"Catholic" Votes AGAINST Recent Pa Pro Life Legislation - a Correction

Your Excellencies:

As per the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference,

• "Senate Bill 732 passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by a vote of 151-44 on Tuesday, December 13....it was again passed in the Senate (32-18) in concurrence with the House. The bill awaits the governor’s signature. The new law addresses concerns that stemmed from a tragedy that occurred in the Philadelphia abortion clinic of Dr. Kermit Gosnell where a woman died and seven newborn babies were killed by infanticide. Conditions in the clinic were so filthy and unsafe that investigators called it a 'house of horrors.' The measure holds abortion facilities to the same fire and safety standards, personnel and equipment requirements, and quality assurance procedures as other freestanding ambulatory surgical facilities. The passage of this bill into law is a victory for women and children in Pennsylvania."

Perhaps naively, many thought that SB 732's application of common sense health standards to abortion facilities - especially in light of the grand jury report on Kermit Gosnell & his associates - would find quick and easy consensus. Yet 44 members of the Pennsylvania House & 18 members of the Senate actually voted AGAINST final passage of SB 732. In the Pennsylvania Senate, 4 of the 18 whom the Pa Legislature's web site indicates to have voted against final passage of SB 732 identify themselves as Catholic :

• Lisa M. Boscola (18) of Bethlehem; boscola@pasenate.com


• Jay Costa, Jr (43) of Pittsburgh; costa@pasenate.com


• Wayne Fontana (42) of Pittsburgh; fontana@pasenate.com


• Charles 'Chuck' T. McIlhinney, Jr (10) of Doylestown; cmcilhinney@pasen.gov

With regard to the Pennsylvania House, it appears that 2 of the 44 whom the Pa Legislature's web site indicated to have voted against final passage of SB 732 identify themselves as Catholic :

• Eddie Day Pashinski (121) of Wilkes-Barre; Epashinski@pahouse.net


• John Sabatina, Jr (174) of Philadelphia; jsabatin@pahouse.net

(Subsequent to an earlier email, it was brought to my attention that Rep Brendan F. Boyle (170) of Philadelphia, Dante Santoni, Jr (126) of Reading and Jesse White (46) of Cecil voted for final passage of SB 732. I apologize for that earlier error.)

As per the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference,

• "On Monday, December 12, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 146 to 45 to remove abortion funding from the state health care exchanges that will be created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)....House Bill 1977 now goes to the state senate. This bill is similar to Senate Bill 3, which passed 37-12 in the Senate earlier this year, and has been sent to the house."

In other words, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 45 members of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly voted AGAINST HB 1977. Isn't that tantamount to a vote to make you pay for other people’s abortions? This group of 45 included 7 who are identified as Catholic:

• Paul Costa (34) of Turtle Creek; pcosta@pahouse.net


• Frank Dermody (33) of Oakmont; fdermody@pahouse.net


• Michael McGeehan of Philadelphia; mmcgeeha@pahouse.net


• Eddie Day Pashinski (121) of Wilkes-Barre; Epashinski@pahouse.net


• John Sabatina, Jr (174) of Philadelphia; jsabatin@pahouse.net


• Dante Santoni, Jr (126) of Reading; dsantoni@pahouse.net


• Jesse White (46) of Cecil; jwhite@pahouse.net

Please consider whether it has become "necessary for the bishop to publicly say something" (Archbishop Chaput,7/19/11), out of concern for elected officials' souls and for the common good.

Sincerely,

Rep Davidson & SB 732

Hon. Margo L. Davidson
106 East Wing
PO Box 202164
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2164

Dear Representative Davidson,

As per Amy Worden's recent article in the Inquirer:

• "Standing on the floor of the state House, her voice choked with emotion, the first-term Democratic legislator from Upper Darby explained why she had just voted for the bill tightening regulations for abortion clinics. State Rep. Margo L. Davidson said her 22-year-old cousin had been a victim of Kermit Gosnell....'I honor her memory by voting for this bill.'"

