A Very Happy New Year to All!

May God grant you and all those you love, His peace, joy and richest blessings in the year ahead.

Dan

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

In Memoriam A.H.H.

Latest Polls Document Santorum Surge

There are a couple of candidates that clearly need to exit this race fast if we are to avoid what three quarters of Republicans clearly do not want - a Romney nomination.

Wed - CNN/Time/ORC Iowa Poll
Romney 25%
Paul 22%
Santorum 16%
Newt 14%
Perry 11%
Bachmann 9%
Huntsman 1%

Thur - Rasmussen Iowa Poll
Romney 23%
Paul 22%
Santorum 16%
Gingrich 13%
Perry 13%
Bachmann 5%
Huntsman 3%

Fri - Talking Points Iowa Poll
Romney 24%
Santorum 17%
Paul 14%
Gingrich 13%
Bachmann 12%
Perry 10%

Ray Conniff & Singers - "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

Judicial Watch Announces Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2011

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2011 list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.”   We only wish they had cast a broader net than one focused on Washington politicians.  We have a Governor here in South Carolina we'd like to nominate if anyone is compiling a list of  "America's Most Corrupt Politicians."

The Judical Watch list, in alphabetical order, includes:

• Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL)
• Former Senator John Ensign (R-NV)
• Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
• Attorney General Eric Holder
• Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
• President Barack Obama
• Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)
• Rep. David Rivera (R-FL)
• Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
• Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

Dishonorable Mentions for 2011 include:

• Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC)
• Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
• Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)
• Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
• Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
• Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

Read the rest of this entry at Judicial Watch >>

Bachmann Campaign Imploding

U.S. Republican presidential candidate and Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN) speaks during a campaign event at Principal Financial Group in Des Moines, Iowa December 29, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Joshua Lott

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has lost a second top campaign staffer in another setback before the Iowa caucuses on January 3, NBC News reported on Thursday.

Read the rest of this entry at Reuters >>

On the Fifth Day of Christmas: The Vienna Boys' Choir - Carol of the Bells

Britain's Future Lies With America, Not Europe

Welcoming Britain back into the North Atlantic economic community would be a win-win for all involved.

From The Wall Street Journal

By Iain Murray and James C. Bennett

In 1952, then-U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson said that "Britain has lost an empire but has failed to find a role." Sadly for Britain, it decided to renounce its longstanding global cultural, legal and philosophical links to North America and instead looked for that role in Europe. Despite its geographic proximity to Britain, the Continent is nevertheless home to a host of cultures, legal systems and governing philosophies very different from those of traditionally liberal Britain. The consequences from that bad choice have bedeviled Britain for decades. 

Now, as a result of Prime Minister David Cameron's stance at the recent EU summit, Britain and Europe are at a crossroads. America could help Britain make the right choice, to both countries' mutual benefit.

Rabbis Call Romney 'Dangerous Homosexualist'

Alliance asks Mormon church to impose sanctions
 

For the second time in two days, an organization of rabbis has taken a public position in opposition to homosexuality and the advance of that lifestyle choice by Barack Obama's administration. 

Only this time the target of the criticism is GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts who presided over the state's affairs when officials there imposed same-sex marriage on residents. 

The statement today comes from the Rabbinical Alliance of America, which describes itself as an organization of 850 Orthodox Jewish rabbis in the U.S. and Canada, who serve some 500,000 religious Jews. 

Read the rest of this entry at WorldNetDaily >>

Romney Leads, Santorum Surges in New Iowa Poll

Rick Santorum speaks during a town hall meeting at the Fort Dodge GOP Headquarters in Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press)

Mitt Romney has claimed a narrow lead over Ron Paul in Iowa, according to a new CNN/Time poll. But it is Rick Santorum who may be showing the most momentum with just days left before the caucuses.

Much of the movement is driven by a collapse in support for Newt Gingrich. He led the previous CNN survey in Iowa with 33% support, well ahead of Romney at 20% and Paul at 17%.

