Marriage Unique for a Reason: January 2018 Newsletter (USCCB, 1/1/18)

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. How are marriage and religious liberty connected? Marriage (the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife) and religious liberty are two distinct goods that are also related to each other. The protection of each good follows from the duty to protect the inviolable dignity of the human person. But even more directly, the legal protection of marriage as the union of one man and one woman also protects the religious freedom of those who adhere to that vision of marriage. Catechesis Corner  "Married love is also faithful and exclusive of all other, and this until death. This is how husband and wife understood it on the day on which, fully aware of what they were doing, they freely vowed themselves to one another in marriage. Though this fidelity of husband and wife sometimes presents difficulties, no one has the right to assert that it is impossible; it is, on the contrary, always honorable and meritorious. The example of countless married couples proves not only that fidelity is in accord with the nature of marriage, but also that it is the source of profound and enduring happiness." --Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, no. 9. For news and current events pertaining to marriage, visit the  page on the For Your Marriage website. Stay Connected

January 2018 Happy New Year!

"Created Male and Female" An Open Letter from Religious Leaders Religious leaders gathered in Baltimore in November to discuss the spread of gender ideology in our society. They released an open letter on December 15, 2017, entitled " Created Male and Female ," that affirms the goodness of being created a man or a woman. The leaders wrote, "A person's discomfort with his or her sex, or the desire to be identified as the other sex, is a complicated reality that needs to be addressed with sensitivity and truth," and, "The movement today to enforce the false idea-that a man can be or become a woman or vice versa-is deeply troubling." The Chairmen of four USCCB Committees/Subcommittees signed on to the letter:  Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, Scranton Chairman, USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Philadelphia Chairman, USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, Louisville Chairman, USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty Bishop James D. Conley, Lincoln Chairman, USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage This letter follows on a number of other joint letters from our Ecumenical/ Interreligious partners, available here.

MUR's very own podcast: Made for Love debuts on January 8, 2018. It will be available on iTunes  (search for USCCBClips  at the iTunes store and find all the USCCB audio) and on our website via SoundCloud ! Made for Love highlights 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 in real time. It is a storytelling podcast with a narrative structure; sound design, editing, and narration by Sara Perla; music by Michael Taylor. The first three episodes feature Bishop Conley, Bishop Caggiano, and a number of lay witnesses. Please listen, subscribe, tell your friends, and write reviews!

Also 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!

Legal Updates United States Supreme Court On December 5, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in the case Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The USCCB supported Jack Phillips in his religious freedom claim with an amicus brief. Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, declined to create a "wedding" cake for a same-sex couple in 2012. The two men, represented by the ACLU, filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which ruled against Phillips. In May 2014, the Court of Appeals affirmed the Commission's decision, ordering Phillips and his employees to create cakes for such ceremonies and requiring him to "re-educate" his staff and file quarterly compliance reports. This case has important implications for religious freedom in general. Please pray for the outcome of this case.

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.