Cool: Benedict XVI surfs the web and uses email!

Or should I say, totally cool:

The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, shared this week that the Holy Father has an appreciation for new developments in technology and is comfortable surfing the internet and using email.

During an interview with the program “Studio Aperto” on the Italia 1 TV network, Archbishop Celli added, while the Pope doesn't have a personal email address, he “sends his own personal emails. He does! He has great appreciation for new technology.”

The archbishop explained that while the Pope “cannot respond to the millions of messages that arrive in his inbox,” he is committed to “offering his prayers for all who write to him.”

“The internet is an excellent means of communication,” he continued. “We are seeking to be present where the people are, especially the youth.” (CNA)

I wonder if the Pope reads AmP?!

To my knowledge, we still don't have a picture of Pope Benedict using a computer.

John Paul II preferred Dell laptops (with some papal customization, of course):

Totally 1337.

Online: Catholic College Month

This is a great idea, introduced by AmP reader Maureen Wittmann:

October is Catholic College Month at Homeschool Connections. They are sponsoring a series of free webinars for Catholic families. This is a tremendous opportunity to meet first hand (electronically, at least) with key admissions officials at some of the great Catholic universities and colleges in the country, and it's FREE!

To register or learn more, please visit Catholic College Month.

Start planning, kids - and parents!

Cool: XMarks ranks AmP as the top catholic blog!

An AmP reader writes:

"AMP is ranked as #1 in the category "Catholic Blogs" on XMarks.com, an intuitive web site based on people's bookmarks and how often sites are mentioned on other web sites such as "Twitter" and blogs. It also uses other variables for ranking sites."

I'm happy to see AmP doing well in this metric. Without getting into which Catholic blog is "best" (AmP certainly isn't the most popular Catholic blog), I'm happy to see the top 10 list populated completely with Catholic blogs I consider to be deserving of the high placement.

I also like that this XMarks website takes account of the very active parallel AmP communities on Facebook (almost 2,500 folks) and Twitter (almost 2,000 followers).

I recently asked the AmP Facebook community how often they visit the "physical" AmP blog and was surprised to find out that most of them access and interact with AmP stories only within the Facebook website. AmP Twitter followers are also more likely to keep up on my news beat primarily on their cell phones and blackberries.

Which is all fine by me, because it's the "message", not the medium, that is ultimately important.

Social Media Twins Ticket Giveaway

If you want Minnesota Twins baseball tickets check out the nifty giveaway hosted by the Catholic Spirit. Catholic Spirit is at the forefront of using the potentials of new media for the new evangelization.

Head of Catholic Church in UK criticizes online communities

And the UK Tech Herald isn't at all happy to hear it:

Breaking with its well-established tradition of remaining respectfully quiet on subjects that reach beyond the Bible, the good old Catholic Church has this week weighed in with its opinions on social networking. Surprisingly, the Church isn’t a fan and probably won’t be delivering bite-sized sermons on Twitter any time soon.

More pointedly, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has said social networking destinations such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo place a focus on forging potentially delicate “transient relationships” that can cause suicidal tendencies when and if they fracture.

The Church also said social networks place far too much emphasis and importance on how many friends a user can amass as opposed to the actual quality of any resulting friendships.

The criticism of social networking, which was offered up by Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols in UK broadsheet The Sunday Telegraph, comes following the suicide of 15-year-old high school student Megan Gillan, who took a fatal overdose of painkillers after being bullied online through Bebo.

The UK Tech Herald makes the (I think somewhat jerky move) of recommending readers join their Twitter and Facebook groups. Disagreeing with the criticism is one thing, but trying to be sneaky about promoting the opposite of what you think the Archbishop is recommending is not a very mature response.

I think Archbishop Nichols has the right sense here - clearly technology can be used for good and bad purposes, and like any tool, must be used prudently. But the tone one uses to criticize these matters is important - and it's also important to be fairly-well informed about the technologies one is criticizing. Other catholics - lay and ordained - have of course embraced technology to do good things online, and goodness knows the internet benefits from our active presence!

My simple rule of thumb is that our online activity should serve our "real" life. If we're spending time on Facebook catching up on what our faraway friends are doing, instead of spending time with the ones who are actual neighbors, that could be a problem, and an imbalance we need to address.

So we should both take the good things that people see in online communities, and the sober advice of our ecclesiastical shepherds, and make an informed judgement call. 

You know, like we should do with anything else (when we have legitimate options).