As I live in Bucks County, I especially wish to thank Representatives Paul Clymer, Gene DiGirolamo, Frank Farry, John Galloway, Brian O'Neill, Scott Petri, Marguerite Quinn, & Kathy Watson (144th) and Senators Bob Mensch, Stewart Greenleaf, & Tommy Tomlinson for supporting SB 732. I apologize for the shameless efforts of Bucks County's Representative Tina Davis, Representative Steve Santarsiero, and Senator Chuck McIlhinney to block this legislation.
Representative Davidson: While I applaud and thank you for your "yea" vote on Tuesday at 5:15, I am absolutely confused by your "nay" vote on Tuesday at 4:45 - especially in light of the Inquirer article. Was that a mistake?

Thank you,

Not any better at home....

In our own archdiocese, just one week before Christmas Day 2011,

Of specialists in obstetrics/gynecology, why is only one NFP-only physician to be found practicing in Philadelphia's Catholic hospitals!!!

Not any better at home....

In our own archdiocese, just one week before Christmas Day 2011,

Of specialists in obstetrics/gynecology, why is only one NFP-only physician to be found practicing in Philadelphia's Catholic hospitals!!!

Christian Bale - ACting Like a SuperHero in Real Life!

As per Batman star Christian Bale roughed up while trying to visit China pro-life activist, "Famed Batman star Christian Bale is making headlines after he traveled nine hours from Beijing to visit blind forced abortion opponent Chen Guangcheng. The actor never got the chance, however, as he was roughed up and forced away from Chen’s village by Chinese government officials, according to a CNN report....Bale was in Beijing for the premiere of 'The Flowers of War,' a drama about the 1937 Rape of Nanjing....Chen Guangcheng exposed the systematic use of forced abortion and sterilization in Linyi City in 2005" (LifeSiteNews.com, 12/16/11).

Defunding Planned Parenthood, Conscience Protection, Banning Funding of International Abortion - INVALUABLE & NON-NEGOTIABLE

As per GOP Freshmen: Budget Deals Weakening Pro-Life Bills, "some Republican lawmakers feel betrayed that their party's leadership has asked them to support a bill that doesn't reflect the House's pro-life advances, including:
■The defunding of Planned Parenthood.
■Conscience protections for health care workers opposed to abortion.
■Banning international funding of abortion" (CBN News, 12/16/11).

Certain issues CANNOT be traded away....
■ Defunding Planned Parenthood,
■ Conscience Protection, &
■ Banning Funding of International Abortion
are INVALUABLE & NON-NEGOTIABLE!

See http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2011/December/GOP-Freshmen-Budget-Deals-Weakening-Pro-Life-Bills/

Contact Senators Pileggi & McIlhinney, TODAY!

As Archbishop Chaput reminded us this past week,

• "The Church in southeastern Pennsylvania has deep roots and an extraordinary legacy of saints, service and public witness....But all of these good facts depend on our willingness to sustain them by our actions in the present. Advent is a season of self-examination in the light of God’s word; a season of conversion and looking forward in hope to the birth of a Savior at Christmas. There is no better time to speak frankly about the conditions we now face as a community of believers. Complacency is the enemy of faith."
  

PENNSYLVANIA SB 3 / HB 1977

In Pennsylvania's Senate, Bob Mensch & Tommy Tomlinson were among those who introduced SB 3. In Pennsylvania's House of Representatives, Marguerite Quinn was among those who introduced the house version, HB 1977.

• The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") requires states "to operate and maintain 'health insurance exchanges' to provide a menu of low cost, government subsidized insurance plans to help otherwise uninsured people get access to necessary health care....To assure that elective abortion is not included in the Pennsylvania exchange, the Commonwealth must affirmatively opt out by passing a state law....This legislation is critical if the Commonwealth is to prevent public dollars from being spent on a program which includes elective abortion coverage" (Pennsylvania Catholic Conference).