The new results put Romney ahead of Paul 25% to 22%, with Santorum now at 16% -- a jump from just 5% earlier this month. Gingrich has slid 19 points to 14%, though he still leads Rick Perry (11%) and Michele Bachmann (9%).

Santorum has watched all year as a rotating cast of Republicans enjoyed nominal front-runner status, and the media attention that comes with it. His moment may be coming at the most opportune time.

The former Pennsylvania senator may be catching fire with the social conservative voters who also propelled Mike Huckabee to a surprise victory four years ago. Santorum has been lining up endorsements from prominent evangelical leaders, most notably former gubernatorial candidate and Huckabee backer Bob Vander Plaats.

According to the CNN/Time poll, 43% of likely caucusgoers say they can still change their mind.

Read the rest of this entry at The Los Angeles Times>>

Churches Bring Custom Apps to Their Flocks

From The Wall Street Journal

By Emily Glazer

Technicians monitor production at a recent service at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga. The church is developing custom apps for congregants and their children.

Andrea Davis has created a new wing of her church: her car.

When Ms. Davis, 45 years old, has downtime from her job helping manage parking for University of Tennessee-Knoxville sporting events she'll settle in to her Honda Civic to catch up on sermons via audio and video from her church's free, custom-made smartphone app.

"I feel that anywhere you go, you should carry that spirit with you," says Ms. Davis, who holds a second job as a teaching assistant and lives 45 minutes away from Faith Promise Church located in Knoxville, Tenn. "It's like I'm there and not missing anything."

App developers say more than 150 churches across the U.S. have had customized smartphone and tablet apps created to connect with their members. The church apps are a relatively new twist on the broader influx of technology into religious life that includes popular apps for prayer and even making confessions. 

Another USCCB Official Supporting Pro-Abort Enemies of the Church

The USCCB announced today that Mary Mencarini Campbell has been appointed director for the Catholic Home Missions and associate director of the Office of National Collections of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  The official news release states she "is best known for her untiring love and dedication to the Church."  

What church?  

Catholics, unlike Mary Mencarini Campbell, don't give to pro-abortion PACS, they don't support pro-death candidates, and they don't support organizations that hate the Church and everything for which it stands.  That official statement about Mary Mencarini Campbell is itself evidence of the deep malevolence that permeates the USCCB.

Many Catholics, ourselves included, will not give to any USCCB national collection or  a local bishop's appeal because of just these kinds of agents who work like cancer cells within the Church's own bureaucracy.  It has been a self-perpetuating bureaucracy since Cardinal Bernardin first installed leftist ideologues and transformed its mission.  American Catholics now have yet another reason to boycott USCCB collections. 

Perhaps when even more Catholics have been alienated from their Church because of the USCCB's far-left agenda, the funding for this apostate bureaucracy will dry up.  In the meantime, Archbishop Dolan would win the enduring admiration of millions of Catholics by clearing out his corrupt organization, ending its political and legislative agenda (which is ineffective anyway) and focusing a small, dedicated and faithful staff on the reevangelization of society and the salvific mission given the Church by Christ.

If anyone doubts that this bureaucracy works at cross purposes with the Pope, take a ride through the USCCB parking lot next Fall and count the Obama bumper stickers.  And what have they received for being the obedient lapdogs of the Democrat Party?  Nothing but contempt.  If Archbishop Dolan would like to clean up this cesspool, we will gladly provide damning specifics, starting with the Office of Education.

From Catholic World News

Mary Mencarini Campbell, who has been named director for the Catholic Home Missions and associate director of the Office of National Collections of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), contributed $252.40 in September 2004 to an organization led by the president of Emily’s List, according to federal election records. 

Campbell made her contribution to Americans Coming Together, an organization led by Ellen Malcolm. “Americans Coming Together’s creation is further evidence that mainstream America is coming together in response to President Bush's extremism--on the environment, reproductive choice, workers’ rights, civil rights and other critical issues,” the National Catholic Register quoted Malcolm as saying in 2003. Emily’s List, which Malcolm founded and also led at the time, exists to elect “pro-choice Democratic women,” according to its web site. 

