Five Things To Remember On May 31

1. "Why the long face?" Today in his homily, Pope Francis encouraged people to be more joyful about the Catholic Mass and to praise God, not just put in time.

2. We are just 21 days from the start of the Fortnight for Freedom. People will be using the hashtag #Fortnight4Freedom as they take to social media. You can also follow along on the USCCB's Facebook Fortnight event page.

3. Pope Francis speaks of joy in the presence of Jesus. Today celebrates the Feast of Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when she traveled to see her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth, who was older, was also pregnant when Mary arrived and the infant, later known as John the Baptist, leaped for joy inside of her upon hearing Mary's voice.

4. Catholic Relief Services is celebrating their 70th anniversary of service. Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, the chair of CRS, talked about the past, present and future of the agency with Vatican Radio.

5. God loves you.

Religious Liberty in our communities

By Norma Montenegro Flynn

Many ask themselves why Religious Liberty is important. After all, we live in a country where Catholics and Christians are not persecuted or threatened because of their religious beliefs. And, isn’t that liberty guaranteed in our constitutional rights? Although in the United States we enjoy this and other protections written in the Constitution, it is important to protect that right that goes beyond gathering in churches to pray.

During the Fortnight for Freedom, June 21- July 4, we will have the opportunity to participate in events and activities organized by local parishes and dioceses in support of this essential freedom.

Religious liberty has to do with the right of churches, religious organizations and groups to help the sick and the needy without asking what religion they practice or whether they live legally in the country; and not having to deny them help because of those or other reasons. We must remember that religious liberty is also the ability to contribute to the common good of others without having to compromise one’s religious beliefs.

An example that impacts many recent immigrants relates to immigration laws recently approved by some states. Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah have passed laws that prohibit “harboring” of undocumented immigrants. What those laws consider “harboring” is what the church considers Christian charity and pastoral care. Some examples that could fall under those categories are: to invite or transport undocumented immigrants to Mass, or to invite them to join rehabilitation groups, prayer groups or even marriage preparation gatherings. Those laws affect religious liberty because they prohibit and criminalize some acts of faith and pastoral care.

Here is another example. Human trafficking is a field where the Catholic Church has worked hard, but its actions were curtailed because of its religious beliefs. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) has helped children and adults who have been victims of human trafficking. Most come from Mexico, Thailand, India and Haiti; they have been trafficked on farms, in hotels and casinos, in private homes, in spas, for forced labor or sexual exploitation.

However, in spite of the outstanding work that MRS did for years, administering contract services for victims, in 2011, the federal government changed its contract specifications to require MRS to provide or refer the victims they helped for contraceptive and abortion “services” in violation of Catholic teaching. As a result, MRS was disqualified from a government contract because of its religious beliefs.

Religious liberty also influences other areas of our lives, for example, the need to protect marriage as a sacrament between one man and one woman. In Illinois, Boston, San Francisco and Washington adoption programs administered by Catholic Charities were eliminated because those organizations would not violate their religious beliefs by placing children in homes with same-sex couples or unmarried opposite sex couples.

Finally, the HHS mandate coerces religious organizations and business owners to act against their religious values by providing access to contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs for their employees. This issue is not about whether women have the right to use those methods; it is about a government regulation that forces people to act against their values and religious beliefs.

Religious liberty is an essential freedom in our lives. It’s important to join the bishops’ call to defend it and cherish it.

La Libertad Religiosa en nuestras comunidades

Por Norma Montenegro Flynn


Muchos se preguntan porque importa la libertad religiosa si vivimos en un país donde los católicos o cristianos no sufren amenazas o persecuciones. Además, ¿no está esa libertad garantizada entre los derechos constitucionales de este país? Aunque en Estados Unidos gozamos de esas y otras protecciones basadas en la Constitución, es importante proteger ese derecho que va más allá de reunirnos en las iglesias a orar y alabar a Dios.

Durante la Quincena por la Libertad a realizarse del 21de Junio al 4 de Julio, tendremos la oportunidad de unirnos a los eventos organizados por las diócesis y parroquias del país y unir nuestras voces en apoyo de esta libertad imprescindible.

