"He, the LORD, is our God; throughout the earth His judgments prevail."

"He, the LORD, is our God; throughout the earth His judgments prevail."

Positions/Legislation advocated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference:

The USCCB urges us to advocate, so that our legislators in Washington....

• Support/Co-Sponsor the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (HR 7 / S 946 (& S1848)),
• Support/Co-Sponsor the Health Care Conscience Rights Act (HR 940 / S 1204;
  the Pa Catholic Conf also facilitates action on the Health Care Conscience Rights Act .),
• Support/Co-Sponsor the Marriage Protection Amendment (HJ Res 51),
• Support/Co-Sponsor the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act (HR 3133 / S 1808), 
• Support/Co-Sponsor the State Marriage Defense Act (HR 3829 / S 2024),  
• Support/Co-Sponsor the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act (HR 5285 / S 2706), 
• Support/Co-Sponsor the Second Chance Act (HR 3465/S 1690),
• Support/Co-Sponsor the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act (HR 4653).

As per the USCCB, "Action alerts for issues related to immigration reform can be found through the USCCB-led Catholic coalition, Justice for Immigrants." 

• Support "just and compassionate immigration reform"  (The Pa Catholic Conference also facilitates support for immigration reform; No specific legislation is cited.)  

The USCCB has shown clear 

• Opposition to the misleadingly named Employment Non-Discrimination Act (S 815/ HR 1755, HRES 639, HRES 678). 

As per the USCCB, "Action alerts for pro-life issues can also be found through our partner organization, the National Committee for the Human Life Amendment":

• Oppose the so-called so-called Protect Women's Health from Corporate Interference Act (HR 5051/S2578) .

With regard to advocacy on state level issues:

 The Pa Catholic Conference  

• Supports Marriage (This forms a message of encouragement to Theresa Gaffney, Clerk of the Orphan's Court of Schuylkill County, who is trying to defend marriage in Pa.  It would seem that sponsors of HB 1349. also merit our encouragement.),  
• Supports equal education funding.

The Pa Catholic Conference urges us to

• Oppose the death penalty,
• Oppose  HB300/SB300 (The Pa Catholic Conference describes this legislation as "intolerant and prejudiced against people of faith." Governor Corbett (a Catholic) supports this legislation (cf., Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/19/13).  Scandalously, both HB 300 and SB 300 count Catholics among their co-sponsors!).

With regard to HB 162, the Pa Catholic Conference indicated on 9/17/14 that "The initial proposal would have required the Pennsylvania Department of Health to provide a summary of an adoptee’s original birth record without the consent of the birth parents. The amendment made by the committee today provides some consideration of birth parents who do not wish to reveal their identifying information, but the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference will need further review to study the implications."

Other Positions/ Legislation of Great Concern:

Oppose Pa's SB 872, ''Prohibiting mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with an individual under 18 years of age"  The American College of Pediatricians and the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality are opposed to legislation like Pa's SB 872.  Montgomery County's Rick Fitzgibbons, M.D. has noted that "well-organized attempts are under way to attempt to block youth from being given both the appropriate scientific knowledge, and informed consent about: same-sex attractions, gender identity disorder, transsexual issues, the psychological needs of a child for father and mother, and marriage" (2/16/11).  On 9/11/14, a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld New Jersey's mirror legislation (cf., Associated Press, 9/12/14).   
 
Oppose HB2303/SB1456, Pa's anti-life, anti-woman and misleadingly named "Patient Trust Act."  As per Maria Gallagher of Pa Pro Life, "Women deserve to know the facts. We cannot turn back the clock to the days when women did not receive vital information before making life-altering medical decisions." 

In the News:

• Defend the Family Campaign
• Hidden STD Epidemic: 110 Million Infections in the US 
• Marriage Experts Send Open Letter to Pope, Synod Members
• No Alito? No Roberts? No Thomas? NO SCALIA??? God help us! (See http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2014/another-opening-another-show-the-red-mass-2014.html)
• Speaking of Breast Cancer Awareness Month...