"....You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions...."

Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time, 5/17/16

"....You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions...."

•  "FW: Come to Harrisburg on June 7!"

• C-Fam: Center for Family and Human Rights 

• "US House passes big upgrades to international religious liberty legislation" (EWTN News, 5/16/16)

• "USCCB Chairmen Respond to Administration’s New Guidance Letter on Title IX Application" (USCCB, 5/16/16)

• "USCCB President Reacts to Supreme Court HHS Mandate Decision" (USCCB, 5/16/16)
  
  
• Jubilee Audience: On Piety ("....How often do we see people attached to cats ands dogs, who then leave their neighbor without helping him, the woman neighbor who is in need … This is not right....", Pope Francis, 5/14/16)

• "'There are, to use that phrase made famous by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ''costs of discipleship,'' and the costs are heavy,' [Professor Robert] George said, noting that Christians who continue to uphold biblical standards of morality about human life, marriage, and sexuality are being increasingly marginalized in America.... 'The idea of a "judgment of history" is secularism’s vain, meaningless, hopeless, and pathetic attempt to devise a substitute for the final judgment of Almighty God. History is not God. God is God. Thank God for that. History is not our judge. God is our judge'" (National Religious Broadcasters, 5/6/16).

•  "religious freedom abroad has been under serious and sustained assault....From the plight of new and longstanding prisoners of conscience, to the dramatic rise in the numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, to the continued acts of bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe, and to the other abuses detailed in the 2016 annual report, there was no shortage of attendant suffering worldwide.... The incarceration of prisoners of conscience, the increase in the number of refugees, and the spread of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim actions across Europe are crises in their own right which cry out for continued action on the part of the international community, including the United States.... such action must recognize the unmistakable fact that religious freedom is a common thread in each of these challenges, and deserves a seat at the table when nations discuss humanitarian, security, and other pressing issues. The United States and other countries must fully accord this right the respect it deserves and redouble their efforts to defend this pivotal liberty worldwide" (Robert P. George, Chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, 5/2/16).

• "Marriage Unique for a Reason: May 2016 Newsletter"

Federal Concerns: In addition to its Action Center alerts and Justice for Immigrants, the USCCB has explained that "Action alerts for pro-life issues can also be found through our partner organization, the National Committee for the Human Life Amendment" (i.e., Human Life Action, Action Alerts).  How is the Pa Delegation Responding (as of 5/12/16)? 

	Support the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (HR 4828)	Support CWPIA (Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act; HR 1299/ S667)	Support FADA (First Amendment Defense Act; HR2802/ S1598)	Oppose “confiscation of Christian lands in Cremisan Valley”	Oppose HR 4731
1.   Bob Brady (D)
2.   Chaka Fattah (D)
3.   Mike Kelly (R)		Sponsor	Co-Sponsor
4.   Scott Perry (R)			Co-Sponsor
5.   Glenn Thompson (R)		Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor
6.   Ryan Costello (R)
7.   Pat Meehan  (R)
8.   Mike  Fitzpatrick (R)	Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor
9.   Bill Shuster (R)
10. Tom Marino  (R)		Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor
11. Lou Barletta  (R)		Co-Sponsor
12. Keith Rothfus (R)	Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor
13. Brendan Boyle (D)
14. Michael Doyle (D)
15. Charlie Dent  (R)
16. Joseph Pitts   (R)	Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor
17. Matthew Cartwright (D)
18. Tim Murphy  (R)		Co-Sponsor	Co-Sponsor
·    Bob Casey (D)
·    Pat Toomey   (R)

Click to Email Pa's Congressional Delegation, asking for Co-Sponsorship/Support of legislation backed by the USCCB and/or the NCHLA.

State Concerns: How are our state representatives and senators faring on specifically pro life and pro marriage/family legislation advocated by the Pa Catholic Conference in its "current alerts" (5/12/16 update)?

The Bucks County Delegation in Harrisburg			As per the Pa Catholic Confer ence, “Please respect the concerns of all parties involved in adoption proceedings and vote no on HB 162 in its current form.”	As per the Pa Catholic Confer ence, "Ask your legislator to include the language of House Bill 1623 in the Fiscal Code.”	As per the Pa Catholic Confer ence,    “I am quite concerned that HB 1510/ SB 974 will run afoul of religious freedom and expose even more… to discrimination. Please  oppose the bill in its current form.”	As per     the Pa Catholic Confer ence, “Please represent me by voting yes on House Bill 1948.”	As per the Pa Catholic Conference, HB 1947 “would retroactively nullify the statute of limitations for filing a civil lawsuit alleging childhood sexual abuse....but it would not apply to public schools or government agencies....a legislative remedy must protect all children, not simply penalize some institutions” (i.e., Vote NO on HB 1947).
R	145	Rep Craig Staats	Voted Yea	Co-sponsor		Co-sponsor	Voted Yea
D	141	Rep Tina Davis	Voted Yea		Co-sponsor		Voted Yea
R	18	Rep Gene DiGirolamo	Voted Yea				------------
R	142	Rep Frank Farry	Voted Yea				Voted Yea
D	140	Rep John Galloway	Voted Yea		Co-sponsor		Voted Yea
R	29	Rep Bernie O’Neill	Voted Yea				Voted Yea
R	178	Rep Scott Petri	------------		Co-sponsor		Voted Yea
R	143	Rep Marguerite Quinn	Voted Yea		Co-sponsor		Voted Yea
D	31	Rep Steve Santarsiero	Voted Yea		Co-sponsor		Voted Yea
R	144	Rep Kathy Watson	Voted Yea		Co-sponsor		Voted Yea
R	12	Sen Stewart Greenleaf
R	10	Sen Chuck McIlhinney			Co-sponsor
R	24	Sen Bob Mensch
R	6	Sen Robert Tomlinson

Click to Email all of Bucks County's representatives and senators in Harrisburg.