La libertad religiosa consiste en el derecho que tienen las iglesias, organizaciones y grupos religiosos de ayudar a los enfermos y otros necesitados sin preguntar a qué religión pertenecen o si viven legalmente en el país, y no negarles la ayuda por esas y otras razones. Debemos recordar que la libertad religiosa también incluye poder contribuir al bien común de los demás sin tener que comprometer nuestra fe.

Un ejemplo que impacta a muchas comunidades de inmigrantes recientes tiene que ver con leyes estatales de inmigración recientemente aprobadas. Los estados de Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Oklahoma, Carolina del Sur y Utah han promulgado leyes que prohíben “dar refugio” a inmigrantes indocumentados. Lo que esas leyes consideran “dar refugio” a indocumentados, la iglesia lo considera como caridad cristiana y cuidado pastoral. Por ejemplo, animar o transportar a indocumentados para que asistan a la misa, o invitarlos a reuniones de grupos de rehabilitación, de grupos de oración y hasta de preparación pre-matrimonial. Esas leyes afectan la libertad religiosa porque prohíben y condenan ciertas obras de caridad cristiana y de cuidado pastoral.

Aquí va otro ejemplo claro: La trata de personas o tráfico humano, es un campo donde la Iglesia Católica ha trabajado fuertemente, pero sus acciones se han visto limitadas debido a sus creencias religiosas. El Servicio de Migración y Refugiados (MRS) de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos (USCCB), ha brindado ayuda a niños y adultos que han sido víctimas de tráfico humano. La mayoría provienen de México, Tailandia, India y Haití; estas víctimas han sido explotadas en granjas, hoteles, casinos, viviendas privadas, spas y otros establecimientos clandestinos donde realizaban trabajos forzados o eran explotados sexualmente.

A pesar de la excelente labor que por años realizó MRS administrando la contratación de servicios para las víctimas del tráfico humano, en el 2011 el gobierno federal cambió las especificaciones de contrato y le exigió que les proporcionara o remitiera a “servicios de anticonceptivos y abortos,” los cuales van en contra de la doctrina católica. Como resultado, MRS fue descalificada de un contrato gubernamental por sus creencias religiosas.

La libertad religiosa también influye en otros rubros de nuestras vidas, como son la necesidad de proteger el matrimonio como un sacramento entre un hombre y una mujer. En Illinois, Boston, San Francisco, y Washington los programas de adopción de Caridades Católicas fueron eliminados porque esas organizaciones no violarían sus creencias religiosas ante la exigencia de colocar a los niños en hogares de parejas del mismo sexo o de parejas de sexos opuestos que no están casadas.

Finalmente, el mandato del departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHS) obliga a organizaciones religiosas y dueños de negocios a actuar en contra de sus valores religiosos y proveer acceso a servicios de esterilización, anticonceptivos y hasta fármacos abortivos para sus trabajadores. Este punto no trata de que si las mujeres tienen derecho o no a utilizar esos métodos, el punto es que una regulación del gobierno obliga a las personas a actuar en contra de sus valores y creencias religiosas.

La libertad religiosa es una base fundamental en nuestras vidas, por eso es importante unirnos al llamado de los obispos y grupos que la defienden y valoran.

Five Things To Remember On May 30

1. Father Peter French Ryan, a member of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, has been named executive director of the Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs of the USCCB.

2. Sister Mary Ann Walsh noticed that Pope Francis' comments about salvation has caught the attention of late night comedians such as Conan O'Brien and Stephen Colbert. So why do they find him so fascinating?

3. Vatican officials are organizing a worldwide hour of Eucharistic adoration presided by Pope Francis on June 2 at 11 a.m East Coast time Sunday.His adoration prayers for Sunday can be viewed here. You can learn more about Eucharistic adoration at USCCB.org.

4. Shelters with Catholic connections along the Mexican border are strained by migrants returning from the U.S. The USCCB has been encouraging comprehensive immigration reform throughout the years.

5. God loves you.

Francis and the Late Night Comics

By Sister Mary Ann Walsh

Pope Francis has become source materials for late night comics. This may mean evangelization through Stephen Colbert and Conan O’Brien. The comics find the pope intriguing. Perhaps it’s because they can understand him. The most recent catch by the comics were the pope’s words about atheists and salvation. Colbert said his “scapular was in a twist” over atheists being able to go to heaven. O’Brien said the atheists, to return the favor, agree that the pope “is able to go into a void of emptiness.” Let the conversation on the afterlife begin.