Video: Catholic Vote's 3rd pro-life video

They've done it again:

I've blogged about their work before here. Please spread the word! (And visit CatholicVote.org)

Vatican, Pope encourage young people to use social media

While I was pausing my online activities to graduate last week, Pope Benedict was encouraging Catholic youth to use social media to spread the good news online:

Speaking English, the Holy Father recalled how in his Message for the Day this year "I am inviting all those who make use of the new technologies of communication, especially the young, to utilise them in a positive way and to realise the great potential of these means to build up bonds of friendship and solidarity that can contribute to a better world.

"The new technologies", he added, "have brought about fundamental shifts in the ways in which news and information are disseminated and in how people communicate and relate to each other. I wish to encourage all those who access cyberspace to be careful to maintain and promote a culture of respect, dialogue and authentic friendship where the values of truth, harmony and understanding can flourish.

"Young people in particular, I appeal to you: bear witness to your faith through the digital world! Employ these new technologies to make the Gospel known, so that the Good News of God's infinite love for all people, will resound in new ways across our increasingly technological world!" (VIS)

Now I wish I could find this video on the Vatican YouTube channel.

Simultaneously, the Vatican itself is moving into new media. Paolo Padrini (one of the developers) explains:

The new media of Facebook, the iPhone, YouTube and Wikipedia are increasingly becoming the new forum where the Catholic Church dialogues with the world. As Pope Benedict XVI noted in his message for the 43rd annual World Communications Day, the Internet is a place where young people need to develop true friendships which spring from an encounter with the Risen Christ. With this awareness and the courage to enter into the world of social networks, the project Pope2You was started with the idea of helping these networks become authentic places of friendship and true dialogue.

Pope2You was created in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications as an experiment in providing a new forum and channel of communication using the latest platforms. The Pope2You website provides a new way for Pope Benedict XVI to reach out to young people around the world. The site can be viewed in five languages and allows young people to learn more about the Church and Benedict XVI through his own writings, starting with the message for the 43rd World Communications Day. While the site aims to generate the interest of young people, it is also meant for people of all ages. It features news on the Catholic Church and details on the pastoral activities of Benedict XVI incorporating content from the Vatican’s YouTube channel. At the same time, a new application for the iPhone and iPod Touch has been created by the Catholic news agency H2Onews, with plans to add other mobile platforms later.

Pope2You also provides a gateway to a parallel world in Facebook with an application where you can create and send to your friends virtual postcards with the Pope’s own words, greetings and excerpts of his writings staring with this year’s World Communications Day message. Also, with the help of the Media Office of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, a special area has been created along the lines of a WIKI with suggestions on how to put into pastoral practice the Pope’s 2009 Message.

These new applications highlight the latest example of the Church reaching out in new ways in the world of social networks – a forum where the Church can meet new people, make new friends, dialogue and offer solidarity.

A brave new digital world for the new evangelization. Just remember: our online activities should be at the service of our real-world activities. Watching Mass on uStream is not the same as attending Mass in person.

I'll post more on this after I have a chance to explore http://www.pope2you.net.

Must-See Video: "Life - Imagine the Potential"

The first video by the folks at Catholic Vote.org has almost 2 million views on YouTube alone.

I think you'll agree that their second video is even better. I cant wait to see what they do next.



Spread this video far and wide, please. And hop over to Catholic Vote.org to learn more.

This video was shown publicly for the first time at today's National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.

It was also announced that talks are underway to air it during the American Idol finals (!).

Coverage of the Pope's trip to the Holy Land

My one-stop source will be Christopher Blosser's "Pope Benedict XVI in Israel and the Holy Land."

Huh? USCCB Marriage website "Don't be afraid to experiment in your love making."

I think the For Your Marriage web initiative of the US Bishops is a fine project, overall.

But who signed up Susan Vogt to write their daily marriage tips? For instance, the tip for May 2nd:

"Don't be afraid to experiment in your love making. Some things might not work out, but one of the beauties of married love is the security that you're not competing with anyone else."

Excuse me but "experiment" can mean a lot of things, including stuff that is simply contrary to the dignity of the human person.

Now maybe my eye just fell on the stray bad tip. It seems, however, that Vogt has a huge website dedicated to marriage and spirituality, but at the same time, doesn't include issues like contraception (which strikes me as a really pressing problem for lots of married couples in the United States).

I realize I'm probably being a stickler. But honestly, can't we do a little bit better?

2009 Catholic New Media Awards taking nominations

In follow-up to my weekend story about the 2009 "Cannonball Awards", do also note that the 2009 Catholic New Media Awards are accepting nominations in a variety of categories, sponsored by 4Marks.com and CatholicMatch.com. (I wonder if they will award complimentary memberships to the winners... :P)

Fun: Go vote in the 2009 Cannonball Awards

The Crescat blog is organizing a contest to recognize lesser-known Catholic blogs, the 2009 Cannonball Awards. And - I'm completely serious - one of the categories is "Best Catholic Political Blog That is Not The American Papist". I already locked-in my vote, which I'll keep private until the end of the contest in view of fairness.

