Father John McCartney of Saint Matthew’s on Long Island sums up the sad state Catholic politicians pretty well:

Two days after the inauguration of President Obama, I traveled down to Washington with fifty-one parishioners for the annual March for Life on the 36th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, Roe v. Wade.

It was a wonderful trip, and the march was the largest seen in years. It was also a decidedly young march, with vast numbers of high-school and college-aged young people participating.

Of course, hundreds of thousands of peaceful pro-life protesters marching in the nation’s capital did not make it on any of the news channels, nor was it reported in the print media.

Meanwhile, Caroline Kennedy, a pro-abortion Catholic, dropped out of her quest for the open New York Senate seat last week. Instead, Gov. Paterson, a pro-abortion Catholic, chose Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, a pro-abortion Catholic, to fill the vacancy. This so angered Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a pro-abortion Catholic, that she has announced she will challenge Sen. Gillibrand in the primary in two years. State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a pro-abortion Catholic, is now set to challenge a weakened Gov. Paterson, a pro abortion Catholic, in the primary for governor in two years as well. There was talk of Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, a pro-abortion Catholic, for the senate seat, and perhaps making a future run for governor.

Whoever gets the Democratic nomination for governor may well face Rudolf Giuliani, a pro-abortion Catholic, in the state-wide race.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a pro-abortion Catholic, said on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, that some $200 million dollars in taxpayer money, a part of the economic stimulus package, was earmarked for subsidizing artificial contraception. Previously describing herself as
an “ardent Catholic,” Pelosi said that increased spending on contraception “will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government” — thereby implying that children are a burden to taxpayers. When Stephanopoulos asked the Speaker whether she was comfortable with that argument, she replied: “No apologies.” Thankfully, President Obama later dropped this from the stimulus package.

President Obama has made some interesting political appointments: Joseph Biden, a pro-abortion Catholic, to be Vice-President; Leon Panetta, a pro-abortion Catholic, to run the C.I.A.; Tom Daschle, a pro-abortion Catholic, to run the Department of Health & Human Services; Janet Napolitano, a pro abortion Catholic, to run the Department of Homeland Security; Ken Salazar, a pro-abortion Catholic, to run the Department of the Interior; Tom Vilsack, a pro-abortion Catholic, to run the Department of Agriculture; Hilda Solis, a pro-abortion Catholic, to run the Department of Labor; Tim Kane, a pro-abortion Catholic, to head the Democratic National Committee; and Ray LaHood, a pro-life Maronite Catholic (how did that happen?) to run the Department of Transportation.

In other news, the U.S. Bishops have begun a postcard campaign to stop the passage of the Freedom of Choice Act, which would undo every restriction placed on abortion during the last 36 years, including removing consciences clauses which would compel Catholic hospitals and doctors to perform abortions.

I am pleased to note that here at St. Matthew’s we began an anti-FOCA letter writing campaign more than a month ago. For those of you who have not yet sent in your letters, please go to www.smrcc.org, our parish website, where you may download them. In the meantime, pray.
—Fr. McCartney