“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel”

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (from tomorrow's Gospel).

Alerts

The USCCB* and/or the Pa Catholic Conference facilitate requests for our leaders in Washington, to....

• Oppose the so-called Protect Women's Health from Corporate Interference Act (S2578)
• Support the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (S 946)
• Support the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act 
• Support the Support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36)
• Support "just and compassionate immigration reform"  (Tell Pres. Obama to Oppose use of "family detention."  Ask Fitzpatrick to Support “a path to citizenship and to oppose repealing or undoing laws that protect vulnerable children, families and refugees.”)
• Support the State Marriage Defense Act of 2015 (HR 824, S 435) – In light of Archbishop Cordileone strong letters of support to the House and Senate, it is anticipated that there will soon be an alert for HR 824/ S 435).  In the meantime, we must remind Fitz, Casey, and Toomey that their  co-sponsorship / support of the State Marriage Defense Act is imperative!
  ·        Representative Mike Fitzpatrick (mikefitzpatrickpa08@live.com/)
  ·         Senator Bob Casey
  ·         Senator Pat Toomey

 On a state level, the Pa Catholic Conference facilitates requests for our leaders in Harrisburg, to.... 

• Support equal education funding
• Oppose the death penalty (Thank the governor for the death penalty moratorium.)
• Oppose HB 300 / SB 300 (“In other states, this law has shuttered Catholic adoption agencies and trampled religious liberty….Simply put, this legislation is intolerant and prejudiced against people of faith" (Pa Catholic Conference, 10/3/13.  As of 12/20/14, Representatives Davis, Galloway, Petri, Quinn, Santarsiero, and Watson - as well as Senators McIllhinney and Tomlinson were actually co-sponsoring HB 300/SB 300!  As per the Pennsylvania Family Institute, "if we don’t see the persecution happening across this country and if Pennsylvania families sit idle, out state government is going to force us to conform our beliefs or face the consequences")

As per C-Fam, the Center for Family and Human Rights: "The Obama administration is getting ready to issue new rules requiring charities to provide abortions to child refugees entering the US without their parents.... people can send comments to the Obama administration that the requirement to perform, partner or refer for abortion or contraception are a violation of conscience rights."

As per the Pa Pro Life Federation: "Urge Your State Lawmakers Not to Co-Sponsor Assisted Suicide Bills"

As per LifeSiteNews.com, "Tell Canada’s Parliament to block Supreme Court ruling legalizing assisted suicide by using 'notwithstanding clause’"

*In addition to "ALERTS CENTRAL" the USCCB notes that "Action alerts for pro-life issues can also be found through our partner organization, the National Committee for the Human Life Amendment" and "Action alerts for issues related to immigration reform can be found through the USCCB-led Catholic coalition, Justice for Immigrants."

In the News

• "Adam, Evolution, and Intelligent Design"

•  "'African values are not on sale,' the new Chairman of Communications for the African bishops has said....

'The African world view is that every life is sacred and useful and a treasure....the whole movement that in the name of family planning is pushing for what the Pope has called the 'culture of death', i.e. contraception, abortion and all such things that limits the existence of people, is abhorrent to the African....

'The Western world claims that every kind of right is a human right, and that every behavior must have the status of a human right. We say no. Not every human behavior has the status of a human right. There are human rights, and there are human behaviors....

'The African believes that his life is a gift, and it has worked well for Africa. That is why we still have a keen sense of family. That is why we have a keen sense of humanity. Your family does not stop with your father’s children or your mother’s children, but extends to other people who have any kind of kinship with you....

'Regarding the Synod on the Family, we see it as an opportunity to help stem the wave of anti-family values that are coming from the West, and from so-called 'modern civilization,' and from the media. The media is powerfully complicit in this....

'We think that Africa has the capacity to remind the world of the very essential things: of our humanity, the sacredness of human life, and about the beauty of the family, the beauty of accepting children from God as a gift, rather than as a burden. For many in the West, children have become a burden....

'I am an African bishop, and I can tell you that if I go to the Synod I will stand by what the Church has always taught" (Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of  Nigeria).

• " Four Things You Can Do to Help Stop Creation of Genetically-Modified Kids"

•  "THE challenge for the New Evangelization: bringing men back to church"

 

 What's Up with Our "Catholic" Institutions?

• Please email Archbishop Kurtz (USCCB president), Archbishop Chaput and the National Catholic Bioethics Center, to ask that an end be put to any use of “Plan B” in Catholic hospitals.

•  Ask Archbishop Chaput that if a hospital does not act Catholic, that it NOT be allowed to call itself "Catholic."

• Those of us who are alumni of Jesuit institutions applaud the University of Scranton president, but at the same time ask "What took so long/"  At the same time, we also must ask, "Are you covering contraceptives, including those which can act as abortifacients?