Do browse the other categories as well!

Dispelled: Email rumor claims Fr. Jenkins suspended by Bishop D'Arcy

People following my AmP Twitter account who were watching it closely this evening would have witnessed a story unfold in real-time (read from the bottom up):

Here's what happened, as far as I can tell at this point.

An email began circulating earlier in the day (and was eventually forwarded to me) which featured a decree claiming to originate from Bishop John D'Arcy in which the bishop officially suspended Notre Dame President Fr. Jenkins a divinis (in other words, removed his abilities to act in public as a Catholic priest), effective May 1st.

After careful scrutiny and consultation with a few trusted sources, I'm confident this decree is in fact a hoax, albeit a very clever and thorough one. As best as I can accertain, someone probably went through an old authentic decree of suspension a divinis and changed all the particular details to match the current situation.

The original source of the hoax is lost in the background of internet chatter. But if they read this, let them be made aware of Canon #1391 in the universal law of the Church:

"The following can be punished with a just penalty according to the gravity of the delict:
1) a person who produces a false public ecclesiastical document, who changes, destroys, or conceals an authentic one, or who uses a false or altered one;
2) a person who uses another false or altered document in an ecclesiastical matter;
3) a person who asserts a falsehood in a public ecclesiastical document."

Obviously, when I first saw the text of this "decree," I was hoping it wasn't a #1391. Well, it was.

Update - for those who have provided constructive criticism, thank you. Three points in response:

1) I'd agree that tweeting "exclusive rumor" was needlessly sensationalist. Sorry about that.

2) Of course someone who reports on a forged document thinking it to be authentic does not fall under the condemnation which presumes the person had knowledge of its falsity and participated in the deception.

3) It would have been far easier for me (and on my reputation) to simply delete my tweets once I had determined the decree was a hoax, but in fact it would not have equally served the public good because this hoax decree is still making its way around the internet. That's why I brought a twitter rumor into the blog proper - to dispell it.

I posted on the rumor because now, when people search for a confirmation of it, they will find it dispelled here, with as much information provided as I've been able to confirm. I consider this quelling of rumors to also be a service of responsible journalism, especially in the age of emails, blogs and twitter.

Also, not to overstate what AmP does, but I would bet that numerous blogs and email lists have not posted or discussed the hoax decree today because they saw it already falsified here this morning. If people are talking today about AmP passing along then dispelling a false rumor, instead of wasting time and energy all day trying to confirm if that rumor is true, so be it. I'll take that hit and save them the bother.

Two Cool Too Cool Carlson-related follow-ups

The Facebook group started yesterday, "Fans of Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis" has well over 250 members now. I've told them that if they pass 1,000 members, I'll see to it that Abp. Carlson is notified!

Also, the Archdiocese of St. Louis has provided an MP3 audio download of Abp. Carlson's press conference.

Fr. Jenkins Flies to DC: A Tale of Twitter Tech

Last night's posting on Fr. Jenkins' (alleged) covert trip to DC provides me an occasion to ramble about the contribution of new media to the news cycle, and discuss how it augments AmP's role in Catholic news.

Yesterday at 5:21PM EST I received a tip that Fr. Jenkins was in DC for an unannounced visit with Barack Obama. I was told the report came from a reliable (second-hand) source, and that the news would hit the internet "momentarily."

Since I was away from a computer when I received the message, I used my blackberry to update my twitter account (roughly 5:30PM):

"AmericanPapist is hearing a report that ND pres. fr. jenkins is in Washington DC today to meet with Obama?"

30 seconds later I noticed that AmSpec reporter Joseph Lawler had twittered a support to the Jenkins story, based on publicly-available flight information provided by Flight Aware (I know, it's an amazing world we live in).

Happy to provide more information on the report, and still away from computer access, I re-published Joe's notification:

"AmericanPapist RT @josephlawler confirms fr. jenkins in DC to meet with Obama: http://tinyurl.com/deaydg" [RT= Re-Tweet]

... and that's where I had to leave it for the time being, until I had computer access again.

In the hours that ensued, email after email popped into my inbox asking a) if I had heard the rumor, b) requesting me to post the news, c) wondering if I didn't think the story credible and so was ignoring it on purpose or d) all of the above/"I loved today's PPOTD!".

Later in the evening, safely tucked away at home again, I was finally able to post a recap of the Jenkins rumors ... five hours after the rumor hit the Internet pipelines. And so I thought the story was safely put to bed.

I was wrong.