Campbell served as program coordinator for the USCCB’s Secretariat for Evangelization and Mission from 1994 to 1998. She worked for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development from 1998 to 2007, serving as resource development specialist from 1998 to 2002 and coordinator of resource development from 2002 to 2007. Since 2007, she has served as the USCCB’s assistant director for promotions. 

In November 2004, Campbell criticized those who linked the Catholic Campaign for Human Development to leftist organizations. “It's completely false,” Campbell told the National Catholic Register. “Our criteria for funding are connected to the moral traditions of the Church.” 

Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Mary Mencarini Campbell Named Director For Catholic Home Missions (USCCB)
• For '04 Democratic Campaigns, She's Queen of the Hat-Passers (New York Times)
• Billionaire Pledges $10 Million to Defeat Pro-Life President (National Catholic Register)
• Critics Still Wary of Campaign for Human Development (National Catholic Register)

Santorum Gaining in Iowa

From Fox News

With 45 percent of Iowa Republican voters undecided and a roller-coaster ride about to come to a screeching stop next Tuesday with the GOP caucuses, it may be Rick Santorum's turn to take the final ascent and surprise the political class by ... doing better than expected?

Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, has been touted as the sleeper candidate by none other than 2008 Iowa caucuses winner Mike Huckabee. He has relentlessly campaigned in the state, hitting all 99 counties and moving his family out there. He has held 350 campaign events in the past year.

He has received key endorsements from well-known social conservatives in the state, and has had solid performances at each of the debates. And he's running an old-school style campaign that Iowa voters expect in the retail-style politics of the Hawkeye State.

Obama to Seek $1.2 Trillion Debt Limit Hike

If anyone harbors any lingering doubt that Obama is deliberately trying to wreck the US economy, this should put an end to those doubts.

From Reuters

The White House plans to ask Congress for an increase in the debt limit before the end of the week, according to a senior Treasury Department official.

The debt limit is projected to fall within $100 billion of the current cap by December 30. President Barack Obama is expected to ask for additional borrowing authority to increase the limit by $1.2 trillion.

Under the new budget, Congress can only vote to block the debt-ceiling extension with a disapproval resolution. Lawmakers have 15 days within receiving the request to vote down the debt limit increase.

The debt limit currently stands at $15.194 trillion and would increase to $16.394 trillion with the request.

Russian Troops Above America’s Border: Canada’s ‘Red Dawn’ Moment?

From The Hill's Pudits Blog

By Bernie Quigley

The Royal Scots train in arctic conditions in Canada. Russia's arctic brigade will be combat-ready later this year.  Photo: MoD

In August 2007, at the end of a series of war games uniting China and Russia, the Russians planted their flag at the North Pole, that singular place on earth where the world’s axis seems to align itself with the North Star. The planting of the flag was a Sputnik moment, but underwater. Its purpose was to territorialize our northern regions as surely as a dog of war would pee on the frozen tundra to ward off Canadian coyotes. It should have been, but President George W. Bush, his imagination full of visions of Armageddon in the Holy Land conjured by Appalachian mountain preachers, missed it. Presidential hopefuls, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry in particular, should not. Until recently, threats to America via the splendid isolation of the Arctic seemed absurd. But now it is reported that Russia intends to send a combat brigade.

On the Feast of St. Stephen - "Good King Wenceslas" - Robert Shaw

"Good King Wenceslas" is a popular Christmas carol about a king who goes out to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (the second day of Christmas, December 26). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by the heat miraculously emanating from the king's footprints in the snow. The legend is based on the life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907-935), known in the Czech language as Svatý Václav.

The lyrics of the carol are by English hymn writer John Mason Neale, Warden of Sackville College, East Grinstead, Sussex (1818-1866). He may have written his carol some time earlier, since he carried on the legend of St. Wenceslas on which it is based in his Deeds of Faith (1849). Neale was known for his devotion to High Church traditions. According to older Czech sources, Neale's lyrics are a translation of a poem by Czech poet Václav Alois Svoboda, written in Czech, German and Latin.