In the vote which took place on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Representatives Paul Clymer (145th), Gene DiGirolamo (18th), Frank Farry (142nd), John Galloway (140th), Brian O'Neill (29th), Scott Petri (178th), Marguerite Quinn (143rd), & Kathy Watson (144th) were among the 146 "YEAS." Thank you! Representatives Tina Davis (141st) - who has a bachelor's from LaSalle - and Steve Santarsiero (31st) - who has a master's from Holy Family - were among the 46 who shamefully voted "NAY."

We need to continue to resist the complacency of which Archbishop Chaput speaks and advocate to see SB 3 / HB 1977 signed into law!

PENNSYLVANIA SB 732

• This "would hold freestanding abortion clinics to the same fire and safety standards, personnel and equipment requirements and quality assurance procedures as other freestanding ambulatory surgical facilities. Currently, the state’s abortion industry is exempt from commonsense safety standards that apply to other surgery centers" (Pennsylvania Catholic Conference).

In the vote which took place last evening, Representatives Paul Clymer (145th), Gene DiGirolamo (18th), Frank Farry (142nd), John Galloway (140th), Brian O'Neill (29th), Scott Petri (178th), Marguerite Quinn (143rd), & Kathy Watson (144th) were among the 149 "YEAS." Thank you! LaSalle graudate Tina Davis (141st) and Holy Family graduate Steve Santarsiero (31st) were among the 46 who shamefully vote "NAY."

The Senate Rules Committee could be considering SB 732, as early as TODAY....

PLEASE, PLEASE contact the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, Sen. Dominic Pileggi (350 Main Capitol, Harrisburg 17120; 717-787-4712; dpileggi@pasen.gov) with the following message:

• "Please run S.B. 732 in the Senate Rules Committee as soon as possible."

Please contact your senators - particularly those on the rules committee, such as Bucks County's Chuck McIlhinney (a professed Catholic)....

• PLEASE urge Senator McIlhinney (cmcilhinney@pasen.gov) & others to support S.B. 732 and to oppose all weakening amendments.
  
  

ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT ON CATHOLICS IN PUBLIC OFFICE

• "I think that people who make decisions contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in public ways, in matters of faith and morals, should decide for themselves not to receive communion. They've broken their communion with the church, and to receive communion means you're in communion with the church. If you're not, it's hypocritical to receive communion.
  
  "I think the best way to handle this is the way the bishops of the United States have agreed together to handle it, which is first of all to talk personally with those individuals who make decisions contrary to the teaching of the church. If they fully understand the teaching of the church and continue to act contrary to it, we should ask them not to receive communion.
  
  "If they persistently decide to do so in a way that causes scandal, which means leading other people into the same kind of sin, then I think it's necessary for the bishop to publicly say something" (Archbishop Chaput, 7/19/11).

HB 1977 Passes in Pa House of Representatives

In yesterday's vote, Representatives Clymer (145th), DiGirolamo (18th), Farry (142nd), Galloway (140th), O'Neill (29th), Petri (178th), Quinn (143rd), & Watson (144th) were among the 146 "YEAS."

Representatives Davis (141st) and Santarsiero (31st) were among the 45 "NAYS."

On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Action Needed on HB 1977.

Dear Dr. O'Hara et al.,

Last January, two state senators from Bucks County - Bob Mensch & Tommy Tomlinson - were among those who introduced Senate Bill 3:

• "In March of 2010, the U.S. Congress passed a sweeping health care reform law – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Under the Act, states are required to operate and maintain 'health insurance exchanges' to provide a menu of low cost, government subsidized insurance plans to help otherwise uninsured people get access to necessary health care....To assure that elective abortion is not included in the Pennsylvania exchange, the Commonwealth must affirmatively opt out by passing a state law. Senate Bill 3 will clearly prohibit the taxpayer supported insurance plans from covering abortion" (Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, 1/24/11).

