The Holy Father, the First Amendment Defense Act....

A sample of Pope Francis' recent comments on marriage/family

As per the USCCB*and/or the Pa Catholic Conference,

• Support the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA): Thanking Representative Raúl Labrador (H.R. 2802) and Senator Mike Lee (S. 1598) for introducing the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) and urging co-sponsoprship from their colleagues, Archbishops Cordileone and Lori write:

  "As the respective chairmen of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage and the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, we write in strong support of... the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA)....It is becoming apparent that some who promote marriage redefinition do not support the coexistence and tolerance of different ideas in a pluralistic society but instead have a 'comply or else' agenda....The leadership of our Church will continue to promote and protect the natural truth of marriage as foundational to the common good."

  Kudos to Pa Representatives Mike Kelly, Keith Rothfus, and Joe Pitts for co-sponsoring HR 2802.  Shame on Mike Fitzpatrick and other Pennsylvanians in the U.S. House for failing to co-sponsor for H.R. 2802!  Shame on Casey and Toomey for failing to co-sponsor S. 1598!  Tell

  Mike Fitzpatrick (mikefitzpatrickpa08@live.com), 
  Bob Casey (202-224-6324), and
  Pat Toomey (202-224-4254) that this is unacceptable!

• Support the State Marriage Defense Act of 2015 (HR 824, S 435): http://cqrcengage.com/catholicbishops/app/make-a-call?2&engagementId=81348  Shame on Fitzpatrick for failing to co-sponsor HR 824.  Shame on Casey and Toomey for failing to co-sponsor S 435.

• Support the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015 (HR 1150): http://cqrcengage.com/catholicbishops/app/write-a-letter?4&engagementId=104593
  Shame on Fitzpatrick for failing to co-sponsor HR 1150.

• End Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, as the law of the land: https://www.votervoice.net/NCHLA/Campaigns/37904/Respond

• Support the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (S 582, NOT S 946 (?)): http://cqrcengage.com/catholicbishops/app/write-a-letter?1&engagementId=42752
  Shame on Casey for failing to co-sponsor S 582.

• Support the Health Care Conscience Rights Act (HR 940): https://www.votervoice.net/PACC/Campaigns/37647/Respond

• Support the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act: https://www.votervoice.net/PACC/Campaigns/37647/Respond

• Support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S. 1553): https://www.votervoice.net/PACC/Campaigns/38163/Respond
  Shame on Casey for failing to co-sponsor S 1553.

• Support the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2015 (HR 1299/S 667; The Family Research Council has an action link: https://www.votervoice.net/FRCA/campaigns/39176/respond) Shame on Casey and Toomey for failing to co-sponsor S667.

• Support "just and compassionate immigration reform": http://www.capwiz.com/justiceforimmigrants/issues/alert/?alertid=14503781&type=CO

(Oppose use of family detention: http://capwiz.com/justiceforimmigrants/issues/alert/?alertid=63454631&queueid=%5bcapwiz:queue_id

Support "a path to citizenship and to oppose repealing or undoing laws that protect vulnerable children, families and refugees": http://www.votervoice.net/groups/pacc/Advocacy/?SiteID=-1&IssueID=33031).

• Protect Poor Households and Promote Diplomatic Relations with Cuba: http://cqrcengage.com/catholicbishops/app/write-a-letter?2&engagementId=106675

*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."

As per the Pa Catholic Conference ,

• Support equal education funding: https://www.votervoice.net/PACC/Campaigns/36012/Respond

• Support HB 752: https://www.votervoice.net/PACC/Campaigns/39294/Respond

• Support "Supportive, Comprehensive End of Life Care" [i.e., Oppose "doctor-prescribed suicide." While the battle rages over assisted suicide, many forget that in 1990, the United States Supreme Court allowed euthanasia by dehydration and starvation. First, by declaring artificially-administered food and water (ANH) as a form of 'life support' and then, granting third parties the ability to remove ANH (feeding tubes) from persons with disabilities, it became effectively legal to deny a human being food and water against their will in the United States....Anyone requiring only a feeding tube is not brain dead, but often brain injured....Even fully-conscious people may require tube feeding" (Dr. Jacqueline C. Harvey)]

• Oppose the death penalty; thank the governor for the death penalty moratorium.): http://www.votervoice.net/groups/pacc/Advocacy/?SiteID=-1&IssueID=29560

• Oppose HB 300 / SB 300 (As the Pa Catholic Conference explains, "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."): https://www.votervoice.net/PACC/Campaigns/33451/Respond

As per the American Life League, 

• The purpose of the Life at Conception Act (HR 816): is "'to implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.'  The bill says: 'Congress hereby declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being. . . . For purposes of this Act: The terms "human person" and "human being" include each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.'  There are no exceptions in this bill. It declares that every preborn human being, from the first moment of their existence, has the right to life" (American Life League, 5/15/15).  Ask our congressman (mikefitzpatrickpa08@live.com/)) to become a co-sponsor of HR 816.

As per the Pennsylvana Pro Life Federation,

• "There’s a new move in the state legislature to take away your right to vote for appellate judges. House Bill 1336, sponsored by Rep. Bryan Cutler, has been introduced and referred to the PA House Judiciary Committee. It would establish a so-called merit selection system of appointing judges, thereby taking away your right to vote for these critical office-holders.  Please call and email the following pro-life members of the House Judiciary Committee with this urgent message: 'I urge you to oppose House Bill 1336. I do not want my right to vote for judges to be taken away from me.'  Here is the contact information for the pro-life House Judiciary Committee members you will want to contact:

Chairman Ron Marsico:  (717) 783-2014  rmarsico@pahousegop.com; Democratic Chair Joseph Petrarca: (717) 787-5142 jpetrarc@pahouse.net;
Rep. Tim Krieger: (717) 260-6146 tkrieger@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Marcy Toepel: (717) 787-9501 mtoepel@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Mike Vereb: (717) 705-7164 mvereb@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Jim Cox: (717) 772-2435 jcox@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Barry Jozwiak: (717) 772-9940 bjozwiak@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Mark Keller: (717) 783-1593 mkeller@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Kate Klunk: (717) 787-4790 kklunk@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Tedd Nesbit: (717) 783-6438 TNesbit@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Mike Regan: (717) 783-8783 mregan@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Rick Saccone: (717) 260-6122 Rsaccone@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Tarah Toohil: (717) 260-6136 ttoohil@pahousegop.com;
Rep. Bryan Barbin: (717) 783-1491 bbarbin@pahouse.net;
Rep. Ryan Bizzarro: (717) 772-2297  rbizzarro@pahouse.net;
Rep. Gerald Mullery: (717) 783-4893   gmullery@pahouse.net

Thank you for making these critical calls and sending these important emails!"

As per the Pennsylvania Family Institute, 

• "TAKE ACTION - Tell Your State Lawmakers: 'Stop Paying Planned Parenthood!'"
• "Shine a light on sex-trafficking in Pennsylvania"