You see, I forgot to check twitter again. Nestled in among my twitter replies, I found - not only people who were picking up Joe's and AmP's reporting, but a second stream of replies claiming that Notre Dame's spokesman was denying the report that Fr. Jenkins had met with Obama in DC.

Thus I had to go back and revise my original blog post, taking into account this new piece of information.

So why do I bring this all up? I think there's (at least one) important lesson here:

Blogging moves fast, but it doesn't move at the speed of news - Twitter does.

That's why I've been bugging AmP readers to subscribe to my twitter feed. I'm not just trying to play a numbers game and see how fast I can break 1,000 AmP followers - I'm trying to help augment the reporting I provide on the American Papist blog.

Blogging, after all, is an amazing way to provide news and commentary on current events (while at the same time remaining open to comment contributions from the community), but it is only one tool among many - including Twitter - that I use to keep Catholics up to speed on things I believe are important or interesting.

That said, you don't have to join Twitter (for that matter, you don't have to read AmP) because I do try to make sure the blogging stands on its own. It just sometimes has to stand a little behind the front of the news line.

45,000 Signature in Support of Pope Benedict

Organized by Human Life International:

As a response to the deluge of unfair and mistaken criticism leveled upon Pope Benedict XVI for his statement about the ineffectiveness of condom promotion in stopping the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, four prominent international pro-life organizations have gathered 40,000 signatures so far in support of the Holy Father.

Kath.net (based in Austria), Human Life International (HLI, Viginia, USA), HLI Europa (Poland), and Vida Humana Internacional (VHI, Miami) have joined forces and efforts in reaching out around the world to gather support both for the courageous Pontiff, whose statement questioning the value of the promotion of condoms has been attacked by international press and politicians, even as it has been affirmed by scientists, African leaders, and activists who know the history of the AIDS epidemic.

“What the Holy Father said was absolutely true,” said Joseph Meaney, HLI’s Director of International Coordination. “It is an embarrassment to all who have so irresponsibly and often hatefully opposed him that what he said is verified by any honest examination of the evidence about what has worked historically to lower AIDS transmission rates in Africa.”

Sign it here: http://www.hli.org/papal_visit_support.html

Check.

Outrageous: "Facebook users wage condom campaign against Pope"

Science rarely restrains Stupidity:

Critics took to the social networking site Facebook to voice their fury over Pope Benedict's remark that condoms do not prevent HIV.

Thousands have pledged to send the pontiff millions of condoms to protest the controversial comment he made to journalists as he flew to Cameroon last week.

... "The clergy aren't supposed to have sex at all, but they are free to tell people how to conduct themselves? That's like a girl who wears no make-up as the CEO of CoverGirl," one member posted on the page, "Condoms for Pope Benedict XVI." (CNN)

Before they start trying to figure out international postage, they might consider reading (senior Harvard research scientist) Edward Green's op-ed in this Sunday's Washington Post: "The Pope May Be Right".

Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus comments: "We need more people like Dr. Green, who won't let politics color their objective judgment and more journalists who will pay attention."

Meanwhile the UK "Lancet medical journal [has] accused Pope Benedict XVI of distorting scientific evidence in his statement that condoms worsen the AIDS crisis. It said he should retract the comments.

Finally, through Zenit, a reference to "HIV/AIDS in Africa: What is the Science actually saying?".

Too cool: Arch. of STL will TXT U w/ New Abp. Deets

Or, in plain English, the Archdiocese of St. Louis is offering a service on its website which will send your phone a text message when their next archbishop is officially announced! (which, as I've been hinting, will probably be very soon). The archdiocese also tweets.

Too cool!

Ph/t: AmP reader Angie.

You know you've made it...

... when Catholic Parish websites link to you on their sidebar, as does St. Joseph in Salem, Oregon.

Or, then again, maybe some enterprising webmaster decide to toss AmP into the mix. Either way, it's an honor (seriously) and a responsibility. I know that AmP has been mentioned in parish bulletins as well.

Picture: International Papist

During the early morning hours, while the over-all visitor and comment count may drop, the world board lights up with international AmP visitors, as this snapshot taken at 2AM EST reveals:

And yes, that's every inhabited continent represented. Call it a "Catholic" hat-trick. Avete, Papists!

Chinese to become 8th Vatican website language (+ a sneaky tip)

From the Vatican Information Service bulletin:

"... for the occasion of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church, the official website of the Holy See will be enhanced by the addition of a new section in Chinese".

Chinese "will be the eighth language to be represented on the www.vatican.va website, which also includes Italian, English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Latin.

"Thanks to the new service", the communique concludes, "internet users from throughout the world will be able to navigate in Chinese to access the texts of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI which will be available in both traditional and simplified Chinese characters".