On November 15th, a representative from Bucks County - Marguerit Quinn - was among those who introduced the house version of Senate Bill 3, HB 1977. HB 1977 will be up for a "third consideration" vote tomorrow, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Dr. O'Hara, please activate your resources to get Pennsylvania's Catholics to demand passage of HB 1977, tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Action Needed on SB 3 / HB 1977, SB 732, & HB 1434

Coming from Bucks County, Senators Stewart Greenleaf (12th), Chuck McIlhinney (10th), Bob Mensch (24th), and Tommy Tomlinson (6th) are in the Pennsylvania Senate. Prior to the November 2010 elections, Senators Greenleaf (12th) & Mensch (24th) responded to a Catholic Standard & Times candidate questionnaire, while Senators McIlhinney (10th) - a professed Catholic - and Tomlinson (6th) did not. It should be noted that Senator Bob Mensch consistently answered Catholic Standard & Times questions in manners consistent with Catholic positions on the sanctity of human life, conscience protection, & marriage/family.

Coming from Bucks County, Representatives Paul Clymer (145th), Davis (141st), Farry (142nd), DiGirolamo (18th), Galloway (140th), O'Neill (29th), Petri (178th), Quinn (143rd), Santarsiero (31st), Watson (144th) are in the Pennsylvania Assembly. Prior to the November 2010 elections, Representatives DiGirolamo, Galloway, Clymer, and Petri (178th) responded to a Catholic Standard & Times candidate questionnaire, while Representatives Davis, Farry, O’Neill, Santarsiero, Quinn, and Watson (144th) did not. It should be noted that Representative John Galloway consistently answered in manners consistent with Catholic positions on the sanctity of human life, conscience protection, & marriage/family.


PENNSYLVANIA SENATE BILL 3 / HOUSE BILL 1977

Senators Mensch & Tomlinson were among those who introduced SB 3; Representative Quinn was among those who introduced the house version, HB 1977.

• The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") requires states "to operate and maintain 'health insurance exchanges' to provide a menu of low cost, government subsidized insurance plans to help otherwise uninsured people get access to necessary health care....To assure that elective abortion is not included in the Pennsylvania exchange, the Commonwealth must affirmatively opt out by passing a state law....This legislation is critical if the Commonwealth is to prevent public dollars from being spent on a program which includes elective abortion coverage" (Pennsylvania Catholic Conference).

Please ask your representative to support HB 1977, which will be up for a "third consideration" vote on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

PENNSYLVANIA SENATE BILL 732

• This "would hold freestanding abortion clinics to the same fire and safety standards, personnel and equipment requirements and quality assurance procedures as other freestanding ambulatory surgical facilities. Currently, the state’s abortion industry is exempt from commonsense safety standards that apply to other surgery centers" (Pennsylvania Catholic Conference).

Please contact your representatives, re: SB 732, asking:

1. Please support the Dec. 7, 2011 Baker Amendment,


2. Please oppose all weakening amendments and


3. Please support the final passage of S.B. 732.

If S.B. 732 passes the House on Dec. 13, the Pa. Senate Rules Committee could be considering it the next day. Contact the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, Sen. Dominic Pileggi (350 Main Capitol, Harrisburg 17120; 717-787-4712; dpileggi@pasen.gov) with the following message:

• "Please run S.B. 732 in the Senate Rules Committee as soon as possible."

Please also contact Senator Chuck McIlhinney (a professed Catholic), who is also on the Rules Committee, urging McIlhinney (cmcilhinney@pasen.gov) to support S.B. 732 and to oppose all weakening amendments.

PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL 1434

During the 2010 legislative session, Senator Mensch co-sponsored a Marriage Protection Amendment (SB 707). Though Senator Greenleaf voted in its favor, SB 707 did not get past the Judiciary Committee. Neither Senator McIlhinney nor Senator Tomlinson were known to go to bat for marriage protection.

