Thursday, December 19, 2013
Action Center
Dear Sen. Tomlinson and Rep. Digirolamo.
This Bill is an "in your face" rejection of Catholic and Judeo / Christian moral teaching. This Bill is discriminatory against the Catholic church in particular as they are the only Christian denomination that has not wavered from Christian doctrine.
Therefore I join in writing in reference to HB/SB 300, which seeks to add "gender identity or expression" and "sexual orientation" to Pennsylvania's non-discrimination law. Simply put, this legislation is intolerant and prejudiced against people of faith.
Changing the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) to protect people based on sexual attraction and behavior will jeopardize many churches and their charitable outreach. There are many examples of the impact this law can have, namely, the shuttering of Catholic adoption agencies. It is clear that our religious liberty will be trampled by HB/SB 300 - Catholic charitable ministries will no longer be able to make contributions to the common good of Pennsylvania without violating their religious beliefs.
To make matters worse, the law could also cause conflicts for private business owners with legitimate religious and moral concerns. A complaint was levied with the Human Rights Commission against a Kentucky t-shirt manufacturer because because their religious beliefs dictated that they decline to print t-shirts for a gay rights rally. Other examples of businesses suffering for standing up for their beliefs include photographers, cake bakeries and a cookie shop. All are given the unfair choice: close your business or violate your beliefs.
As your constituent, I am quite concerned that HB/SB 300 will run afoul of religious freedom and expose even more Pennsylvanians to discrimination. Please vote NO on HB/SB 300.
Action Center
Monday, December 16, 2013
Pope Francis statement on Sanctity of Marriage between one man and one woman ONLY
Pope Francis: Defender of Marriage and the Family
Pope Francis
During his years of leadership in Buenos Aires, Argentinean
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) boldly
defended marriage, the natural family, and the right of
children to have a father and a mother. His courage and
leadership were on display most vividly in the summer of
2010, when the Argentina legislature debated, and
ultimately passed, a law that redefined marriage to include
two persons of the same sex.
defended marriage, the natural family, and the right of
children to have a father and a mother. His courage and
leadership were on display most vividly in the summer of
2010, when the Argentina legislature debated, and
ultimately passed, a law that redefined marriage to include
two persons of the same sex.
Episcopal Leadership
Knowing that a marriage redefinition bill was on the horizon,
in April 2010 the Argentinean Episcopal Conference, of
which Cardinal Bergoglio was president (2005-
2011), published a statement on marriage: “On the
Unalterable Good of Marriage and the Family.” In the
statement, the bishops wrote that “the union of people of the
same sex lacks the biological and anthropological elements
that are proper to marriage and family.”
in April 2010 the Argentinean Episcopal Conference, of
which Cardinal Bergoglio was president (2005-
2011), published a statement on marriage: “On the
Unalterable Good of Marriage and the Family.” In the
statement, the bishops wrote that “the union of people of the
same sex lacks the biological and anthropological elements
that are proper to marriage and family.”
The bishops also responded to the oft-leveled charge of
discrimination, pointing out that “the recognition of a real
difference is not discrimination.” Continuing, they wrote,
“Nature doesn’t discriminate when it makes us a man or a
woman. Our Civil Code does not discriminate when it
demands the requirement of being a man and a woman to
contract marriage; it only recognizes a natural reality.”
discrimination, pointing out that “the recognition of a real
difference is not discrimination.” Continuing, they wrote,
“Nature doesn’t discriminate when it makes us a man or a
woman. Our Civil Code does not discriminate when it
demands the requirement of being a man and a woman to
contract marriage; it only recognizes a natural reality.”
Importance of Prayer
As the debate and vote on the marriage redefinition bill drew
closer, Cardinal Bergoglio wrote a letter to Carmelite nuns in
Argentina, enlisting their prayers and sacrifices, which he
called “the two invincible weapons of Santa Teresa,” a
reference to the founder of the Carmelite order, St. Teresa of
Avila.
closer, Cardinal Bergoglio wrote a letter to Carmelite nuns in
Argentina, enlisting their prayers and sacrifices, which he
called “the two invincible weapons of Santa Teresa,” a
reference to the founder of the Carmelite order, St. Teresa of
Avila.
