Tip: Get a *free* copy of "Contraception, Why Not"

I love telling my readers how to get quality Catholic content, for free (or at a ridiculous discount, in some cases).

Here's an example of free:

"Contraception: Why Not is a powerful presentation that challenges America to rethink its contraceptive mindset. To help people understand the contraception situation better, One More Soul offers one free copy of this talk to any new customer.

For more about Professor Smith and her available publications click here.

To see more of our radically pro-life resources, please visit our online catalog."

In all seriousness, if you know someone who is using contraception, or wants to understand the Church's teaching more fully, get this CD . I've listened to it before and it is, without a doubt, the single most effective one-stop explanation. Dr. Smith goes far beyond the "why nots" and explains the "whys." A must-have for Catholic youth.

If you have a Catholic tip you'd like people to hear about, drop me an email: "thomas [at] americanpapist.com".

Ph/t: AmP reader Nicole.

"Study links birth control pill to arterial plaque" - Reuters

Reuters:

A European study released on Tuesday has raised new concerns about the safety of women's long-term use of the birth control pill, suggesting increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

Women who had used oral contraceptives were more likely than those who did not take the pill to have a buildup of plaque in their arteries, the researchers told an American Heart Association meeting.

... Rietzschel's team studied 1,301 women ages 35 to 55.

Of them, 81 percent had used the pill, for an average of 13 years. The researchers saw a rise of 20 to 30 percent in arterial plaque in two big arteries -- the carotid in the neck and the femoral in the leg -- for each decade of use.

But the recommendation?

Rietzschel said he did not think the findings should trigger alarms about the safety of the pill.

"Bottom line -- don't discontinue your pill suddenly. Don't panic. Don't call your gynecologist tomorrow morning," Rietzschel said.

... what?

At the same time:

Dr. Gordon Tomaselli, a Johns Hopkins University cardiologist and American Heart Association official, said he was surprised by the findings.

"It's a bit eye-opening, I think," Tomaselli said in an interview.

... "What would I tell my daughter to do? I might suggest maybe not oral contraception," Tomaselli said.

Because heaven forbid that she not supress her fertility: better to take the above-mentioned risks!

Bp. Richard Malone speaks out against middle-school contraceptives

CWNews:

Bishop Richard Malone of Portland, Maine, has strongly objected to a decision by the city’s school board that will make contraceptives available to middle-school students.
"I join the number of parents who have expressed their outrage and disbelief at the decision which affects young girls aged 11 to 14 years old," the bishop said. He was responding to a new policy that will allow distribution of birth-control devices to students, without the knowledge of their parents.

Diogenes notes an unexplained absence.

Brief AP coverage here. CNA does a bit better here.

Update: Good observations from a simple practical stand point:

11-year-old children need their parents involved in their medical care. Period. We need to check their temperatures and give them Ibuprofin when they need it, talk with their doctors, understand how their prescription drugs interact, make sure they drink enough fluids when they have the flu...and we sure as [heck] need to know when they're taking hormone-altering drugs that can have serious short and long-term side-effects. [full post.]

Cardinal Pell's apt - and memorable - "Donald Duck heresy"

Update: David @ C-N-S has a good break-down of the Cardinal's argument in short hand.

Cardinal Pell has been too-long absent from AmP coverage. Reading about his constant witness and energetic teaching to build up a culture of life around the world is always a strong gust of fresh air:

In his recent book “God and Caesar,” the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, said a “common heresy of our times” is believing that Catholics can accept and practice contraception, using the “primacy of conscience” as a justification.

Taking a metaphor from Oxford professor Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, the cardinal called this belief that has spread among Catholics the “Donald Duck heresy,” referring to the Disney character who "knows it all", and "has an unshakeable conviction of self-righteousness." The self-indulgent duck, explains Pell is well-meaning but "his activity is often disastrous for himself and others."

The same thing happens with Catholics who practice and promote a disordered vision of human sexuality through contraception, abortion and the destruction of embryos.

With claims to "primacy of conscience," he said, “they falsely believe themselves in the right, while they thus distort the image of God which the Creator intended to convey in the fruitful sexual union of husband and wife.”

"Too many 'Donald Ducks' produce a 'feel good' society, which works to remove personal guilt, anything that would make people feel uncomfortable, and complacent self-satisfaction becomes a virtue," writes Pell. "Confession of sins is replaced with therapy, and self-reproach with self-discovery."

Cardinal Pell noted that the false conception of the “primacy of conscience” was the object of John Paul II’s 1993 encyclical Veritatis Splendor.

"Only truth, or the Word of God has primacy, and is the ultimate rule of action.” The individual conscience is necessary, but sometimes insufficient. “Even a genuine searcher for truth can be mistaken, sometimes with disastrous consequences," he added.

The book is a compilation of essays the Cardinal has penned over the years. In one essay which was delivered as a talk to the Linicare Conference in the UK in 2000, under the title "The Role of the Bishop in Promoting the Gospel of Life", the Cardinal warns that the Catholic Church would not grow unless the full teaching of the Church on life issues was promoted. "Tactical silence", as practiced by many bishops, would in fact stifle growth, he suggested. [CNA]

Needless to say, I expect him to shine at World Youth Day in Sydney next year.

Videos: NFP vs. Contraception (a la Apple)

A seminarian for the Diocese of Saginaw sent along a link to these three excellent videos entitled "NFP vs. Contraception," done in the style of those popular Apple commercials.

The actors are seminarians who recently participated in the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, Nebraska. I've studied with both of them and I have to tip my hat - they did an awesome job!

Video 1:


Video 2:


Video 3:

Spread the word!