Also, if you remember that picture I posted of the Vatican website "Obama-fied", you'll probably be interested in what the artist has decided to do - make it fully functional:

"since the mock-up was so popular, I've created a full-blown version with active links, a Web feed, and a few other nice features. I'm planning to keep the blog and the other elements regularly updated -- so people can basically use this as their "substitute" Vatican site. The full, working version is here." - Shaun Gallagher

Now don't get riled - I'm not suggesting a parallel Magisterium or anything! - just promoting a more accessible portal to find documents and information on the existing Vatican website. I think it could prove useful. Hey, it has an RSS feed.

And sorry, there's no way to avoid the occasional mention of "Benedict XVII". Yeah - Benedict the 17th!

One seriously gorgeous diocesan website ... yes, it's possible

Golly, I think I have website envy:

This is the Diocese of Pembroke diocesan website created by the wizards at Saint Max Media.

Now, who can help AmP look that beautiful? You could rest happy knowing your work of art would be viewed over 400,000 times a month. If you think you're up for it - send me an email please. Let's work something out.

CheckOut TweetCatholic

I find it a neat little idea ... and I debuted at #25. I'm a sucker for statistics. :)

As Seen On Craigslist

This is incredible funny, albeit rather inside.

Scared by Twitter?

It's okay, I was too.

Fr. Roderick, however, knows our pain and has provided a great list of "Cool Catholics on Twitter."

I'm a "Catholic Media Personality" he says.

437 people might tend to agree with him.

And then, on Facebook...

You can already become a facebook fan of Archbishop Dolan, or join the group Supporters of Archbishop Timothy J. Dolan, Archbishop of New York. I suggest this as a fan photo someone should include:


Note the Archbishop's right hand....

On Facebook, Regnum Christ youth react to Maciel news

A search of the popular social networking website Facebook reveals several popular groups created (some time ago) to support Marcial Maciel. Out of curiosity, I visited two of the largest ones to see how young Catholics are reacting to the news.

The first one is named "Sainthood Quickly for Fr. Marcial Maciel, LC!" (click on the picture for full-size.)

With 318 members currently, the description reads:

This group is especially created for all those who believe and know that Nuestro Padre has been in life and is now a saint!! Withut [sic.] doubt this man is probably one of the greates [sic.] men of our times and all of us and the whole world will be touched by him in many ways. This is a man that the world will never forget especially his beloved legionaries. Lets hope and pray that the process of beatification and canonization will begin quickly!!

One line from the group's discussion area caught my eye: "We cannot expect people on the outside to understand, because they have not had the opportunity to know the spirituality. Anyone who has taken the time to read the Cartas, CLC, etc and truly pray about it knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the author of those letters was in no way a man of sin or vice."

More work to be done.

The second group is named "In loving memory of Fr. Marcial Maciel, MC" (click on the picture for full-size.)

This group has obviously changed it group picture into one depicting a grieving Christ. The group's description has similarly been changed and, without mentioning what has happened, and counsels prayer for all those involved and hope that God will bring something good out of this.

And while some of Fr. Berg's comments are mentioned (greatfully) in the discussion thread, one person says: "I have learned a lot out of this experience. The mesage is: everyone can be a saint!"

More work to be done, still.

For all you Twitter peeps

I'd like to see my twitter follower count push past 300 tonight.

This recent tweet of mine will show you why it can be useful.

Red Envelope Project alerts Obama to abortion evils

NCRegister's Tim Drake:

A grassroots initiative to express moral outrage over President Obama’s administration’s promotion of abortion is garnering much Internet attention.

Just as American revolutionaries used tea to protest the action’s of the British government, those concerned with life are utilizing the power of red envelopes to protest abortion.

Supporters have been encouraged to send an empty red envelope to President Obama, symbolizing a single child who died because of abortion.

On the back of each envelope, is a handwritten message that reads: “This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.”

Tim Drake goes on to uncover the man behind the idea.

RedEnvelopeProject has sent almost 40,000 red envelopes to Obama so far.

Vatican 2.0: Pope Benedict gets his own YouTube channel!

As reported earlier:

Puffs of smoke, speeches in Latin and multipage encyclicals have all been used by the Vatican to communicate with the faithful. Now the pope is trying to broaden his audience by joining the wannabe musicians, college pranksters and water-skiing squirrels on YouTube.

In his inaugural YouTube foray Friday, Pope Benedict XVI welcomed viewers to this "great family that knows no borders" and said he hoped they would "feel involved in this great dialogue of truth."

"Today is a day that writes a new page in history for the Holy See," Vatican Radio said in describing the launch of the site, http://youtube.com/vatican (AP)

Let's see if we can embed the channel:

If not, enjoy this video (the most popular on the channel right now):

I'm *so* excited about this initiative! But they need to enable embedding at some point....

