Al Kresta's Blog, page 339

Free Screening / Win a Trip to NYC!!!

Ave Maria Radio would like to invite you to a special listener-only screening of the film Soul Surfer . It is the touching and powerful true story of Bethany Hamilton, a competitive teen surfer who lost her left arm and nearly her life in a shark attack. After the attack she struggled with her Christian faith, but through the grace of God, her life became about pushing her own physical limits to touch the souls of others. The film stars Anna Sophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, and Carrie Underwood and is rated PG.

On Thursday, March 31 Ave Maria Radio will host a pre-release screening of the film exclusively for our listeners at the AMC 20 in Livonia. The show starts at 7:00 p.m. and the first 230 people through the doors will be admitted free.

In conjunction with The Maximus Group and Tri-Star Pictures, Ave Maria Radio is also conducting a drawing for an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City for you and a guest to attend the premiere of Soul Surfer . The trip will be Wednesday, April 6 and Thursday, April 7 and will include round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations and tickets to attend the premiere of the film. If you are unable to attend, the trip is transferable to a couple of your choice. The attendees must be confirmed on Saturday, April 2.

To enter the contest send an e-mail with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address to contests@avemariaradio.net. Entries with incomplete information will not be eligible. The drawing will take place on Kresta in the Afternoon Friday, April 1 between 5-6 p.m. Eastern Time. One entry per family.

Thanks for your support of Ave Maria Radio!!!

Watch the trailer at soulsurferthemovie.com

Ave Maria Radio App on IPhone and Android

AvemNOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE AVE MARIA RADIO APP ON YOUR IPHONE AND ANDROID DEVICES – IT'S FREE – LISTEN TO AVE MARIA RADIO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD – TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! Hilarious.

Controversial Chicago priest to be moved from urban parish?

Cardinal Francis George of Chicago may soon remove a controversial priest from the urban parish where he has been pastor for 30 years.

Father Michael Pfleger met with Cardinal George this week, evidently to discuss a move out of St. Sabina parish. Father Pfleger, a fiery political activist, has drawn criticism for several public statements. In 2008 he was disciplined with a short leave of absence after he mocked Hillary Clinton, then a Democratic candidate who was opposed Father Pfleger's own favorite contender, Barack Obama. Last year he was called on the carpet once again after delivering a sermon in which he said flatly that "there should be women priests."

In spite of the priest's checkered public career, Cardinal George personally presented Father Pfleger with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

US bishops reaffirm: New Ways Ministry not a Catholic organization

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has reaffirmed that New Ways Ministry dissents from Catholic teaching on homosexuality and is not a Catholic organization.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl and Bishop Salvatore Cordileone said in a statement that:

In view of the recent booklet Marriage Equality: A Positive Catholic Approach, by Francis DeBernardo (published by New Ways Ministry), we, as the respective chairmen of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine and the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage, wish to reaffirm Francis Cardinal George's statement of February 12, 2010 and assure Catholics that in no manner is the position proposed by New Ways Ministry in conformity with Catholic teaching and in no manner is this organization authorized to speak on behalf of the Catholic Church or to identify itself as a Catholic organization.

Seven years after New Ways Ministry's 1977 founding, Cardinal James Hickey barred the organization from the Archdiocese of Washington because of its dissent from Catholic teaching. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith condemned the organization's positions on homosexuality in 1999.

Read the full statement here.

Archbishop warns of 'near-genocide' of Iraqi Christians

Speaking in Ireland, a Chaldean Catholic bishop who ministers in northern Iraq offered an overview of the persecution of Christians there and lamented the "the human rights abuses and near-genocide conditions Iraqi Christians experience."

"What Iraqis are left with is a weak constitution that tries to please two masters: on the one hand the premise of human rights supposedly for all its citizens, yet on the other hand, Islamic law for its majority of Muslims." said Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil. "Islamists are not the only ones at fault. Secularists with an eye for profit are also responsible. Neighboring governments in the region feeding the insurgents with money and weapons to destabilize the government are also responsible."

"The rest of world's governments have turned their backs on us, as if the human rights abuses and near-genocide conditions Iraqi Christians experience, are temporary," he added.

Outrageous Statement of the Day

On his MSNBC show, Ed Schultz says that Tea Party members who support Republican Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder are "lining up with the Communist Party."

Filipino bishops concerned over proposed bill on responsible parenthood

Cartoon of the Day - March Madness

Today on Kresta - March 17, 2011

Talking about the "things that matter most" on March 17

4:00 – Testimony
Kelly Nieto is a Former Miss Michigan and runner-up at the Miss America Pageant. Following a deep spiritual conversion in 2000, she put her talents back to work, but this time for her faith rather than fame. She is now CEO & Founder of Living Faith, which produces the powerful production "The Living Stations of the Cross." She is here to share her testimony and share more about the production that is coming to the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.

4:40 – German parents jailed for keeping children from permissive "sex education" programs
Alliance Defense Fund attorneys representing two German parents filed an emergency order last week with the European Court of Human Rights, calling for the mother's immediate prison release. Heinrich and Irene Wiens chose to keep their four children from attending a mandatory play and four school days of "sexual education" that taught students an extremely permissive view of sexuality. For this they were fined and then sentenced to more than six weeks in prison for refusing to pay. The father already served his prison term. Both parents contend that the programs oppose their Christian beliefs and that forcing their children's participation is unlawful. ADF has four similar cases before the ECHR, as Irene Wiens is the 10th Christian parent imprisoned. The attorney on this case, Roger Kiska , joins us.

5:00 – St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography
Ireland's patron saint has long been shrouded in legend: he drove the snakes out of Ireland; he triumphed over Druids and their supernatural powers; he used a shamrock to explain the Christian mystery of the Trinity. But his true story is more fascinating than the myths. We have no surviving image of Patrick, but we do have two remarkable letters that he wrote about himself and his beliefs -- letters that tell us more about the heart and soul of this man than we know about almost any of his contemporaries. Philip Freeman is here to tell the story of the historic Patrick and his world.

5:20 – The Iraq War: 8 Years Later
The United States' war against terrorism and subsequent war against Iraq has provoked much discussion and reflection among Catholics. Although sharply divided, most argued for or against the war on the basis of the Catholic just war tradition. A minority of pacifists have argued that the devastation caused by modern weapons of war have rendered any discussion of a "just war" illegitimate. On this 8th anniversary of President George W. Bush's announcement of the commencement of military action in Iraq, we look back on the war from a Catholic perspective with Russell Shaw . A just war or crime against humanity?

5:40 – How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul
In your quest for love, don't lose yourself along the way. While navigating through the dating scene, every woman begins to wonder: How do I know when a guy really loves me? Am I being too picky? Do I even deserve love? Are any decent guys left? Single women often feel left alone to find answers to their deep questions about love and intimacy. Some hang out and hook up, hoping for love. Others are afraid even to hope. At some point, every woman needs reassurance that she and her standards are not the problem. Chastity speaker Jason Evert is here to share twenty-one strategies to help you raise the bar, instead of sitting at it, waiting around for Mr. Wonderful.