In his letter, Cardinal Bergoglio wrote, “In the coming
weeks,
the Argentine people will face a situation whose
outcome can
seriously harm the family.” He then detailed what was at
stake with the bill’s potential passage:
weeks,
the Argentine people will face a situation whose
outcome can
seriously harm the family.” He then detailed what was at
stake with the bill’s potential passage:
At stake is the identity and survival of the family:
father, mother and children. At stake are the lives of
many children who will be discriminated against in
advance, and deprived of their human development
given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At
stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in
our hearts.
The Cardinal also highlighted the fact that advocating
for the authentic meaning of marriage is not just about
politics, but is a struggle between truth and deception, a
real spiritual warfare: “Let us not be naive: this is not
simply a political struggle, but it is an attempt to destroy
God’s plan. It is not just a bill (a mere instrument) but a
‘move’ of the father of lies who seeks to confuse and
deceive the children of God.”
Concluding, Cardinal Bergoglio implored the
intercession of the Holy Family: “We look to Saint
Joseph, Mary and the Child Jesus and ask that they
fervently defend the family in Argentina at this particular
time.”
Education and Mobilization of the People
Cardinal Bergoglio did not discount the importance of
ongoing education of the Catholic faithful, or the need for a
vocal, visible opposition to the marriage redefinition bill. On
the Sunday before the legislature’s consideration of the
marriage redefinition bill, the Argentine Bishops’ statement
on marriage was read at masses in Buenos Aires.
ongoing education of the Catholic faithful, or the need for a
vocal, visible opposition to the marriage redefinition bill. On
the Sunday before the legislature’s consideration of the
marriage redefinition bill, the Argentine Bishops’ statement
on marriage was read at masses in Buenos Aires.
The Cardinal also exhorted the Catholics of Argentina to
participate in a march and demonstration in Buenos
Aires.He specifically appealed to parish priests, rectors, and
chaplains to encourage participation in the march.
All Catholic participants were advised by Cardinal Bergoglio
to maintain a positive message, carrying only Argentinean
flags or positive slogans for man-woman marriage. The
slogan for the march was “We Want a Mom and Dad for our
Children.”
Opposition to the marriage redefinition bill was
strong. Catholic News Agency reported that 200,000
Argentineans gathered to protest the bill. Earlier in the
month, around 635,000 people had signed petitions
opposing the bill; their signatures were presented to the
Argentinean Senate.
strong. Catholic News Agency reported that 200,000
Argentineans gathered to protest the bill. Earlier in the
month, around 635,000 people had signed petitions
opposing the bill; their signatures were presented to the
Argentinean Senate.
Ecumenical Cooperation
Cardinal Bergoglio collaborated with other Christians in
Argentina to protest the marriage redefinition bill.
Specifically, the pro-marriage march included leadership
from not only the Catholic Church but also evangelical and
pentecostal groups (see footnote 41 on page 9). Cardinal
Bergoglio joined leaders from these Christian communities
in writing a letter that was read during the demonstration.
Together, the authors wrote, “Marriage is an essential
institution for our society and constitutes the basic structure
upon which it is built. It is the fundamental responsibility of
our political representatives to protect it and promote it, to
legally preserve it as it is, the union between one man and
one woman ordered toward mutual help, procreation, the
fulfillment and happiness of spouses, the satisfaction of life
in its fullness and the raising of children.”
Engaging a Hostile Culture
Unfortunately, Argentina passed the marriage redefinition
bill by a vote of 33 to 27 in the Senate. The vote made
Argentina the first country in Latin America to redefine
marriage to include two persons of the same sex.
bill by a vote of 33 to 27 in the Senate. The vote made
Argentina the first country in Latin America to redefine
marriage to include two persons of the same sex.
Since the passage of marriage redefinition legislature in
2010, Argentina has supported other measures that run
contrary to an authentic understanding of the human
person, marriage, and the family. In 2011, the Argentinean
governmentdistributed millions of copies of a “sexual
education” guide produced by the United Nations, which
taught readers about different types of families, including
those with a father and a mother, those with only a father or
a mother, and those with two fathers and mothers. “None of
these families are better or worse than the others,” says the
guide.