A needed moment of levity

Emails pop into my inbox almost by the minute it seems, and because I have a blackberry and can access mobile email, I'm almost always sure to find a few new messages waiting for me whenever I check my coat pocket.

This email subject line gave me a chuckle. It's from LifeNews editor Steven Ertelt:

"Obama Officials Confirm He Will Fund Foreign Abortions on Weed"

*Ahem*. Mr. Ertelt obviously meant "Wed".

And now, back to matters of substance....

Report: Vatican to get own YouTube channel

Cool:

The Vatican will soon have its own channel on the video sharing site YouTube where the Catholic faithful or the curious will be able to see Pope Benedict or Church events, a Vatican source said on Saturday.

The details of the accord are due to be presented on Friday at a news conference attended by Vatican officials as well as Henrique de Castro, managing director of media solutions for Google, which owns YouTube.

The initiative will involve Google, the Vatican Television Center and Vatican Radio.

It will mark the Vatican's deepest plunge into new media. The Vatican opened up its website, www.vatican.va, in 1995. (Reuters)

I hope they friend AmericanPapist and AMPNews!

Update: USCCB Rep Corrects Incorrect Novena Email on FOCA

LifeNews:

If you're a pro-life Catholic, chances are you've seen the email that has been widely circulated across the Internet seeking prayers to stop the radical FOCA bill. While the email is accurate concerning how the Freedom of Choice Act will make abortion on demand the national law, there is one big error.

I pointed out that one big error a couple days ago.

{Updated} Who started the FOCA novena?

A novena petition to prevent the passing of FOCA has been spreading like wildfire via email. A facebook group dedicated to the novena has almost 30,000 members. In one twist, an Irish representative has been receiving flak for forwarding the email to her constituents. I've received the forward multiple times myself.

{update: I should hasten to add - because I forgot this is not evident to everyone - that the novena email below contains a severe factual error - FOCA is not scheduled to be voted on or signed around January 21-22 or anytime in the foreseeable future. The bill doesn't have the needed votes.}

The basic text of the forward looks like this:

If you are opposed to abortion then there is bad news on the horizon. For those of you who do not know, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is set to be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The FOCA is the next sick chapter in the book of abortion... [snip]

... Perhaps most importantly the government will now have control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (rape, down syndrome babies, etc) and could even regulate how many children women are allowed to have.

Needless to say this information is disturbing, but sadly true. As Catholics, as Christians, as anyone who is against the needless killing of innocent children, we must stand as one. We must stop this horrific act before it becomes a law.

The Plan: To say a novena (9 days of prayer) along with fasting starting on January 11th (even if you're beginning this late, please join!). The prayer of choice will be the rosary with intentions to stop the FOCA. The hope is that this will branch and blossom as to become a global effort with maximum impact.

My question is - who started this? One report identifies a "Fr. Tom", another says it was "Lord Alton." No proof for either author is given.

Obviously, the petition is generating a considerable amount of traction and I would be interested to see how it caught on, and who first set the ball rolling. This sort of grassroots organization is admirable and will no doubt be useful in the future for similar initiatives.

Pope warns students about technology isolation

I hope I'm not being ironic by spreading this news ... on my blog:

Students today are in danger of losing this balance [between solitude and communion], the Holy Father explained, due to the increased use of information technologies. “On the one hand, they run the risk of a growing reduction in their capacity for concentration and mental application on an individual level; on the other, that of isolating themselves individually in an increasingly virtual reality.”

In doing so, students close themselves off to “constructive relations with others." (CNA)

Pope Benedict, of course, is very right to point out the danger of going "too much" in either the direction of communion or solitude. So be careful how much you read my blog, or watch my YouTube channel, browse my Flickr page, hang out on my FaceBook page, wait for my Twitter updates, or .... you get the idea.

Seriously, however, the tendency to isolate oneself I think is a problem for some people more than others, but in my experience it's fairly obvious when it's getting to be a serious problem.

Loosing the ability to concentrate for extended periods of time, however, is more insidious and therefore causes me much more concern. I think it's a problem not only caused by time online, but much more by our media culture (including especially TV ads, shows, cable news, etc).

So keep reading books. Honestly - it's the best way to keep your brain in shape. And have long conversations with your friends. That's what humans do. And of course, if you need reading tips or stuff to talk about...

.... there's always AmP. :-)

Let's not forget about Orissa

Anyone know of an international aid organization specializing in assisting Indian Catholics?

They need help:

Denouncing what they called a “master plan” to wipe out Christianity, the bishops of India’s troubled Orissa region have written a letter to state’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik concerning the persecution of Christians at the hands of Hindu extremists.

Christians play fair, and now 10-15,000 have been forced to flee their homes. That's just a start.

