"Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen, do not incur sin because of him." (Leviticus 19: 17)

2/19/17, 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

 

As per our bishops, we should contact the White House:

• Urge President Trump to Sign Executive Order Respecting Religious Freedom (Contact the President and Vice President Today and Urge Them to Support Religious Liberty!)
• Tell your legislators to suspend the refugee executive order!

As per our bishops, we should contact our elected representatives in D.C.:

• No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion
• Urge Congress to Enact the Conscience Protection Act of 2017! (Urge Congress to Enact the Conscience Protection Act of 2017!)
• Urge Congress to Protect Human Dignity and Combat Human Trafficking!
• In Solidarity with Refugees
• Tell your legislators to suspend the refugee executive order!
• Urge Congress to Address Hunger and Climate Change Now!
• Urge Congress to press Israel to stop confiscation of Christian lands in Cremisan Valley

On the right side of the home page is a link to send a combined email to the offices of Pa's congressional delegation, regarding federal positions backed by our bishops (cf., Pa Catholic Conference, USCCB, USCCB's Justice for Immigrants, USCCB's Catholics Confront Global Poverty, Human Life Action, Human Life Action's 12/16/16 email.).

• Senate hearings for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch are expected to start on March 20.  As per the Pa Pro Life Federation, "Please call and email U.S. Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey and let them know you want them to support Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court. We recommend you call the Washington office and at least one of the local offices. If you get a recording, please leave a message. If the voice mailbox is full, try again later and make sure you send a written message through the link at the bottom of the phone list.
  
  "Here are the numbers to call for Senator Casey:
  (202) 224-6324--Washington office
  (610) 782-9470--Allentown office
  (814) 357-0314--Bellefonte office
  
  

  (814) 874-5080--Erie office
  (717) 231-7540--Harrisburg office 

  (215) 405-9660--Philadelphia office
  (412) 803-7370--Pittsburgh office
  (570) 941-0930--Scranton office
  
  "To send a written message to Senator Casey, go to his contact form here.  
  
  "Here are the numbers to call for Senator Toomey:
  (202) 224-4254--Washington office
  (610) 434-1444--Allentown office
  (814) 453-3010--Erie office
  (717) 782-3951--Harrisburg office
  
  

  (814) 266-5970--Johnstown office
  (215) 241-1090--Philadelphia office  

  (412) 803-3501--Pittsburgh office
  (570) 941-3540--Scranton office
  
  "To send a written message to Senator Toomey, go to his contact form here" (Pa Pro Life Federation, 2/1/17)

 As per the Pa Catholic Conference,

• End Brutal Dismemberment Abortions
• Oppose Unfair Retroactive Statutes of Limitation Amendments
• Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Religious Liberty
• Invest in Success: Expand EITC and OSTC Scholarships

As per the Pa Pro Life Federation,

• "Let your state Senator know you don't want your right to vote for judges to be taken away" (2/16/17)

On the right side of the home page is a link to send a combined email to Bucks County's representatives and senators in Harrisburg, asking for support of positions backed by the Pa Catholic Conference and/or the Pa Pro Life Federation.

Act now to stop assisted suicide (Diocese of Trenton, 11/4/16)

  

• "Before he left office, Obama pushed through an HHS regulation that essentially forces states to give Planned Parenthood Title X funding....Rep. Diane Black, R-TN, introduced H.J. Res. 43 to overturn what pro-life groups call the Obama administration's 'parting gift' to Planned Parenthood....'While this is merely taking back the small parting gift that President Obama left Planned Parenthood, the real prize is getting the Reconciliation bill passed by both Houses and signed by President Trump,' said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America. "We are hopeful this bill is a step towards ultimately defunding the nation's abortion giant" (U.S. House votes to overturn Obama regulation forcing states to fund Planned Parenthood, Life SiteNews, 2/16/17).
• From Pennsylvania, kudos to Barletta, Costello, Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Marino, Meehan, Murphy, Perry, Rothfus, Smucker, Shuster, and Thompson.  Shame on  Brady, Boyle, Cartwright, Dent, Doyle, and Evans (cf, http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2017/roll099.xml)

• "Without question, Planned Parenthood provides some morally unobjectionable health services to women. However, this statement is not unlike saying that a man who beats his wife sometimes gives her flowers....When individuals, particularly those in political office, gloss over or ignore the core issue of whether or not taxpayers should be funding the world’s largest abortion business by citing Planned Parenthood’s other services, they are engaging in obfuscation that is, at best, confused and, at worst, dishonest.  And when such individuals publicly hold themselves out to be Catholic, their local bishop has a responsibility to offer correction, both for the well-being of the individuals’ souls and to avoid scandal among the Catholic faithful" (Most Rev. Edward Scharfenberger, 2/13/17).

• Boycott Target and boycotts/actions from America Needs Fatima and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation

• Battling pornography: strategies for home and classroom (MercatorNet, 2/7/17)
• NaPro-TECHNOLOGY, New Hope in Infertility

• The Pa Catholic Conference rhetorically asks " Should Doctors Be Neutral on Suicide?", asking us to urge the AMA to "Remain Opposed to Doctor Prescribed Suicide."

On the right side of the home page is a link to email USCCB President Cardinal DiNardo, USCCB Pro Life Chair Cardinal Dolan, USCCB Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth Chair Archbishop Chaput, and National Catholic Bioethics Center President John Haas, PhD, STL