Pope Francis reiterates ordinary Catholic thought in a way people can understand. This may be the new playbook on how Catholics can evangelize, that is, spread the Gospel in today’s culture. How does Pope Francis do it?

With reverence. The pope suggests that when we witness to our faith and what we believe we can’t demonize those we deem opponents. He indicates that all others are our brothers and sisters and that we have to move toward understanding each other. That starts with listening and accepting that others – including those who do not share our faith have valid points of view. People with whom we disagree are not on retainer to Satan.

With a caring honesty. The pope speaks lovingly and conveys the attitude we must convey if we are to spread Church teaching. A dialog is not a debate, with a winner and loser. It presupposes a willingness to change and that everyone has an insight into truth. It’s a move toward “ah,” not “gotcha.”

With religious intelligence. One of the pope’s first meetings as pontiff was with people of various faiths, where he reminded them that different religions must work together for the good of the world. In the spirit of Francis, every school should require a course in world religions. One cannot understand the Middle East, a key trouble spot now, without understanding the importance of religious communities there. There is more opportunity to co-exist peacefully when we understand one another’s history and beliefs. And as society changes every day, the different religions of the world become the different religions of the neighborhood and cul-de-sac.


With updated knowledge of one’s own faith. Catholicism admittedly has plenty of rules, but it is essentially a compassionate faith with forgiveness considered a paramount virtue. It offers ancient principles, like the Ten Commandments, but calls on followers to apply them to today’s world. “Thou shalt not steal,” for example, covers matters more complicated than not swiping candy. A nation’s hoarding the vast majority of the world’s riches while others starve or are desperate for clean water is theft, too. Since modern Catholics must apply longstanding church teachings to contemporary issues, they need to pursue lifelong religious education, studying the faith even after receiving Confirmation.


In the language of the day. Brevity marks the world of social media but to travel that world effectively, users have to know not only content but style. The “less is more” rule applies. Despite sounding more formal, Latinate words are not better than Anglo-Saxon words; they’re only longer, which is not a value for many modern people. It is hard to evangelize, that is, spread the faith, if you lose people mid-sentence. When people have to pause to look up the words you’re using, they won’t stay with you for long. The church has a long history of lengthy, often convoluted writing. Pope Francis with his homespun morning homilies is heralding another way of speech.

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Sister Mary Ann Walsh is the media relations director for the USCCB.

Five Things To Remember On May 29

1. A lot was made of what Pope Francis said last week about good actions and salvation. What does it mean going forward? Father John Crossin explains.

2. May, the month of Mary, is concluding. Many faiths often wonder about the Catholic teachings on the Blessed Virgin and you can learn more at USCCB.org.

3. Kim Daniels discusses the USCCB's efforts in aiding migration and refugees with the National Catholic Fund for Migration and Refugee Services.

4. Pope Francis asked people today what they do to make the Catholic Church more holy and welcoming? He loves to challenge people.

5. God loves you.

Building a Culture of Encounter

By Father John Crossin

Last Wednesday, Pope Francis again gave us something practical to think about. He preached that “The Lord has redeemed us with the Blood of Christ, all of us, not just Catholics.” And he reminded us that this ‘all’ includes atheists.

I think that the Pope is nudging us forward. He is calling us to encounter people in the ‘real world.’

For the last few decades the church in the United States has been focusing on its Catholic identity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has been published. Both institutions, such as Universities and Hospitals, and individuals have been urged to strengthen their ‘rootedness in’ and knowledge of our faith. Coming to a deeper understanding and to more faith-filled living is part of a lifelong process of education. 

We can however become too inward focused. We have a gospel mandate to share our faith with others.

Pope Francis has been urging us to reach out to others especially those on the margins. The salvation of Christ is for all.

Reaching out brings us into contact with a great variety of people not like us.  

We may meet our fellow American Christians—many of whom have also been engaging in reflection on their own identity.  Often their insights complement our own. We also may encounter Jewish and Muslim believers who ask us questions about our beliefs and share their faith with us.