And in 2012, the Argentine legislature passed a bill that
permits individuals to legally change their gender at will,
regardless of their physiological sex, without enlisting
surgery or hormonal treatment, and without the approval of
a judge. The bill also included provisions for taxpayer-
covered sex reassignment surgeries at public hospitals.
According to the bill, gender is defined under the law as
“the experience of gender as each person feels it, whether
or not it corresponds with the sex assigned at birth.”
permits individuals to legally change their gender at will,
regardless of their physiological sex, without enlisting
surgery or hormonal treatment, and without the approval of
a judge. The bill also included provisions for taxpayer-
covered sex reassignment surgeries at public hospitals.
According to the bill, gender is defined under the law as
“the experience of gender as each person feels it, whether
or not it corresponds with the sex assigned at birth.”
Engaging an Anti-Catholic Culture
Argentina has known its share of anti-Catholic
persecution too. In a November 2012New York
Times article describing gay pride parades in Argentina,
the author writes of the most recent march, “There were
brief clashes with some Catholic activists who were
protecting the cathedral from vandals; in
previous years, the building had been spray-painted
with anti-clerical slogans.” He adds, “The event was
exhilarating.”
[Link withheld because the article includes an
inappropriate
picture.]
persecution too. In a November 2012New York
Times article describing gay pride parades in Argentina,
the author writes of the most recent march, “There were
brief clashes with some Catholic activists who were
protecting the cathedral from vandals; in
previous years, the building had been spray-painted
with anti-clerical slogans.” He adds, “The event was
exhilarating.”
[Link withheld because the article includes an
inappropriate
picture.]
In fact, on March 12, 2013, the day before Cardinal
Bergoglio
was elected Pope Francis, the cathedral in Buenos Aires
was occupied for four hours by drum-beating protestors
who opposed city subsidies for Catholic schools. A
mass in honor of the Conclave had to be cancelled.
Bergoglio
was elected Pope Francis, the cathedral in Buenos Aires
was occupied for four hours by drum-beating protestors
who opposed city subsidies for Catholic schools. A
mass in honor of the Conclave had to be cancelled.
Pope Francis, then, is no stranger to engaging with a
hostile culture and seeking to evangelize in the midst of
worldly powers strongly opposed to key tenets of
Catholic teaching.
Given his demonstrated zeal for the beautiful teachings
of the Church on marriage and the family, it will be
exciting to see how Pope Francis continues to
evangelize on the meaning of human love, sexuality,
and marriage. Our prayers are with
you, Holy Father!
hostile culture and seeking to evangelize in the midst of
worldly powers strongly opposed to key tenets of
Catholic teaching.
Given his demonstrated zeal for the beautiful teachings
of the Church on marriage and the family, it will be
exciting to see how Pope Francis continues to
evangelize on the meaning of human love, sexuality,
and marriage. Our prayers are with
you, Holy Father!
The media likes to take Pope Francis statements out of context, or leave out statements that clarify his and the Church's position on marriage from the foundation of the Church by Jesus Christ Himself.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Government shutdown threatens military Masses, chaplains :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)
site-iconcatholicnewsagency.com/news/government-shutdown-threatens-military-masses-chaplains/
US Army chaplain Fr. Carl Subler says Mass for soldiers in Badula Qulp, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 21, 2010. USAF photo by Tech. Sgt Efren Lopez.
Washington D.C., Oct 8, 2013 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- As the U.S. government shutdown continues, lawmakers are being urged to authorize the celebration of Mass by contract priests, who could otherwise face arrest for their routine ministry on military bases.
“Until the Federal Government resumes normal operations, or an exemption is granted to contract and (government services) priests, Catholic services are indefinitely suspended” at many military installations served by these priests throughout the world, warned John Schlageter, general counsel for the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.
Lawmakers’ failure to reach an agreement on federal spending and the health care law prompted a shutdown of many government agencies that were not deemed “essential,” beginning Oct. 1.
In addition to affecting federal workers and participants in federal programs, the shutdown has impacted military bases throughout the world, where many Catholic service members rely upon contract priests for Sunday Mass and other sacraments and ministries.
In an Oct. 3 op-ed, Schlageter warned that non-active duty Catholic priests have been banned from carrying out their ministry on military installations during the government shutdown, meaning that some military personnel will be forced to “go without Mass.”
