"Wonderful are your decrees; therefore I observe them. The revelation of your words sheds light, giving understanding to the simple."

From tomorrow's Responsorial Psalm:

Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple. 

(Psalm 119: 129-130)

Are we ourselves and those who represent us on board with His decrees regarding marriage / family / sexuality?

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, chairman of the USCCB's Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, is urging support and co-sponsorship for

• the Marriage Protection Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (HJ Res 51),
• the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act (HR 3133 / S 1808), and
• the State Marriage Defense Act (HR 3829 / S 2024)

Action currently being urged by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference....

Alerts Central from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: 

• Marriage and Religious Freedom Act
  

  Support MARFA: Call Your Representative and Senators!
  [No Catholic member of the House of Representatives from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (i.e., Bob Brady, Mike Fitzpatrick, Pat Meehan) is co-sponsoring HR 3133. Neither Senator Casey nor Senator Toomey (both Catholics) is co-sponsoring S 1808.]
  
  
• Please Support the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act!
  

  Suggested Message: “Please co-sponsor and support the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, S. 946. Our tax dollars should not be used to fund or promote abortion.”
  [HR 7 previously passed in the U.S. House with votes from Fitzpatrick and Meehan; Brady voted against HR 7.  In the U.S. Senate, the USCCB supports S. 946 (Toomey is a co-sponsor; Casey is not.).]
  .
• 
  

  State Marriage Defense Act
  Contact Your Representative and Senators Today![The USCCB is supporting HR 3829 and S 2024.  No Catholic member of the House of Representatives from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (i.e., Bob Brady, Mike Fitzpatrick, Pat Meehan) is co-sponsoring HR 3829.  Neither Senator Casey nor Senator Toomey (both Catholics) is co-sponsoring S 2024.]
  
  
• Marriage Protection Amendment
  

  Support the MPA by Contacting Your Representative Now!
  [No Catholic member of the House of Representatives from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (i.e., Bob Brady, Mike Fitzpatrick, Pat Meehan) is co-sponsoring HJ Res 51.] 
  
  
• Protect Conscience Rights and Religious Liberty!
  

  Please support conscience rights and religious liberty today by urging passage of the Health Care Conscience Rights Act (H.R. 940 / S. 1204)!
  [Fitzpatrick is a co-sponsor of HR 940; Brady and Meehan are not.  Toomey is a co-sponsor of S 1204; Casey is not.] 
  
  
• Support unemployment insurance for workers searching for decent jobs!
  

  Economy still failing to produce sufficient decent job opportunities for all who want to work 
  ["....Write to your representative today and urge them to extend emergency unemployment compensation.]

Current Alerts from the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference:

• Support Marriage [This facilitates a message of support to Theresa Gaffney, Clerk of the Orphan's Court of Schuylkill County.  In the opinion of this blogger, messages of support should also go to Rep. Daryl Metcalfe and others - including Bucks County's own Rep Paul Clymer - co-sponsoring HB 1349, a state marriage protection amendment.]

• Thank You for Supporting Expectant Parents [This facilitates a message to the governor, thanking him for signing the Down Syndrome Prenatal and Postnatal Education Act.]

• Support Equal Education Funding in Pennsylvania [This facilitates messages to the governor, your state rep, and your state senator: "....Please represent me by returning the nonpublic school textbook and auxiliary services line items to equal that of the public schools in the state budget." ]

• Respect All Parties in Adoption [This facilitates a message to your state senator, urging OPPOSITION to HB 162 (HB 162 passed the Pennsylvania House, 197 to 0!  This seems to have happened before the Pa Catholic Conference's opposition was known.).  HB 162 could have a chilling effect on adoption, while encouraging a free-for-all with "donors" of eggs and sperm!  While HB 162 is ostensibly about adult adoptees gaining info about their biological parents, it absurdly does NOT apply to adults whose biological parents were so-called egg donors or so-called sperm donors!  While "donor" anonymity would remain intact, commitments of anonymity to birth parents would be disregarded!  Those daring to compete with the Author of Life get a free pass!]

• Protect religious liberty and rights of conscience [This facilitates messages to President Obama, VP Biden, Sen. Casey, Sen. Toomey, and your representative: "Please include the Health Care Conscience Rights Act (H.R. 940, S. 1204) in upcoming 'must-pass' legislation.  Please represent me by supporting this measure, which ensures that the rights of conscience of all participants in our nation's health care system will be respected...."]