Representative Paul Clymer recently joined Representative Daryl Metcalfe in introducing HB 1434, "A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, providing for marriage."

• "Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is facing a constitutional challenge in Federal Court in Philadelphia....The Church’s vision of human sexuality in marriage is a great truth entrusted to us by God as reflected in the way he created us. Jesus Christ also revealed to us what God’s plan is for our sexuality and for marriage. We not only cherish this great truth but we must also speak up in its defense because we hold marriage to be a sacred reality....Contact your state legislators to encourage them to support a Pennsylvania Marriage Protection Amendment" [emphasis added] (Pennsylvania Catholic Conference).


• "This is the issue of our time....We have a duty as Catholics...to speak clearly about God's plan for human happiness. Part of that plan is traditional, faithful, Catholic/Christian marriage" (Archbishop Chaput, 7/19/11).

ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT ON CATHOLICS IN PUBLIC OFFICE

• "I think that people who make decisions contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in public ways, in matters of faith and morals, should decide for themselves not to receive communion. They've broken their communion with the church, and to receive communion means you're in communion with the church. If you're not, it's hypocritical to receive communion.
  
  "I think the best way to handle this is the way the bishops of the United States have agreed together to handle it, which is first of all to talk personally with those individuals who make decisions contrary to the teaching of the church. If they fully understand the teaching of the church and continue to act contrary to it, we should ask them not to receive communion.
  
  "If they persistently decide to do so in a way that causes scandal, which means leading other people into the same kind of sin, then I think it's necessary for the bishop to publicly say something" (Archbishop Chaput, 7/19/11).

The Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, HR 361

As per a January 20th letter to members of Congress from Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' committee on pro life activities,

• "I am writing to urge you to support and cosponsor H.R. 361, the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA)....ANDA is urgently needed to protect the civil rights of health professionals and other health care entities. This bill reaffirms a basic principle: No health care entity should be forced by government to perform or participate in abortions....The passage of such clarifying legislation is especially urgent now because of a coordinated national effort to force health care providers to participate in abortions."

In Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District, we can be proud that Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick has been a co-sponosr of HR 361, since May 2nd! On this Feast of the Immaculate Conception, there has been an Action Alert on HR 361 from the Susan B. Anthony List,

• "The recent controversies involving the New Jersey nurses forced to either assist an abortion or risk their jobs and the decision of the HHS to deny the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) a grant to aid for trafficking victims because the Church refuses to provide or refer for abortions proves the necessity of protecting the conscience rights of doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers. The Abortion Nondiscrimination Act, (ANDA), HR 361, would codify the Hyde-Weldon Amendment, which prohibits federal, state, and local governments from discriminating against health care providers, including hospitals, doctors, and nurses, that refuse to provide, perform, or refer for abortions....Tell your Representative to include ANDA in the final version of the Labor/HHS Appropriations bill" [emphasis added].

"This is the issue of our time" (Archbishop Chaput, 7/19/11)

• "This is the issue of our time. The church understands marriage as a unique relationship, with a unique definition, which is the faithful love of a man and a woman for each other, permanent, and for the sake of children. As children, if we don't know that our parents love one another, our lives are very unstable. That's why I think every child deserves a family where the father loves the mother, and the mother loves the father. For us to redefine marriage as anything else undermines that notion. I think it's very important that the church keep insisting on this.
  
  "It's also important to say that we're not against gay people. What we're doing here is promoting marriage and the meaning of marriage, not condemning others. The church does believe that human sexuality has a meaning in itself, that it's about love and procreation. Any other sexual relationship is contrary to the Gospel, and so a relationship between two people of the same sex is not in line with the teachings of the church and the teachings of the Gospel, and is therefore wrong. That said, we should always respect people who do things contrary to the Gospel. We live in a society where different ways of life are accepted by the general community, and it's important for us to live in a way that's not hostile to people.
  
