Faithful Citizenship in Pa's 1st Congressional District and the Central Garden State: Zev Guttman, Meet John Vianney

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Zev Guttman, Meet John Vianney

August 4, Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

"I will place My law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives how to know the LORD. All, from least to greatest, shall know Me, says the LORD, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31: 33-34).

Particularly if you get Amazon Prime, you owe it to yourself to check out the great Christopher Plummer in "Remember." The former Captain Von Trapp plays a recent widower, Zev Guttman, who painfully re-learns of his wife's passing each time that he awakens. As noted by Peter Malone of the Catholic Church in Australia: "the film explores the theme of memories, sadness, lies and deception, dementia and confusion, retribution, " while certainly bringing to mind both Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and Christopher Nolan's "Memento"!

A fellow resident of Zev's care facility, Max (played by Martin Landau), repeatedly provides Zev with detailed instructions for a project, which Max explains Zev promised to undertake upon his wife's passing. Not questioning their rights to act as judges/juries/executioners - to play God - or even the accuracy of their memories/identifications, this project calls for hunting down and killing a war criminal, who has long concealed his murderous past:

Who can detect trespasses?

Cleanse me from my inadvertent sins.

Also from arrogant ones restrain your servant;

let them never control me.

Then shall I be blameless,

innocent of grave sin. (Psalm 19: 13, 14)

Zev Guttman, Meet John Vianney

In contrast to the hopelessness and unbridled quest for vengeance of Zev Guttman, the Curé d'Ars was an instrument of God's Mercy! The Catholic Encyclopedia tells us,

"During the last ten years of his life, he spent from sixteen to eighteen hours a day in the confessional. His advice was sought by bishops, priests, religious, young men and women in doubt as to their vocation, sinners, persons in all sorts of difficulties and the sick....His direction was characterized by common sense, remarkable insight, and supernatural knowledge"

Advocating for the Infusion of God's Mercy in Federal Issues

The USCCB is urging "YES" to the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (S304), the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act (HR1299/S667), the First Amendment Defense Act (HR2802/S1598), the Russell Amendment, the Sentencing Reform Act (HR3713), the Corrections and Recidivism Reduction Act (HR759) and the Second Chance Reauthorization Act (HR3406), while urging "NO" to "the Separation Wall in the Cremisan Valley." How is Mike Fitzpatrick and the the entire Pa Delegation responding, as of 7/30/16?

Pa’s Delegation in D.C.	The 2016 Omnibus spending bill did NOT include ANDA, but passed the House and Senate.	As per the USCCB, Support the Con-science Protec-tion Act (S 304)	As per the USCCB, Support CWPIA (Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act; HR 1299/ S667)	“If passed, the [Maloney] amendments could infringe upon religious liberty of federal contractors, critics say” (CNA / EWTN News, 5/27/16).		As per the USCCB, Support FADA (First Amend-ment Defense Act; HR2802/ S1598)	As per the USCCB, support the Russell Amend-ment to the National Defense Authori-zation Act.
Pa’s Delegation in D.C.				See Final Vote Results for Roll Call 226	See Final Vote Results for Roll Call 258
1. Bob Brady (D)	Voted Yea	Voted Nay		Voted Yea	Voted Yea
2. Chaka Fattah (D)	Voted Yea	----------
3. Mike Kelly (R)	Voted Noe	Voted Yea	Sponsor	Voted Noe	Voted Noe	Co- Sponsor
4. Scott Perry (R)	Voted Noe	Voted Yea		Voted Noe	Voted Noe	Co- Sponsor
5. Glenn Thompson (R)	Voted Yea	Voted Yea	Co-Sponsor	Voted Noe	Voted Noe	Co- Sponsor
6. Ryan Costello (R)	Voted Yea	Voted Yea		Voted Yea	Voted Yea
7. Pat Meehan (R)	Voted Noe	Voted Yea		Voted Yea	Voted Yea
8. Mike Fitzpatrick (R)	Voted Yea	Voted Yea	Co-Sponsor	Voted Yea	Voted Yea
9. Bill Shuster (R)	Voted Noe	Voted Yea		Voted Noe	Voted Noe
10. Tom Marino (R)	Voted Noe	Voted Yea	Co-Sponsor	Voted Noe	Voted Noe	Co- Sponsor
11. Lou Barletta (R)	Voted Noe	Voted Yea	Co-Sponsor	Voted Noe	Voted Noe
12. Keith Rothfus (R)	Voted Noe	Voted Yea	Co-Sponsor	Voted Noe	Voted Noe	Co- Sponsor
13. Brendan Boyle (D)	Voted Yea	Voted Nay		Voted Yea	Voted Yea
14. Michael Doyle (D)	Voted Yea	Voted Nay		Voted Yea	Voted Yea
15. Charlie Dent (R)	Voted Yea	Voted Yea		Voted Yea	Voted Yea
16. Joseph Pitts (R)	Voted Yea	Voted Yea	Co-Sponsor	Voted Noe	Voted Noe	Co- Sponsor
17. Matthew Cartwright (D)	Voted Yea	Voted Nay		Voted Yea	Voted Yea
18. Tim Murphy (R)	Voted Yea	Voted Yea	Co-Sponsor	Voted Noe	Voted Noe	Co- Sponsor

· Bob Casey (D)	Voted Yea
· Pat Toomey (R)	Voted Noe

Pa’s Delegation in D.C.	As per the USCCB, support the Sentencing Reform Act (HR3713).	As per the USCCB, support the Corrections and Recidivism Reduction Act (HR759).	As per the USCCB, support the Second Chance Reauthorization Act (HR3406).	As per the USCCB, Oppose “confi-scation of Christian lands in Cremisan Valley”
1) Bob Brady (D)	Co-Sponsor		Co-Sponsor
2) Chaka Fattah (D)			Co-Sponsor
3) Mike Kelly (R)
4) Scott Perry (R)
5) Glenn Thompson (R)
6) Ryan Costello (R)
7) Pat Meehan (R)
8) Mike Fitzpatrick (R)
9) Bill Shuster (R)
10) Tom Marino (R)			Co-Sponsor
11) Lou Barletta (R)
12) Keith Rothfus (R)
13) Brendan Boyle (D)
14) Michael Doyle (D)			Co-Sponsor
15) Charlie Dent (R)
16) Joseph Pitts (R)
17) Matthew Cartwright (D)
18) Tim Murphy (R)

· Bob Casey (D)
· Pat Toomey (R)

Click to Email Pa's Congressional Delegation, asking for support of positions backed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Advocating for the Infusion of God's Mercy in State Issues, Concerning Human Life and Marriage/Family

YES to HB1623, HB1948/SB888;
NO to Planned Parenthood, SB 1350 (repealing Act 122 of 2011), repealing Act 13 of 2013, HB1336, HB1510/SB 974/SB 1306/SB1307/SB 1316, HB 1947, HB 162, and doctor prescribed suicide.):

Click to Email the governor, as well as all of Bucks County's representatives and senators in Harrisburg, on pro life and pro marriage / family concerns.