"The Best Presents Don't Come With Price Tags"

Pope Benedict's 'Urbi Et Orbi' Message for Christmas 2011

URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE
OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI

CHRISTMAS 2011

(Video)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world!

Christ is born for us!  Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to the men and women whom he loves.  May all people hear an echo of the message of Bethlehem which the Catholic Church repeats in every continent, beyond the confines of every nation, language and culture.  The Son of the Virgin Mary is born for everyone; he is the Saviour of all.

This is how Christ is invoked in an ancient liturgical antiphon: “O Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver, hope and salvation of the peoples: come to save us, O Lord our God”.  Veni ad salvandum nos!  Come to save us!  This is the cry raised by men and women in every age, who sense that by themselves they cannot prevail over difficulties and dangers.  They need to put their hands in a greater and stronger hand, a hand which reaches out to them from on high.  Dear brothers and sisters, this hand is Christ, born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary.  He is the hand that God extends to humanity, to draw us out of the mire of sin and to set us firmly on rock, the secure rock of his Truth and his Love (cf. Ps 40:2).

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's 2011 Christmas Broadcast to the Commonwealth

Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for Christmas Midnight Mass

 

SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

Saint Peter's Basilica

 24 December 2011

 

(Video)

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to Titus that we have just heard begins solemnly with the word “apparuit”, which then comes back again in the reading at the Dawn Mass: apparuit – “there has appeared”.  This is a programmatic word, by which the Church seeks to express synthetically the essence of Christmas.  Formerly, people had spoken of God and formed human images of him in all sorts of different ways.  God himself had spoken in many and various ways to mankind (cf. Heb 1:1 – Mass during the Day).  But now something new has happened: he has appeared.  He has revealed himself.  He has emerged from the inaccessible light in which he dwells.  He himself has come into our midst.  This was the great joy of Christmas for the early Church: God has appeared.  No longer is he merely an idea, no longer do we have to form a picture of him on the basis of mere words.  He has “appeared”.  But now we ask: how has he appeared?  Who is he in reality?  The reading at the Dawn Mass goes on to say: “the kindness and love of God our Saviour for mankind were revealed” (Tit 3:4).  For the people of pre-Christian times, whose response to the terrors and contradictions of the world was to fear that God himself might not be good either, that he too might well be cruel and arbitrary, this was a real “epiphany”, the great light that has appeared to us: God is pure goodness.  Today too, people who are no longer able to recognize God through faith are asking whether the ultimate power that underpins and sustains the world is truly good, or whether evil is just as powerful and primordial as the good and the beautiful which we encounter in radiant moments in our world.  “The kindness and love of God our Saviour for mankind were revealed”: this is the new, consoling certainty that is granted to us at Christmas.

In all three Christmas Masses, the liturgy quotes a passage from the Prophet Isaiah, which describes the epiphany that took place at Christmas in greater detail: “A child is born for us, a son given to us and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.  Wide is his dominion in a peace that has no end” (Is 9:5f.).  Whether the prophet had a particular child in mind, born during his own period of history, we do not know.  But it seems impossible.  This is the only text in the Old Testament in which it is said of a child, of a human being: his name will be Mighty-God, Eternal-Father.  We are presented with a vision that extends far beyond the historical moment into the mysterious, into the future.  A child, in all its weakness, is Mighty God.  A child, in all its neediness and dependence, is Eternal Father.  And his peace “has no end”.  The prophet had previously described the child as “a great light” and had said of the peace he would usher in that the rod of the oppressor, the footgear of battle, every cloak rolled in blood would be burned (Is 9:1, 3-4).

Ninety Minutes of Christmas Joy and Beauty Set to Music

Churchill and Roosevelt: A White House Christmas 70 Years Ago

Hat Tip to Rafal Heydel-Mankoo

Seventy years ago, Prime Minister Winston Churchill undertook a dangerous and secret journey only days before Christmas to meet with his collaborator in "a very great cause." Pearl Harbor had been attacked only weeks before, and now the two great leaders of Christian civilization were to spend three weeks planning for the war that lay ahead.

