Catholic Democrats, a pro-abortion group, issued a statement yesterday on the “common concerns” that were discussed at the meeting between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Pope Benedict XVI. What they did not mention was the pope’s rebuke of Pelosi.

Catholics for Choice, an anti-Catholic group, said it was “encouraged that this important dialogue took place.” What they did not mention was the pope’s rebuke of Pelosi.

If we were on their side, we would advise them not to issue statements that embarrass their pro-abortion friends. Lying is one thing, but to look foolish doing so is quite another. The fact is the pope put Pelosi in her place.

Amy Sullivan, a writer for Time magazine who shills for the Democrats, posted a piece today saying that the Catholic Church’s campaign against the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)—the most radical piece of pro-abortion legislation in history—is much ado about nothing. Following the talking points of her pro-abortion friends in the Catholic community who insist they are against abortion, she says “no such bill has been introduced.”

The fact is that Rep. Jerry Nadler and Sen. Barbara Boxer previously introduced FOCA, but they got nowhere. The fact is that they have publicly pledged to reintroduce the same bill this term. The fact is that the reason they haven’t done so yet is due to pro-life Catholics who are honestly pro-life.

What it comes down to is this: pro-abortion Catholics are angry that pro-life Catholics have succeeded so far in intimidating FOCA supporters from going forward.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Pope Benedict XVI today.  Please click on the attached links to learn what His Holiness said to Pelosi and for Bill Donohue’s take on the meeting:

Victor L. Simpson, “Pope to US Speaker Pelosi: Reject abortion support,” AP, 2-18-09

Mike Soraghan, “Concerns, hopes as Pelosi meets pope at the Vatican,” The Hill.com, 2-17-09

Protestant author Ray Comfort recently said that “the Vatican has chosen to officially believe Darwin rather than Jesus.” He accuses the Catholic Church of failing to exercise “common sense” and of failing to think “too deeply” about evolution.

The best-selling author doesn’t mince words: “The Vatican, in essence, is saying ‘Don’t believe Jesus or Genesis. Believe Darwin instead.’” He even goes so far as to say that “In the name of diversity, the Vatican is encouraging atheism, and that’s a terrible betrayal of Christianity.”

Comfort is wrong. The fact is that in the 1950s, Pope Pius XII said there was no conflict between evolution and the doctrine of faith, as long as God was not excluded. Pope John Paul II affirmed this teaching in the mid-1990s.

In other words, the Catholic Church teaches that God is the author of all creation. How stages of human development have unfolded is a legitimate area of scientific inquiry, and it has nothing to do with rejecting God as the Creator.

Moreover, to say that one must believe in either Jesus or Darwin smacks of an inability to “think deeply” about the subject. Even more preposterous is the assertion that the Vatican is encouraging atheism. What’s next? The pope is the Anti-Christ?

Last night’s episode of “30 Rock” threw a few jabs at Catholics. Many of the familiar stereotypes were there: a church full of pregnant women, the alleged silliness of the confessional, questions regarding priestly celibacy, judgmental authority figures, etc.

What was new was the decision to focus on Latino Catholics. We can probably expect more of this as Latinos account for about a third of all Catholics in the U.S. It remains to be seen how such fare will be received in their community.

We are so happy that viewers saw all those pregnant women in a Catholic church. Makes us proud.

You may want to contact NBC president Jeff Zucker and say hello. Contact him atJeff.Zucker@nbcuni.com

Charles Darwin was born 200 years ago yesterday, and from the noise coming from some quarters, one would believe that he was an atheist. Nonsense. To be sure, he was a self-described agnostic, but he had no use for militant atheists. Consider what he said to Edward Aveling in 1881, a dogmatic atheist: “Why should you be so aggressive? Is anything gained by trying to force these new ideas upon the mass of mankind?”

Also, Darwin and the Catholic Church were of the same mind in one very important matter: “It seems to me absurd to doubt that a man may be an ardent Theist & an evolutionist.”

The next time some sage feeds you propaganda about Darwin, tell him to explain these two quotes.

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good issued a study about abortion data, which analyzed the effect of state welfare programs on the rate of abortion.  The conclusion was increased social spending decreased the amount of abortions.  Professor Michael J. New points out the study was flawed and that the data actually undermined the conclusions of Catholics in Alliance.  Click here to read his analysis.

In one of the most crass examples of ripping off Christianity to make a cheap political point, Catholics United, a left-wing front group for the Democratic party, is running two radio commercials promoting President Obama’s stimulus package. What is despicable about the ads is not the content—which is inane—it’s the message it is sending on its website. To be specific, it titles its campaign, “The Economic Stimulus: What Would Jesus Do?”

Catholics United answers the question by clearly suggesting that Jesus would endorse Obama’s stimulus plan. And all along religious conservatives have been accused of saying God is a Republican. It doesn’t get much more shameless than this.

Please click here to read Rabbi Irwin Kula’s insightful response to the controversy surrounding the lifting of excommunication of the St. Pius X Society, which extends to Bishop Williamson.

Frances Kissling, who for decades headed Catholics for a Free Choice, has a piece in today’s Salon.com accusing the Catholic Church of promoting anti-Semitism for centuries. She begins her screed by saying, “OK, Bill Donohue, just get it over with and call me anti-Catholic.”

Donohue responded as follows: “Kissling is anti-Catholic.”