Picture: Microsoft.com's clip art doesn't believe in God

AmP reader Jean writes:

I was searching online at Microsoft.com for clipart this morning and couldn't find "God" or "god" in the religion category. I got a very few results when I asked it to search in all categories (mostly Egyptian 'gods'). Trivial. But a sad commentary on our culture nonetheless.

See the results for yourself:

I got the same screen when I tried it. Try it yourself.

I knew those Microsoft engineers had to be athiests. I mean, judging by their software and design philosophy, it's quite clear to me that they attribute everything ulitimately to chance and chaos....

I'm still resisting the Apple temptation, however.

Google v. Marriage

Google has decided to take a stand on gay marriage - in favor:

However, while there are many objections to this proposition -- further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text -- it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love. (Google's Official Blog)

So much for not being evil.

Related: Google opposes anti-gay marriage measure

Ph/t: AmP reader Daveko.

Google settles out of court, will allow pro-life ads

LifeSiteNews:

Internet giant Google has settled out of court with The Christian Institute and will now allow religious groups to place factual and campaigning ads on the subject of abortion.

The Christian Institute, a pro-life and pro-family Christian lobbying and education organization, took legal action against Google after it rejected an ad in March with its search-related advertising system, AdWords, which read: "UK abortion law: Key views and news on abortion law from The Christian Institute.

Google rejected the ad because its former policy disallowed the advertising of sites that mixed "abortion and religion-related content."

The Christian Institute took Google to court in April, saying the refusal constituted discrimination on the grounds of religious belief, a violation of Britain's anti-discrimination laws, the Equality Act 2006.

The feminists are angry (big surprise), because they mind these pro-life groups "lying about the procedure and spreading misinformation."

Really, is there any need to make things up when it comes to alerting people to the horrors of abortion?

Introducing the Catholic Digg: "Pick a Fig"

Digg.com is an exteremely popular way for folks to tell one another about the top stories and internet finds of the day. Paul Nowak has created a social bookmarking site like Digg, but for Catholic stories:

http://pickafig.com/

It's very useful, and I encourage you to sign up (easy) and use it (also easy). I have and will.

New internet search engine unveiled, clearly needs work

There's a new internet search engine in town called Cuil (pronounced "cool"). The AP talks about it:

Anna Patterson's last Internet search engine was so impressive that industry leader Google Inc. bought the technology in 2004 to upgrade its own system.

She believes her latest invention is even more valuable—only this time it's not for sale.

Patterson instead intends to upstage Google, which she quit in 2006 to develop a more comprehensive and efficient way to scour the Internet.

The end result is Cuil, pronounced "cool." Backed by $33 million in venture capital, the search engine plans to begin processing requests for the first time Monday.

Cuil had kept a low profile while Patterson, her husband, Tom Costello, and two other former Google engineers—Russell Power and Louis Monier—searched for better ways to search.

Now, it's boasting time.

For starters, Cuil's search index spans 120 billion Web pages.

Patterson believes that's at least three times the size of Google's index, although there is no way to know for certain.

Personally, it already failed my litmus test:

Oh well, I hope they work out the kinks. Google did.

Bible applications part of iPhone 3G's software offerings

The Christian Post has a story talking about the latest Apple gadget, and mentions some cool Bible software that can be downloaded for it:

In addition to the games, social networking apps, and sports programs, a surprising number of Bible software were also made available for the App Store’s launch.

“While other faiths seem left in the dark, Christian software design firms showed up in large numbers to repackage what is pretty much the same thing, the Bible,” commented Mark Wilson, the weekend editor for Gizmodo Australia, an online technology blog.

In his report, Wilson highlighted six different Bible software including Bible Xpress, Bible Verse, BibleScope, Holy Sword, Universalis, and Bibles2GO.

“At the moment, no other religious texts appear to be represented on iTunes,” Wilson commented. “That is, if you don't count the ‘Attaining Zen’ rock garden app.”

Okay, so that's what the Protestants are up to. What applications would Catholics be interested in besides the apps mentioned above? Are they easily accessible? Please contribute your tips!

Of course, I don't want to see folks get carried away either....

The latest Reality TV phenomenon? A french seminarian.

Not sure how I feel about this:

The French love of reality programmes encompasses the music talent show Star Academy, match-making for lonely rural farmers and a polite version of Wife Swap - On a echangé nos mamans. But now the French Catholic church has jumped on the bandwagon with a show about priests that has become an internet phenomenon.

The diocese of Besançon in eastern France has launched Prêtre Academy - Priest Academy - to mark its first ordination of a new local priest for three years.