It has been said that when it is dark enough, one can see stars.  At that perilous hour, these two great leaders knew to the marrow of their bones that at its very essence they were engaged in a great spiritual battle -- a battle to save Christian civilization.  There was no concern about the "separation of church and state" in their remarks.  They were humbled by the enormity of their task and knew that without God's help "the watchman waketh but in vain."

Isaiah proclaims that “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light,” and the Gospel of John says “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it,”  Churchill and Roosevelt prayerfully reminded America that The Everlasting Light triumphs over time and darkness.  On Christmas morning 1941, the two great leaders went to Church together and like the humble shepherds on that night so long ago, adored the The Word made flesh, the Prince of Peace.

 

A Christian Message that Rings Down the Ages

Christianity is alive and well and helping to shape our future for the better.

The birth of a new era: Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi, c. 1473 Photo: ALAMY

By Archbishop Vincent Nichols

Christianity is and remains a major source of inspiration in our society, the Prime Minister made clear in his speech last week marking this, the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. “Christianity is alive and well in our country,” he said as he called for more confidence in our Christian identity.

You would, of course, expect me as a church leader to echo this Christmas what David Cameron had to say, and I do. But I would like also to give you two practical examples of how I have seen Christianity alive and well in our country, shaping our future for the better. Both are events that I have been privileged to participate in over the past 12 months, and both provide grounds for hope this Christmas season.

Argentina Once Again Provoking War Over the Falkland Islands

Is President Cristina Kirchner Counting on Marxist Friends in the Hemisphere?

The corrupt socialists that head the government of Argentina must once again be facing domestic political problems. It has become routine for precarious regimes in that dysfunctional country to rally public support by provoking their neighbors and international crises.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner is an Obama kind of gal. A former member of the Peronist Youth Movement, Ms. Kirchner has allied herself with Hugo Chavez, restricted the activities and movement of the U.S. ambassador, imposed confiscatory taxes and levies, attacked farmers for their "abundant" profits, and in 2008 proposed the transfer of $30 billion in private pension holdings to the government run social security system. Meanwhile, the net assets of Ms. Kirchner and her late husband increased by 572% since the couple came to power in 2003.

She has allied the country with Venezuela, and has what her government has termed a strategic relationship with communist China. She has hostile relations with Brazil, and this year seized an American military plane.

The Kirchner government is no friend of free speech either. Unions, allied with the government, have prevented the nation's most widely circulated newspapers from being delivered to newsstands.  This week the Argentine government has seized control of newsprint.

The Kirchner regime is now disrupting shipping to and from the Falkland Islands and threatening to cut communications links to those islands.

In response, Prime Minister David Cameron today assured the Falkland Islanders that their right to self-determination is guaranteed:

''Whatever challenges we face in the UK, the British Government's commitment to the security and prosperity of the overseas territories, including the Falklands, remains undiminished.

''So let me be absolutely clear. We will always maintain our commitment to you on any question of sovereignty. Your right to self-determination is the cornerstone of our policy. 

''We will never negotiate on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless you, the Falkland Islanders, so wish. No democracy could ever do otherwise.''

Perhaps Ms. Kirchner feels emboldened because the current American President is contemptuous of America's long-standing special relationship with Great Britain and is likely to side with a fellow Marxist.  It would seem that if Argentina is going to once again seize British territory, it will do so soon, rather than when Obama is gone.  Perhaps an effort to reclaim the Falklands will have to wait until there is an administration in Washington that is friendly with our traditional allies and the cause of freedom and self-determination in the world.  But whenever this matter comes to a head, if Britain must once again liberate the Falkland Islanders, she  should ensure that Argentina pays a memorable price for their outrageous and criminal behavior. 

The lives of thousands of British troops should not be put in danger without lasting regime change in Argentina, reparations, British controlled naval ports, and a military presence on the Argentine mainland until a lawful government is established.