• Thank You For Your Vote Against Human Trafficking [Before the governor's signature, SB 75 passed both houses of the state legislature, unanimously.  This is a thank you message.]

• Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Religious Liberty [This facilitates messages to Governor Corbett, Lt Gov Cawley, your state senator, and your state representative, regarding HB 300 / SB 300: "Simply put, this legislation is intolerant and prejudiced against people of faith....It is clear that our religious liberty will be trampled by HB/SB 300....As your constituent, I am quite concerned that HB/SB 300 will run afoul of religious freedom and expose even more Pennsylvanians to discrimination. Please vote NO on HB/SB 300."  HB 300 has six co-sponsors from Bucks County: Representatives Tina Davis, John Galloway [Catholic], Scott Petri, Marguerite Quinn, Steve Santarsiero, and Kathy Watson.  Bucks County's Sen. Chuck McIlhinney [Catholic] is a co-sponsor of SB 300.]

• Death Penalty: Choose Life [This facilitates a message to the governor: "Our society will not overcome crime by simply executing criminals and we cannot restore the lives of victims by ending the lives of those convicted of their murders. We cannot defend or protect life by taking life.  I ask you to represent me by granting a reprieve to Hubert L. Michael, Jr. Non-lethal means are sufficient to protect our safety.  Thank you for your consideration."] 

• Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper ["Media attention is critical to raising the influence of the Catholic perspective on public policy issues. Concerned citizens can write letters to the editor, submit op-ed pieces, or invite coverage for your Catholic advocacy events and programs."] 

 

What Did We Believe about the positions of our elected Officials in 2012? (The following was posted on 11/3/12:)

Knights of Columbus from the 8th Pennsylvania Congressional District
•Information on candidates for President, U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives (from the 8th Congressional District)

Pennsylvania Pro Life Federation / Pennsylvania Family Council / Pro Life Union of Greater Philadelphia /
•In addition to candidates for President, U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives, these are sources of information on candidates for statewide offices, as well as candidates for the Pa State Senate and the Pa House of Representatives (NOTE: Material from the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference does NOT cover candidates for the Pa Senate and House.).  The  Pennsylvania Pro Life Federation contrasts the candidates for the 10 House races from Bucks County, as follows:

• 18: Rep Gene DiGirolamo is Pro Life and is running unopposed.
• 29: Rep Bernie O'Neill leans Pro Life, while challenger Brian Munroe is Pro Abortion.
• 31: Rep Steve Santarsiero is Pro Abortion, while challenger Anne Chapman is Pro Life.
• 140: Rep John Galloway is Pro Life, while challenger Eric David did not respond.
• 141: Rep Tina Davis is Pro Abortion, while challenger Anthony Sposato is Pro Life
• 142: Rep Frank Farry is Pro Abortion but unopposed.
• 143: Rep Marguerite Quinn leans Pro Life, while challenger Joseph Frederick is Pro Abortion.
• 144: Rep Katharine Watson is Pro Life and is running unopposed.
• 145: Rep Paul Clymer is Pro Life, while challenger Mary Whitesell is Pro Abortion.
• 178: Rep Scott Petri leans Pro Life and is unopposed.

Pennsylvania Catholic Conference
•Know the Positions of PA’s Statewide Candidates
•Know the Positions of PA’s Statewide Candidates (Spanish)
•Statewide Candidates Complete Questionnaire
•Interview with US Senate Candidate Tom Smith
•Interview with US Senate Candidate Senator Bob Casey, Jr.
•Know the Positions of PA’s United States Senate Candidates
•Know the Positions of PA’s United States Senate Candidates (Spanish)
•Know the Positions of the Presidential Candidates (English)
•Know the Positions of the Presidential Candidates (Spanish)
•Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (from the USCCB)

Pennsylvania Catholics Network
•2012 Issues for Pennsylvania Catholic Voters

Priests for Life
•2012 Presidential Voter Guide
•2012 Platform Comparison Guide

Catholic Answers
•Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics

  Tomorrow's readings assure us that we have every reason to hope:

At the same time, God ain't messing around!