This past weekend I spent some time with at the Convention of the Islamic Circle of North America. I personally experienced the generosity and friendliness of individuals at the Convention. I noticed the devotion of Muslim parents to their children. Many families had come to the Convention. People were quite attentive to my remarks on religious liberty which were part of the panel on Social Justice.

We also may speak with some of the numerous people who are searching for God. I used to think that bringing forward my best reasoning about faith would be helpful. Now I think that I should begin with attentive listening out of respect for the person in front of me. My good reflections can wait for the right time and place. 

These encounters remind us that we are searching ourselves for a greater depth of understanding and more faithfulness in living the Gospel. 

Paradoxically, reaching out to others often forces us to go deeper into our faith. Their questions to us and the sharing of their own beliefs and questions can push us toward a new depth of knowledge and practice. Fortunately Catholicism is quite rich in resources for deeper understanding and for spiritual growth. 

Pope Francis reminds us that all humans are called to do good and not evil. It is not sufficient to know the faith. We must do the good. In working with others, we can come to a fuller understanding of those for whom Christ died. 

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Father John William Crossin, a member of the Oblates of St. Francis De Sales, has been named executive director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the USCCB.

Five Things To Remember On May 24

1. Archbishop Jose Gomez, of Los Angeles, praised the passage of a new immigration reform bill out of a Senate committee this week. Archbishop Gomez is chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Migration. He urged a Senate-wide vote and said, "The path to citizenship should be widened, so that the maximum number of persons can access it and come out of the shadows," he said. "To leave a large population behind would defeat the purpose of the bill, which is to bring persons into the light so they can become full members of our communities."

2. Pope Francis called human trafficking "despicable activity a disgrace,for our societies, which describe themselves as civilized." He made the comments during a meeting with members of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers.You can learn about what the USCCB is doing to combat human trafficking.

3. The sequestration could impact poor people and the Catholic outreaches that assist them.

4. The USCCB is looking to honor a Catholic young adult leader between the ages of 18 and 35 with the Cardinal Bernadin New Leadership Award. The nomination process is underway.

5. God loves you.

Five Things To Remember On May 22

1. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the USCCB, pledged prayers and support for the people impacted by the tornado in Oklahoma . Cardinal Dolan wrote a letter to Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, saying, "Our hearts ache with you as we learn of the terrible tornadoes that struck your archdiocese yesterday in the town of Moore outside Oklahoma City."

2. Don Clemmer takes a look at why Pope Francis doesn't want people chanting his name and why they should focused on Jesus.

3. Today is the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and People of the Sea.

4. We are less than a month from the start of the Fortnight for Freedom and Pope Francis has religious liberty on his mind. Over the weekend, he said, "We must promote religious liberty for all people. Every man and woman must be free to profess his or her faith, whatever it may be. Why? Because that man and that woman are children of God."

5. God loves you.

Five Things To Remember On May 21

1. Pope Francis prayed for the people of Oklahoma today during his daily Mass and sent a tweet, saying, "I am close to the families of all who died in the Oklahoma tornado, especially those who lost young children. Join me in praying for them."

2. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City has encouraged people to give to the Oklahoma City Catholic Charities, which is accepting donations for disaster relief. He also said, “Our first concern is for the victims who have lost their lives or loved ones and suffered injury or loss of property. We are moved by the efforts of the first responders who have put their own lives on hold to help in this time of need. We owe them a debt of gratitude and assure them of our prayers."

3. The U.S. is sending the third largest contingent of any country in the world to World Youth Day this summer in Rio with 7,000 pilgrims. More than 40 bishops are also expected to attend, including Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, Cardinal Seán O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap. of Boston; Cardinal Theodore McCarrick , archbishop emeritus of Washington; Cardinal William Levada, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver; Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. of Philadelphia; Archbishop Gustavo García-Sillar, M.Sp.S. of San Antonio; and Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee.

4. Cardinal O’Malley, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, warned of an “alarming trend nationwide” after Vermont legalized physician-assisted suicide, May 20. He called for “all people of good will to fight the future passage of such laws.”

5. God loves you.

What's In (Chanting) a Name?