Rick Santorum Gaining Ground in Iowa

Rick Santorum is finally rising in the polls in Iowa. And Santorum gained a key evangelical Christian leader's endorsement Tuesday.

From The Christian Science Monitor

By Liz Marlantes

Republican presidential candidate, former Penn. Sen. Rick Santorum, speaks in Osceola, Iowa, Dec. 19, 2011.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The headline out of the latest Rassmussen poll surveying Republican voters in Iowa is all about Newt Gingrich’s continuing slide. The poll shows Gingrich now in third place, with 17 percent, behind Mitt Romney (25 percent) and Ron Paul (20 percent).

But just as interesting to Decoder is the fact that the poll also shows former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum now in fourth place, with 10 percent (tied with the other Rick, Perry). That’s the best result for Santorum so far this cycle. In fact, it’s the first significant movement he’s had in any poll at all - and, needless to say, it’s coming at an opportune time.

Senator Calls for Federal Investigation of Governor Nikki Haley

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has called for a federal investigation into “whether Gov. Nikki Haley exploited taxpayer dollars for political purposes” by allegedly dictating the findings of a nonpartisan health care panel, according to a news release.

Read the rest of this entry >>

Former Episcopal Bishop Jeffrey Steenson to Head American Anglican Ordinariate

Rome will formally announce appointment on New Year's Day

From VirtueOnline

By By Mary Ann Mueller

Former Episcopal Bishop of the Rio Grande, Jeffrey Steenson, is to be named the Ordinary when the Anglican Ordinariate is erected on January 1, 2012, sources tell VOL.

Word seeped out from the Vatican late last week that Steenson -- who left The Episcopal Church in 2007 over TEC's polity - has been tapped for the new post as the Ordinariate gets its first foothold in the United States.

Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI on the Occasion of Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia

During the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, the annual meeting at which the Holy Father and the Roman Curia exchange Christmas greetings has become an occasion for the Pope to deliver what is essentially a "state of the Church" address.  Following is Pope Benedict's review of 2011.

\

Clementine Hall
Thursday, 22 December 2011

Dear Cardinals, Brother Bishops and Priests, dear Brothers and Sisters,

The occasion that brings us together today is always particularly moving. The holy feast of Christmas is almost upon us and it prompts the great family of the Roman Curia to come together for a gracious exchange of greetings, as we wish one another a joyful and spiritually fruitful celebration of this feast of the God who became flesh and established his dwelling in our midst (cf. Jn 1:14). For me, this is an occasion not only to offer you my personal good wishes, but also to express my gratitude and that of the Church to each one of you for your generous service; I ask you to convey this to all the co-workers of our extended family. I offer particular thanks to the Dean of the College, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who has given voice to the sentiments of all present and of all who work in the various offices of the Curia and the Governorate, including those whose apostolate is carried out in the Pontifical Representations throughout the world. All of us are committed to spreading throughout the world the resounding message that the angels proclaimed that night in Bethlehem, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will” (Lk 2:14), so as to bring joy and hope to our world.

High Noon: How the Sun and Moon Guided Prayer Times and Liturgy

From Catholic News Service

By Carol Glatz

Hidden among the paving stones of St. Peter's Square there is a simple clock and calendar. All you need is a sunny day.

The 83-foot stone obelisk in the middle of the square acts as a sundial that can accurately indicate midday and the two solstices thanks to a granite meridian and marble markers embedded in the square.

Pope Benedict XVI proudly pointed out the hidden timepiece during an Angelus address he gave on the winter solstice a few years ago.

"The great obelisk casts its shadow in a line that runs along the paving stones toward the fountain beneath this window and in these days, the shadow is at its longest of the year," he told pilgrims from the window of his library.

In fact, at noon on Dec. 21, the obelisk's shadow falls on the marble disk furthest from the obelisk's base, while at noon on June 21 -- the summer solstice -- the tip of the shadow will fall just a few yards from the obelisk. In between are five other disks marking when the sun enters into which sign of the zodiac.

Lichfield Cathedral Choir - "Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending"

A beautiful hymn for these last days of Advent.  