  "We have a duty as Catholics, however, to speak clearly about God's plan for human happiness. Part of that plan is traditional, faithful, Catholic/Christian marriage" (Archbishop Chaput, 7/19/11).

As you know, "The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops and the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania." As per the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference,

• "Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is facing a constitutional challenge in Federal Court in Philadelphia....A Marriage Protection Amendment to the Pennsylvania State Constitution may be the only way to preserve the definition of marriage as the union between one man and one woman....In order for a marriage amendment to be added to the state constitution, it must pass the state legislature in two consecutive sessions of the state legislature before it can go to voters in 2014 for passage....The Church’s vision of human sexuality in marriage is a great truth entrusted to us by God as reflected in the way he created us. Jesus Christ also revealed to us what God’s plan is for our sexuality and for marriage. We not only cherish this great truth but we must also speak up in its defense because we hold marriage to be a sacred reality....Contact your state legislators to encourage them to support a Pennsylvania Marriage Protection Amendment"

Coming from Bucks County, Senators Stewart Greenleaf (12th), Chuck McIlhinney (10th), Bob Mensch (24th), and Tommy Tomlinson (6th) are in the Pennsylvania Senate. Prior to the November 2010 elections, Senators Greenleaf (12th) & Mensch (24th) responded to a Catholic Standard & Times candidate questionnaire, while Senators McIlhinney (10th) - a professed Catholic - and Tomlinson (6th) did not. It should be noted that Senator Bob Mensch consistently answered Catholic Standard & Times questions in manners consistent with Catholic positions on the sanctity of human life, conscience protection, and marriage/family.

During the 2010 legislative session, Senator Mensch co-sponsored a Marriage Protection Amendment (SB 707). Though Senator Greenleaf voted in its favor, SB 707 did not get past the Judiciary Committee. Neither Senator McIlhinney nor Senator Tomlinson were known to go to bat for marriage protection.

Coming from Bucks County, Representatives Paul Clymer (145th), Davis (141st), Farry (142nd), DiGirolamo (18th), Galloway (140th), O'Neill (29th), Petri (178th), Quinn (143rd), Santarsiero (31st), Watson (144th) are in the Pennsylvania Assembly. Prior to the November 2010 elections, Representatives DiGirolamo, Galloway, Clymer, and Petri (178th) responded to a Catholic Standard & Times candidate questionnaire, while Representatives Davis, Farry, O’Neill, Santarsiero, Quinn, and Watson (144th) did not. Representative John Galloway consistently answered in manners consistent with Catholic positions on the sanctity of human life, conscience protection, & marriage/family.

Upper Bucks should be rightly proud that Representative Paul Clymer recently joined Representative Daryl Metcalfe in introducing HB 1434, "A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, providing for marriage." On his web site, Representative Metcalfe offers a downloadable petition, which belongs in every church in the Commonwealth:

• "We, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, wish to amend our state Constitution to ensure that: 'only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this Commonwealth, and neither the Commonwealth nor any of its political subdivisions shall create or recognize a legal status identical or substantially equivalent to that of marriage for unmarried individuals.'"

ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT ON CATHOLICS IN PUBLIC OFFICE

• "I think that people who make decisions contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in public ways, in matters of faith and morals, should decide for themselves not to receive communion. They've broken their communion with the church, and to receive communion means you're in communion with the church. If you're not, it's hypocritical to receive communion.
  
  "I think the best way to handle this is the way the bishops of the United States have agreed together to handle it, which is first of all to talk personally with those individuals who make decisions contrary to the teaching of the church. If they fully understand the teaching of the church and continue to act contrary to it, we should ask them not to receive communion.
  
  "If they persistently decide to do so in a way that causes scandal, which means leading other people into the same kind of sin, then I think it's necessary for the bishop to publicly say something" (Archbishop Chaput, 7/19/11).