Pope Francis had some gentle words of correction for the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Pentecost vigil. He took issue with people making the pope the focus of the event:

"Jesus. What is the most important thing? Jesus. If we push ahead with planning and organization, beautiful things indeed, but without Jesus, then we are on the wrong road. Jesus is the most important thing. I would like to take the opportunity now to make a small, but fraternal, reproach, among ourselves, alright? All of you in the square shouted out: 'Francis, Francis, Pope Francis' ... But, where was Jesus? I want to hear you shot out, "Jesus, Jesus is Lord, and He is in our midst.' From now on, no more 'Francis,' only 'Jesus.' Alright?"

(Hat tip to Vatican Radio, Salt + Light Media and others who brought this quote to our attention.)

This isn't the first time Pope Francis has asked this. He made a similar appeal to young people in St. Peter's Square on April 21. And it would seem the pope faces an uphill battle with World Youth Day, an event noted for its wall-to-wall papal name chanting, looming in Rio de Janeiro this July. But that's not Pope Francis' fault.

Jesuit Father Norman Tanner notes that the papacy has faced a growing cult of personality ever since Pius IX (1846-78) became the first pope to be photographed. The phenomenon crested in the made-for-television persona of John Paul II who met cheering crowds every step of the way as he circled the globe. In contrast, the shy and retiring Benedict XVI downplayed this image. John Thavis and other Vatican watchers have noted that the former pope looked visibly uncomfortable when crowds chanted his name. Even his surprise resignation seemed designed to draw a line between the man and the office.

Pope Francis has continued the trajectory, styling himself mostly as "the bishop of Rome," eschewing the luxurious trappings of the office and adopting this "He must increase, I must decrease"/from-the-visible-to-the-invisible approach.

Not long after his election, Pope Francis told the story of a layman who worked in the archdiocesan curia in Buenos Aires who would say "Jesus" before heading out to work. When then-Cardinal Bergoglio asked about this, the man said that saying the name of Jesus made him feel strong and ready to work, knowing Jesus was by his side. And now Pope Francis is urging Catholics to follow this man's lead and fix their gaze on Jesus.

The benefits of focusing on Jesus are almost too obvious and too extensive to mention, but here are a few tangential thoughts:

• Non-Catholics who see a crowd chanting a pope's name might think this earthly man has somehow displaced Jesus Christ as the one being adored.
• Ecumenists have long championed a model of dialogue with other Christians in which both parties focus as much as possible on Jesus because, like spokes approaching the hub of a wheel, they're closest to each other when they're closest to Christ.
• The Church has made the personal encounter with Christ the central thrust of the New Evangelization and the Year of Faith, recognizing that in encountering Christ, people find true faith.
• Catholics encounter Jesus Christ in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, which the Second Vatican Council calls the "source and summit" of the faith.
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church says praying the name of Jesus is to invoke him and call him within us (2666). 

So yes, Pope Francis is probably onto something. And now, a whole blog post about the pope later, this writer had better take the message to heart too: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...

(CNS Photo/Paul Haring)

Five Things To Remember On May 20

1. Catholic News Service explores why the Church has spoken against last week's cloning breakthrough.

2. Pope Francis told a crowd this past weekend that they should chant Jesus' name rather than his.

3. We are just a month from starting the second Fortnight for Freedom, a 14-day campaign to build awareness of domestic and international religious liberty issues. It'll open in Baltimore, where USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty chair Archbishop William E. Lori leads the archdiocese.

4. May and June are a joyful time in the Catholic Church as transitional deacons are ordained priests. Get an insight the journey of several men who will soon be ordained to the priesthood.

5. God loves you.

The Vocational Journey Series

Below is an index for a series of blogs submitted by deacons from the North American College in Rome:

• El Camino a la Vocación: Nicholas Nelson
• The Vocational Journey: Nicholas Nelson
• El Camino a la Vocación: Peter Heasley
• The Vocational Journey: Peter Heasley
• El Camino a la Vocación: Ryan Browning
• The Vocational Journey: Ryan Browning
• El Camino a la Vocación: Mark Bentz
• The Vocational Journey: Mark Bentz
• El Camino a la Vocación: Joseph Laracy
• The Vocational Journey: Joseph Laracy
• El Camino a la Vocación: Spencer Howe
• The Vocational Journey: Specer Howe
• El Camino a la Vocación: Brendan Bartlett
• The Vocational Journey: Brendan Bartlett

Five Things To Remember On May 17

1. Sunday is Pentecost, which is known as the Church's birthday. It's the culmination of 50 days of Easter and is when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples.