Being the curmudgeons that we are, we refuse to yield to the dictates of Macy's Group, Inc., and begin our Christmas celebration shortly after Halloween.  And when its store divisions are taking down decorations on the Second Day of Christmas, we will be just beginning a twelve day celebration of Christmastide.  So come back often between Christmas Day and the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6 for some of the finest Christmas music available on the Internet.

The Family Leader's Unedited Endorsement of Senator Rick Santorum

An important and thoughtful endorsement by The Family Leader, an influential network of Iowa churches.  The Family Leader's endorsement propelled Governor Mike Huckabee to a win in the Iowa Caucuses four years ago.  We have no doubt that it will do the same for the consistent, experienced and principled conservative in the race this year -- Senator Rick Santorum.

Influential Iowa Network of Churches Endorses Rick Santorum

The Family Leader, an influential Iowa-based, pro-family network of churches that advances a Christian point of view "in the churches, in the legislature, in the media, in the courtroom, in the public square," today endorsed Senator Rick Santorum for the GOP nomination for President.

Two of Iowa's most prominent evangelical leaders, Bob Vander Plaats and Chuck Hurley, spoke on behalf of the organization.  Senator Santorum has recently signed a pledge authored by The Family Leader which states:

"Faithful monogamy is at the very heart of a designed and purposeful order — as conveyed by Jewish and Christian Scripture, by Classical Philosophers, by Natural Law, and by the American Founders — upon which our concepts of Creator-endowed human rights, racial justice and gender equality all depend."

Newt Gingrich has sought the organization's endorsement but has failed to sign their pledge.

David Cameron: UK is a Christian Nation

Prime Minister David Cameron has delivered an important speech commemorating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible in which he declares the UK is a Christian nation:

  

It’s great to be here and to have this opportunity to come together today to mark the end of this very special 400th anniversary year for the King James Bible.

I know there are some who will question why I am giving this speech.
 
And if they happen to know that I’m setting out my views today in a former home of the current Archbishop of Canterbury…
 
…and in front of many great theologians and church leaders…
 
…they really will think I have entered the lions’ den.

But I am proud to stand here and celebrate the achievements of the King James Bible.
 
Not as some great Christian on a mission to convert the world.
 
But because, as Prime Minister, it is right to recognise the impact of a translation that is, I believe, one of this country’s greatest achievements.
 
The Bible is a book that has not just shaped our country, but shaped the world.
 

So Much for the Campaign of Transparency

From The Post and Courier

By Brian Hicks

So this is what transparency looks like in Nikki Haley's world. 

On Thursday, the governor refused to answer questions from our own Renee Dudley -- wouldn't even look her in the eye -- as she was asked for the third day in a row why she withheld documents that show she wasted taxpayer money and hosed the uninsured for the tea party. 

Bill Rogers of the South Carolina Press Association compared her to a "deer in headlights," which may be an insult to deer. They aren't the sharpest critters in the woods, but at least they aren't ethically challenged. 

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US House to Vote on Churchill Statue for Capitol

Prime Minister Winston Churchill Addressing a Joint Session of the US Congress in 1941.

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote today on a resolution to honor Sir Winston Churchill with a bust or statue in the U.S. Capitol.  The honor, proposed by Speaker John Boehner, would commemorate the 70th anniversary of the great wartime leader's address to a Joint Session of Congress on December 26, 1941.  Speaker Boehner's resolution recognizes the enduring admiration Americans have for Churchill and recognizes the special relationship between the United States and Great Britain that is Churchill's legacy.

It is also a fitting rebuke to our current President who returned the Churchill bust that had occupied a place of honor in the Oval Office.

House Resolution 497 states:

To provide for the placement of a statue or bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the United States Capitol.

