Covington bishop bans Right-to-Life group from distributing literature.

Foys confirmed Wednesday that he mentioned Northern Kentucky Right to Life in one of his regular letters to priests.

"They are not a part of the Diocese of Covington. Our Pro-life Commission is the formal right to life/pro-life organization for the Diocese," Foys said. "I said, ‘To avoid confusion, don’t pass out their literature.’ "

According to several people familiar with the letter, the bishop also wrote that while there were good people in Northern Kentucky Right to Life, they were being misled. Afterward, people were buzzing about the pointedness of the bishop’s remarks.

Foys confirmed the passage about good people in the organization but declined to say whether he had criticized its leadership.

Members of Northern Kentucky Right to Life were present Wednesday evening at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption for the bishop’s annual "Pro-Life Mass."

Go give Rich Leonardis some input on culling the best from Gather.

ACTA has republished an old biography of St. Theodore Guerin, with updated info.

Fr. Rob has a post on a "different kind of abortion."

A blogger gives Andrew Sullivan’s recent TIME piece a thorough critique.

It’s the last day (although the website indicates that some categories have a few days left) for the Clear Creek Monastery’s online auction to support the buidling of their monastery chapel. If you’ve never been to the site, check it out as well as this blogger’s account of a visit there and this article .

Fr. Jonathan Morris, LC priest/Fox News commentator, saw Apocalypto and comments.

John Allen interviews Bishop Skylstad, who was in Rome this week, visitng with the Pope (along with other officers of the USCCB). Excerpts here.

Full text here – pdf file.

Earlier in the month, a prosecutor in Los Angeles suggested the possibility of charges against Cardinal Roger Mahony related to abuse that happened on his watch. Do you think it’s possible a sitting bishop might face a criminal indictment?

There’s always the potential for it.

Have you talked as a conference about what, if anything, you would do in such a case?

We really haven’t had a conversation about it. It’s a relatively new question.

<snip>

There’s been a fair bit of speculation about a forthcoming document that would broaden permission for celebration of the pre-Vatican II Mass. Have you discussed this in your Vatican meetings?

I haven’t picked up anything on it, no. I haven’t had any inkling of something like that, though I’m aware of the rumours. Of course, we’ve heard rumours like this several times in the past.

Do you see a pastoral need for such a document?

In my diocese of Spokane, we don’t have the older Mass celebrated, but in a neighbouring diocese it is available, just about 50 miles away. I wouldn’t know how many people, if any, make the trip. In my years as bishop, there simply hasn’t been great demand for Mass according to the older rite. If there were a significant number of people wanting it, I would discuss it with my Presbyteral Council and others and make a decision, but to date we just haven’t had many requests. It’s been very minimal over the years.

What are your own thoughts about allowing wider use of the pre-Vatican II Mass?

We’re a church of unity and of common worship. The thrust of Vatican II calls for more active participation on the part of the faithful in the liturgy itself, and from my standpoint trying to move further in that direction would be most helpful. On the other hand, the Holy Father is trying to reconcile with the Lefebvrite group, whose members have an attachment to the older Mass. To date, those efforts have not been successful, but we are always in the business of reconciling, healing and unifying. Perhaps some further accommodation can be found.

If this document appears, what impact do you think it will have?

It depends on what part of the country you’re in, but in any event the numbers are relatively small. The bishop has to decide when and where it will be pastorally effective.

So you would not want a ‘universal indult’ that doesn’t require any approval from the bishop?

It’s very important that the bishop have this responsibility. I would hope that somehow there would be this encouragement or directive that the local bishop is able to make decisions about the liturgical life of his diocese.

Ascension Press has a new "Theology of the Body for Teens" program.

Jen Ambrose is back in China – having adventures!

Finally, I’m on the HMS radio show every Thursday – the podcasts are archived here.