2. Sister Mary Ann Walsh's blog today about Kermit Gosnell explores the unintended lessons of the verdict in his trial.

3. Pope Francis swiped his finger on his iPad and unlocked the new Missio app from the Pontifical Missions Society today. According to Catholic News Service, The Missio app "offers news and information in English, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic from Fides, the Vatican's missionary news agency, and news.va. The news appears in the default language set on the mobile device. The app also includes videos from news.va and Catholic News Service."

4. Speaking of Pope Francis, his tweet today was introspective: "Are our lives truly filled with the presence of God? How many things take the place of God in my life each day?"

5. God loves you.

Gosnell: Doing Massive Harm

By Sister Mary Ann Walsh

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, the former Philadelphia abortionist, has avoided the death penalty with a promise not to appeal his May 13 murder convictions in a Philadelphia courtroom. That’s good. The violence of the death penalty is not a way to end violence, even in dealing with the gruesome murders of the infants born alive during Gosnell’s late-term abortions. A grand jury reported that Gosnell ensured the demise of such babies by snipping their spinal cords. But just as abortions are heinous and do not elevate society, neither does the death penalty.

Reactions to Gosnell’s conviction were startling. I was afraid he’d get off on a technicality, given that if the babies had died in utero moments before he snipped life away, he’d only have been convicted of ending the child’s life too late in the gestational cycle. Even his third-degree murder charge for the death of a 41-year-old woman was reduced to involuntary manslaughter.

NARAL, a political action group that fights any restrictions on abortion, declared at the convictions that “Justice was served to Kermit Gosnell today and he will pay the price for the atrocities he committed.” That’s nice distancing from the notorious abortionist by a group that promotes abortion as far as possible and opposes any government restrictions on them.

NARAL added, “We hope that the lessons of the trial do not fade with the verdict.” There are lots of lessons to be learned from Gosnell, though they may not be what NARAL intended.

1. There is a misguided loyalty in the abortion industry. Fellow abortion promoters knew of Gosnell’s barbarism but did not report him. The National Abortion Federation, an association of 400 abortion providers nationwide, evaluated his operation and wouldn’t accredit him for membership because of his grossly substandard clinic. But it also didn’t share what it learned with civil authorities. The NAF evaluator saw broken equipment, lack of monitoring of sedated patients, unqualified staff sedating patients and other medical travesties. Noted the grand jury report: “We understand that NAF’s goal is to assist clinics to comply with its standards, not to sanction them for deficiencies. Nevertheless we have to question why the evaluator from NAF, whose stated mission is to ensure safe, legal and acceptable abortion care, and to promote health and justice for women, did not report Gosnell to authorities.” Good question.

2. Gosnell and abortionists like him prey on the poor, especially minorities. His clinic was in a gritty neighborhood. The average veterinary office is cleaner and more respectful of patients than was Gosnell’s if you believe the grand jury report. Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-Life Union, minces no words. As reported in the Washington Post, Gardner declared that “Kermit Gosnell is a racist of the worst kind, because he preyed on women and young girls of his own race.” Gardner added that “He got away with it because he could. Because no one really cares about poor black babies, do they?” The Post also reported that though Blacks make up less than 13 percent of the population, according to the latest statistics available, in 2008, 30 percent of abortions were obtained by African Americans.

3. It is unlikely that this abortionist stands alone. This Philadelphia story ought to drive health departments in every major city to investigate their clinics. If you can intentionally take an innocent life once, you can do so again and again. Financial incentives help. For Gosnell, an abortion of a six-week fetus cost $330. Late-term was about $1,625. The principle “Do no harm” meant less and less with each death (abortionists call it termination).Given the return on investment, gestational age became less significant. Gosnell raked in $1.8 million a year in cash working three nights a week, 8 p.m. to one a.m., the grand jury estimated. I guess that was the incentive to do massive harm.

Lessons here indeed.

Sister Mary Ann Walsh is media relations director of the USCCB.