Whereas Sir Winston Churchill was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 through 1945 and from 1951 through 1955;

Whereas the United States and the United Kingdom led the Allied Powers during World War Two;

Whereas President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill formed a bond that united freedom-loving people throughout the world to defeat tyranny in Europe and Asia;

Whereas, on December 26, 1941, Sir Winston Churchill addressed a Joint Session of Congress;

Whereas during that speech, Sir Winston Churchill said, `Sure I am that this day--now we are the masters of our fate; that the task which has been set us is not above our strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our cause and an unconquerable will-power, salvation will not be denied us. In the words of the Psalmist, `He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' Not all the tidings will be evil.';

Whereas December 26, 2011, is the 70th anniversary of this speech to a joint session of Congress;

Whereas Sir Winston Churchill was made an Honorary Citizen of the United States by an act of Congress in 1963;

Whereas Sir Winston Churchill was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1969;

Whereas Sir Winston Churchill's persistence, determination and resolve remains an inspiration to freedom-fighters all over the world;

Whereas the United Kingdom remains and will forever be an important and irreplaceable ally to the United States; and

Whereas the United States Capitol does not currently appropriately recognize the contributions of Sir Winston Churchill or that of the United Kingdom: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Architect of the Capitol place an appropriate statue or bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the United States Capitol at a location directed by the House Fine Arts Board in consultation with the Speaker.

The Anglosphere Yet Reigns Supreme

From The Globe and Mail

By Neil Reynolds

If Rome could survive Caligula and Nero, says American geographer Joel Kotkin, the United States can probably survive George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Indeed, he says, the U.S. and its “anglosphere” allies – Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – will continue to be the primary economic, scientific and cultural force in global commerce well into the 21st century. The economic and political crises of the moment will pass. For the English-speaking world, the best is yet to be. 

Gingrich Collapses in Iowa as Ron Paul Surges to the Front

This portends what we expect will be a repudiation of the Republican establishment.  They tried to have their way by foisting Mitt Romney and then Rick Perry on grassroots Republicans.  When the establishment saw those two were too phony and dim witted to be taken seriously, they rallied around Newt Gingrich.  But he's a RINO'S RINO and all the endorsements and speeches at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library not only won't work this time around, they are political poison.  

The process will have worked and the TEA Party will have succeeded if, as we expect, the unexpected happens in Iowa.  We are hoping for a strong finish by Rick Santorum in Iowa and an even greater showing in South Carolina.  Whatever the outcome, we are looking forward to a Republican Party restored to the conservative grassroots.

The very wise Sir Winston Churchill said it best: "You can always count on Americans to do the right thing—after they’ve tried everything else."

From The Atlantic Wire

By Dashiell Bennett

A new poll from Public Policy Polling shows that Ron Paul has taken the lead in the Iowa caucus race, while Newt Gingrich's support is fading fast. A different Gallup poll shows Gringrich still holding the lead, but slipping, while The New York Times has Paul in the lead as well.

Emily Taubl - "How Far Is It To Bethlehem?"

North Korea's 'Dear Leader' Kim Jong-il Dies Aged 69

North Korea’s “Dear Leader”, Kim Jong-il, has died following what is believed to be a stoke or heart attack, the communist country’s state media announced early Monday morning.

 

The mercurial and enigmatic longtime leader who ran his nation with an iron rod was 69.

The state-TV announcer, wearing black and fighting back tears, made the emotional announcement on state-run television.

She said Kim died “of fatigue” while on a train.

His youngest son, Kim Jong-un, is likely to be appointed leader to continue the family dynasty that has administrated a tyrannical government since the end of the Korean War. 

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Sebelius Called on to Quit Over Planned Parenthood Scandal

From LifeNews.com

By Steven Ertelt

A leading pro-life organization is calling on HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to quit because of a scandal involving the destruction of Planned Parenthood record during her administration as governor of Kansas.

The Obama official has come under heavy fire from pro-life groups who are pointing out how a state attorney general she appointed in Kansas destroyed documents related 107 criminal charges former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline filed against the abortion business. The charges alleged that planned Parenthood failed to report cases of child rape on children on whom Planned Parenthood did abortions, that it failed to test whether an unborn child was viable (as required by state law) before doing a late-term abortion, and that it manipulated records it submitted to the state to cover up those crimes.