Marriage Unique for a Reason: November 2017 Newsletter (USCCB)

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Marriage Unique for a Reason: November 2017 Newsletter

The U.S. Bishops are encouraging Catholics throughout the country to offer their Friday acts of sacrifice and penance for the protection of Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty. Why doesn't the Church support adoption by same-sex couples? Adoption, guardianship, and foster care take their form from natural generation and should never contradict it. A child in this situation has been deprived of their parents-- both a father and a mother whose union brought them into life. Adoption is an attempt to restore what has been lost. So fathers and mothers matter to adopted kids, too. Placing a child in the care of two men or two women may be well-intentioned, but ultimately deprives the child of that which best serves his or her interests - a mother and a father. Catechesis Corner  "Responsible parenthood... concerns the objective moral order which was established by God, and of which a right conscience is the true interpreter. In a word, the exercise of responsible parenthood requires that husband and wife, keeping a right order of priorities, recognize their own duties toward God, themselves, their families and human society. From this it follows that they are not free to act as they choose in the service of transmitting life, as if it were wholly up to them to decide what is the right course to follow. On the contrary, they are bound to ensure that what they do corresponds to the will of God the Creator." --Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, no. 10. For news and current events pertaining to marriage, visit the  page on the For Your Marriage website. Stay Connected

Parish Discussion Night Outlines If you are a pastoral minister or a teacher in a Catholic school, you may find these outlines for discussions about the MUR videos helpful: The MUR blog  has been running a series on Karol Wojtyla's (St. John Paul II) book Love and Responsibility . This book is still tremendously relevant to anyone who seeks to understand love (all of us!). St. John Paul II, "The Pope of the Family," teaches us what it means for man and woman to love one another in truth. Stay tuned for news about MUR's very own podcast: Made for Love, debuting in January 2018. This will be a storytelling podcast with a narrative structure. As such, we are looking for your stories!!!  Made for Love will highlight the joys and struggles of real people when it comes to love, marriage, and sexuality. Episodes will surround various teachings of the Church and show how people deal with various situations. Check out the Religious Liberty podcast! Current episodes feature the work of USCCB Government Relations , the wisdom of Archbishop Lori of Baltimore, Montse Alvarado from Becket, and more! Click here to listen to all the episodes! Also, stay tuned for news about MUR's very own podcast: Made for Love, debuting in January 2018. State Legal Updates Washington On October 5, 2017, the ACLU filed a discrimination lawsuit in Washington against PeaceHealth, a Catholic healthcare provider, for not covering "gender reassignment" surgery. The patient was seeking "chest reconstruction." The lawsuit claims that not covering such surgery is a violation of the Affordable Care Act as well as Washington state's anti-discrimination law. Montana On October 17, the ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a ballot initiative in Montana, the Locker Room Privacy Act, which would specify that public bathrooms and locker rooms are meant to accommodate persons of the same sex.South Dakota Also on October 17, a South Dakota state employee filed a federal suit against the state for failing to cover "gender transition" services in the employee health plan. Legislation in the 115th Congress The USCCB continues to support the First Amendment Defense Act, the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, and the Healthy Relationships Act in Congress.  Take Action Now!  by visiting this link and urge your representatives to support and co-sponsor this vital legislation.