When President Obama appointed Kathleen Sebelius secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in 2009, her archbishop, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., warned that placing a pro-abortion Catholic in this position was not a wise decision. In a March 6, 2009 column in his archdiocesan newspaper, he wrote:

“There are those who have great influence within the Obama administration and with whom Gov. Sebelius has been associated throughout her political career, e.g., Planned Parenthood, National Organization for Women, NARAL (Pro-Choice America), etc., who want abortion not only to be permitted in this country but considered a right.

“If they are successful in their efforts to have abortion included among ‘basic health care services,’ then it is entirely possible that doctors, nurses and health care institutions will be compelled to cooperate in the provision of abortion.

“Those advocating for abortion to be considered a ‘right’ would love to see Catholic hospitals faced with the choice to either cooperate in providing abortions or close.”

The good news is she’s no longer head of HHS; the bad news is that this line of thinking still permeates the Obama administration in general and HHS in particular.

Additional gig for ‘chaplain’?: When he was appointed archbishop of New York in 2009, I wondered if we’d see Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Well, we haven’t, but maybe when Letterman’s successor, Christopher Colbert, begins occupying that chair on CBS, we will. As you may recall, the cardinal and the comedian have appeared together on various occasions, and Colbert has dubbed him “the chaplain of the ‘Colbert Report.'”

Sports as religion: The commencement speaker for the Class of 2014 at The Catholic University of America is a devout Catholic from the world of sports – Philip Rivers, quarterback of the San Diego Chargers. According to the university, Rivers and his wife, Tiffany, parents of seven children, are involved charity work, with a special interest in abandoned and orphaned children.

Thanksgiving day: Today is the Feast of St. Stanislaus, a reminder for me to thank God for my faith-filled Polish ancestors who were members of that parish on 5th and Mitchell, and who passed that faith along to me.

THE week: Holy Week begins Sunday. May it be a blessed time for you.