In episodes available online, viewers can watch the new recruit, Franck Ruffiot, 30, demonstrate how he prays, pay a visit to trendy contemporary artist friend and explain his feelings in a diary room. Two slightly older priests, Michel and Christophe, are followed in their daily lives.

The online show began as a marketing drive to reach young people as the church struggles with declining numbers - each year 500 priests retire or die in France while only 100 recruits join the clergy. But the short episodes showing the priests' somewhat mundane local lives have become a kind of light-hearted cult viewing online, with the first two instalments netting more than150,000 hits and the final episode due this week. (UK Guardian)

Purient interest or authentic fascination?

Now you can get emails from cardinals, too

Or at least the faithful of Boston can, from their Archbishop:

News from the Archdiocese of Boston and Cardinal Sean O'Malley can now be obtained just by opening your e-mail inbox.

The 63-year-old cardinal announced Saturday that the archdiocese is reaching out to the faithful through e-mail.

The "Weekly E-mail From Cardinal Sean & the Pilot" will include messages from the cardinal, notes from his blog, press releases from the archdiocese, and links to current stories from the archdiocesan paper.

"This weekly e-mail initiative will increase communication and connection among Catholics across the archdiocese," Cardinal O'Malley said. "As we celebrate our bicentennial year, we have been reminded how Catholics have innovated to ensure that the saving message of Jesus Christ reaches as many people as possible.

"We want to continue that spirit of innovation and evangelization by utilizing the many new communication tools made possible by the recent advances in technology. I encourage every Catholic of the archdiocese with an e-mail account to sign up."

Those wishing to receive the mail can do so at the archdiocese's bicentennial Web site, http://www.boston200.org/. (Zenit)

Okay, I don't get emails from cardinals ... yet.

Article: "Catholic evangelization with Youtube [and Facebook]"

A nice little article by Alicia Ambrosia over at Western Catholic Reporter.

"Because people are turning to the Internet to find the answers to life's big questions, the Catholic Church, as well as other Christian denominations, are trying to make sure Internet surfers can find the answers they seek on-line."

Of course, AmP readers have been living the dream for a couple years now. Long may this prosper.

Ph/t: CNS News Hub.

Finally, a snazzy website from the Vatican: Clerus.org

Amy and Dom are all atwitter.

Here is the English-language link: BIBLIA CLERUS.

The intro:

This program offers Sacred Scripture, its interpretation in light of Sacred Tradition and the teachings of the Magisterium, with appropriate theological commentary and exegesis.

The downloadable version allows you to connect Sacred Scripture to the complete works of many Doctors of the Church, Councils, Encyclicals, teachings of the Popes, Catechisms, as well as commentaries from secular literature, etc.

It looks to be a good resource, and at first glance, I'm happy that they sprung for a little eye candy on the homepage. As much as we all love Vatican.va, let's face it: parchment background is so 1994.... ;-)

I'm going to resist perusing this site until I'm done with this week's pressing obligations. You, on the other hand, are more than welcome to shirk your urgent responsibilities and check out the site.

Deirdre McQuade (USCCB pro-life spokesperson) vs. Cecile Richards (president of Planned Parenthood)

Through some contacts I've been alerted to a very important debate currently taking place between Deirdre McQuade, the planning director for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities (pictured left), and Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood (right).

GoogleNews is providing a semi-official forum for their comments as a follow-up to a recent Associated Press story on the topic of Plan B's reception, growing use and continued controversial nature, one year after its being made available to the public.

McQuade has a much-longer comment than Richards, and also gets a chance to provide a helpful link to a USCCB informational page. These additions are gratifying since she is given only scant coverage in the AP article.

Somehow, I doubt Richards will post a follow-up comment. Truth is on the pro-life side of the abortion debate, no matter how many statistics the opposition tries to toss around. And for this reason I'm especially happy to see developments such as this Google News response and follow-up forum. Blogs, comment boards and the like allow the pro-life message to flourish despite its being ostracized from the mainstream media reports.

Incidentally, in the quote given by Richards to the AP, she is very careful to habituate this perception of the pro-life movement, saying "... there is a fringe group of folks in this country who seem determined to prevent women from getting emergency contraception." Spaces like this Google Forum make it more difficult for Richards to dismiss and demean such "pro-life fringe" groups. Groups that she is afraid to debate on a more even playing field.

So that's why the Wiki entries on Catholic topics are so good....

C-S-L alerts me to the fact that some unnamed folks in the Vatican have taken it upon themselves to edit various Wikipedia entries on Catholic topics. Well, good for them! If their editing is honest and objective (which I presume), it is good to have qualified folks contributing. I've been consistenly impressed with the quality of Wikipedia pages on even rather obscure topics. The entry on the Tridentine Mass, for instance, is a wealth of information.