Five Things To Remember On Jan. 10

1. The dialogue between bishops and Catholic colleges continues. See “Final Report for 10-year Review of The Application of Ex Corde Ecclesiae for the United States” The report made public today recommends working group of bishops and college presidents dialogue toward greater cooperation in advancing mission of the Church; hiring for mission; formation of trustees, faculty, staff regarding Catholic identity; need for improved, accurate and deeper theological and catechetical knowledge through curricular and pastoral means.

2. Blogger Msgr. Charles Pope of the Washington Archdiocese wrote yesterday of the need for both the pro-life and social justice wings of the church to work together in a USCCB guest blog for Poverty Awareness Month. English and Spanish.

3. Far from virulent U.S. anti-Catholicism of the 18th and 19th centuries. Today the number of Catholics in top leadership posts is at all-time high. There are six Catholic Supreme Court justices, including the chief justice. If the Senate confirms Sen. John Kerry for State that puts four Catholics directly in line behind the president to lead the country: Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, President Pro-tem of the Senate Patrick Leahy of Vermont, and Secretary of State Kerry. The 113th Congress reached historic high for number of Catholics in Congress, 163. The new Congress opened Jan. 3, with 136 Catholics in the House, 75 Democrats and 61 Republicans. The 27 Catholic senators are comprised of 18 Democrats and nine Republicans.

4. Understatement of the year. Time magazine Jan. 14 cover story about abortion advocates losing the public debate carries this from pro-choice Frances Kissling, former president of the ill-named Catholics for Choice: “When people hear us say abortion is just another medical procedure, they react with shock…. Abortion is not like having your tooth pulled or having your appendix out. It involves the termination of an early form of human life. That deserves some gravitas.”

Observed Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver in his column, “This is the very rare case in which I agree with Kissling. She is right—abortion does involve the termination of human life. Murder does, indeed, deserve gravitas.”

5. God loves you.