Faithful Citizenship in Pa's 1st Congressional District and the Central Garden State: "The Revolution of Tenderness"

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

"The Revolution of Tenderness"

"Generation after generation, day after day, we are asked to renew our faith. We are asked to live the revolution of tenderness as Mary, our Mother of Charity, did....Like Mary, we want to be a Church which serves, which leaves home and goes forth, which goes forth from its chapels, its sacristies, in order to accompany life, to sustain hope, to be a sign of unity. Like Mary, Mother of Charity, we want to be a Church which goes forth to build bridges, to break down walls, to sow seeds of reconciliation. Like Mary, we want to be a Church which can accompany all those 'embarrassing' situations of our people, committed to life, to culture, to society, not washing our hands but rather walking with our brothers and sisters" (Pope Francis, 9/22/15).

Our Holy Father and his message for the family are just a few hours away from arriving in the USA!

NOT ONE DIME FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD!

"Senate Republicans on Monday night started the Senate's fast-track process on legislation that would block federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) began the process, known as Rule 14, that will allow the legislation to skip over the Senate's committee process and go straight to the Senate floor where it can be brought up for a vote. The Senate will likely complete the process on Tuesday. The legislation, which passed the House last week by a 241-187 vote, would place a one-year freeze on federal funding for the organization giving lawmakers more time to investigate claims of wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood made in a string of controversial videos....The proposals come as Republican leadership is under pressure to cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood ahead of an end-of-the-month deadline to pass a government spending bill" (The Hill, 9/21/15). Passing pro life bills is absolutely a vital witness. Yet with an avowedly pro-abortion governor and an avowedly pro-abortion president, pro life bills will more than likely be vetoed. The real key to stopping Planned Parenthood is in that "end-of-the-month deadline to pass a government spending bill." NOT ONE DIME FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD!

Thirty-one members of the U.S. House have pledged ''that we cannot and will not support any funding resolution — an appropriations bill, an omnibus package, a continuing resolution, or otherwise — that contains any funding for Planned Parenthood, including mandatory funding streams.'' Some "pro life" representatives and senators have been fearful of being blamed for a government "shutdown." Email Representative Fitzpatrick, Senator Casey, and Senator Toomey, to urge them to get on board with a moratorium. Please also ask pro life Representatives Joe Pitts ((202) 225-2411), Pat Meehan ((202) 225-2011), and Ryan Costello ((202) 225-4315 ) to back a moratorium.

On the state level, the Pennsylvania Family Institute tells us that "the Administration, following what can only be described as a cursory review of Planned Parenthood abortion sites in Pennsylvania, stated that the organization’s hands are clean in the burgeoning nationwide scandal involving the gruesome procurement and trafficking in the remains of unborn children aborted in Planned Parenthood clinics....the taxpayers of Pennsylvania can have no confidence that Gov. Tom Wolf and his administration can or did conduct a fair and thorough probe, given his close ties with Planned Parenthood before, during and after his campaign for Pennsylvania Governor." Email all of Bucks County's representatives and senators in Harrisburg, to urge a state moratorium on monies for Planned Parenthood.

US Military Being Pressured to Look Away from Crimes Against Children???

"Rampant sexual abuse of children has long been a problem in Afghanistan, particularly among armed commanders who dominate much of the rural landscape and can bully the population. The practice is called bacha bazi, literally 'boy play,' and American soldiers and Marines have been instructed not to intervene — in some cases, not even when their Afghan allies have abused boys on military bases, according to interviews and court records....The policy of instructing soldiers to ignore child sexual abuse by their Afghan allies is coming under new scrutiny, particularly as it emerges that service members...have faced discipline, even career ruin, for disobeying it" (U.S. Soldiers Told to Ignore Sexual Abuse of Boys by Afghan Allies, NY Times, 9/20/15). Ask Representative Fitzpatrick, Senator Casey, and Senator Toomey, to demand an immediate congressional investigation.

HB 1510/SB 974, the so-called "Fairness Act"

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference warns that Pennsylvania HB 1510/SB 974, the so-called "Fairness Act" would "jeopardize many churches and their charitable outreach if they continue to adhere to their religious beliefs. In other states, this law has closed Catholic adoption agencies and violated religious liberty. These bills could mean that Catholic agencies would no longer be able to make our contributions to the common good of Pennsylvania without violating our religious beliefs....Simply put, this legislation is intolerant and prejudiced against people of faith."
HB 1510/SB 974 is receiving a surprising amount of support among state legislators who identify as Catholic or who have received Catholic schooling. From Bucks County, Representatives Steve Santarsiero (D), Tina Davis (D) John Galloway (D), Scott Petri (R) Marguerite Quinn (R), and Kathy Watson (R) are among the 84 co-sponsors of HB 1510. While Galloway identifies as Catholic, the others have studied at Catholic schools (i.e., Santarsiero, MEd, Holy Family; Davis, Bachelors, LaSalle; Petri, JD, Villanova; Quinn, BA, St Joseph's, and Watson (studied at Villanova).). Senator Chuck McIlhinney (R), who identifies as Catholic, is among the 26 co-sponsors of SB 974.
"Stand for true tolerance: oppose Senate Bill 974 and House Bill 1510" (Pa Family Council).

Religious Liberty

As per the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, "The First Amendment Defense Act (H.R. 2802, S. 1598) would bar the federal government from discriminating against individuals and organizations based upon their religious beliefs or moral convictions that marriage is the union of one man and one woman or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. The Act provides broad protections against adverse federal actions directed toward individuals and organizations that act on such beliefs." Representative Fitzpatrick is NOT among the 148 co-sponsors of HR2802; NEITHER Senator Casey NOR Senator Toomey are among the 37 co-sponsors of S1598. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has an alert for contacts to Fitzpatrick, Casey, and Toomey, re: the First Amendment Defense Act (HR2802 / S1598): http://cqrcengage.com/catholicbishops/app/make-a-call?0&engagementId=113753

As per the USCCB, "Urge Congress to Reauthorize the US Commission for International Religious Freedom."

Alerts, Alerts Central, NCHLA, and Justice for Immigrants

To aid us in applying the commandments to our modern world, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference offers "alerts" and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offers "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" (NCHLA), and that "Action alerts for issues related to immigration reform can be found through the USCCB-led Catholic coalition, "Justice for Immigrants."

http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/respect-life-program/index.cfm

The apostolate of the laity involves engaging the culture, which includes the struggle to defend all human life, marriage/family, religious liberty and conscience protections. What are we to think of "Catholic" hospitals in our own archdiocese?

Among OBGYNs with privileges, there is a paucity of NFP-only physicians!
There are privileges for IVF specialists!
There are privileges for associates of a practice involved with so-called fetal reduction!
Holy Redeemer's Making Your Own Health Care Decisions (http://www.holyredeemer.com/Main/AdvanceDirective.aspx) fails to specify Catholic teaching with regard to nutrition and hydration, and that health care services cannot honor advance directives (e.g., non-specific directives to forego nutrition and hydration) opposed to Catholic teaching.

Email Archbishop Chaput.