says he wants to see the pro-life office work more closely with the other departments, noting the participation in health care press releases of the office for domestic affairs, for instance. Or to take another example, when the immigration issue is taken up by the next congress, he hopes the pro-life office will also participate in shaping that discussion. 

The cardinal stressed that he is still getting used to his new role in the pro life office, but is excited and pleased with the work of the office up until this point. He noted, with some humor, that the time he was first taking over his duties (last November/December) was a particularly busy time for them.

Indeed, that’s when many of the deciding votes for health care were first being cast.

Photo: gmgayda

AP has confirmed the rumors circulating over the past several weeks — Focus on the Family is set to run a pro-life ad during the Super Bowl. Of course we are thrilled that Focus was able to secure approval from the NFL and the funding necessary to broadcast their ad.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP)—Tim Tebow is taking his star power to sport’s biggest stage.

The former Florida quarterback and his mother will appear in a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl next month. The Christian group Focus on the Family says the Tebows will share a personal story centering on the theme “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life.”

The group isn’t releasing details, but the commercial is likely to be an anti-abortion message chronicling Pam Tebow’s 1987 pregnancy. After getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child and gave birth to Tim.

The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner ended his college career with several NCAA, Southeastern Conference and school records, and two national championships. Tebow also has been very involved in his family’s Christian-based ministry.

You may recall that our sister entity CatholicVote.org attempted to run it’s own ad last year during the Super Bowl.  Here is the ad that was rejected by both NBC and the NFL because it was deemed too political.