He explained that there is “a chronic shortage of active duty Catholic chaplains,” with only 234 active-duty priests serving the some 275,000 Catholic members of the military.
To help ease the burden, he said, government service and contract priests are employed by the government to “ensure that a priest is available when an active duty Catholic Chaplain is not present.”
However, the government shutdown means that many of these priests on military bases across the globe “are not permitted to work – not even to volunteer.”
“During the shutdown, it is illegal for them to minister on base and they risk being arrested if they attempt to do so.”
Shortly after his op-ed was released, a resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives to allow religious services to continue on military installations during the shutdown.
The resolution “recognizes that the performance of religious Services and the provision of ministry are protected activities under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.”
It asks Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to “permit the performance of religious services on property owned or maintained by the Department of Defense” and to allow military chaplains to perform their ministry to the same extent that they did before the shutdown.
The resolution was passed by the House in a 400-1 vote on Oct. 5 and has now been sent to the Senate.
Military Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio applauded the resolution as a way to ensure that men and women in uniform can practice their faith as they serve their country.
“Military personnel enjoy, like all Americans, the First Amendment guarantee of the ‘Free Exercise’ of religion,” he said in an Oct. 5 statement. “In the current political climate, however, nothing can be taken for granted.”
The archbishop thanked the House of Representatives for supporting the measure and voiced hope that the Senate will also “act decisively” to support the First Amendment.
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* The number of messages that can be online is limited. CNA reserves the right to edit messages for content and tone. Comments and opinions expressed by users do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of CNA. CNA will not publish comments with abusive language, insults or links to other pages
site-iconcatholicnewsagency.com/news/government-shutdown-threatens-military-masses-chaplains/
US Army chaplain Fr. Carl Subler says Mass for soldiers in Badula Qulp, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 21, 2010. USAF photo by Tech. Sgt Efren Lopez.
Washington D.C., Oct 8, 2013 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- As the U.S. government shutdown continues, lawmakers are being urged to authorize the celebration of Mass by contract priests, who could otherwise face arrest for their routine ministry on military bases.
“Until the Federal Government resumes normal operations, or an exemption is granted to contract and (government services) priests, Catholic services are indefinitely suspended” at many military installations served by these priests throughout the world, warned John Schlageter, general counsel for the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.
Lawmakers’ failure to reach an agreement on federal spending and the health care law prompted a shutdown of many government agencies that were not deemed “essential,” beginning Oct. 1.
In addition to affecting federal workers and participants in federal programs, the shutdown has impacted military bases throughout the world, where many Catholic service members rely upon contract priests for Sunday Mass and other sacraments and ministries.
In an Oct. 3 op-ed, Schlageter warned that non-active duty Catholic priests have been banned from carrying out their ministry on military installations during the government shutdown, meaning that some military personnel will be forced to “go without Mass.”
He explained that there is “a chronic shortage of active duty Catholic chaplains,” with only 234 active-duty priests serving the some 275,000 Catholic members of the military.
To help ease the burden, he said, government service and contract priests are employed by the government to “ensure that a priest is available when an active duty Catholic Chaplain is not present.”
However, the government shutdown means that many of these priests on military bases across the globe “are not permitted to work – not even to volunteer.”
“During the shutdown, it is illegal for them to minister on base and they risk being arrested if they attempt to do so.”
Shortly after his op-ed was released, a resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives to allow religious services to continue on military installations during the shutdown.
The resolution “recognizes that the performance of religious Services and the provision of ministry are protected activities under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.”
It asks Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to “permit the performance of religious services on property owned or maintained by the Department of Defense” and to allow military chaplains to perform their ministry to the same extent that they did before the shutdown.
The resolution was passed by the House in a 400-1 vote on Oct. 5 and has now been sent to the Senate.
Military Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio applauded the resolution as a way to ensure that men and women in uniform can practice their faith as they serve their country.
“Military personnel enjoy, like all Americans, the First Amendment guarantee of the ‘Free Exercise’ of religion,” he said in an Oct. 5 statement. “In the current political climate, however, nothing can be taken for granted.”
The archbishop thanked the House of Representatives for supporting the measure and voiced hope that the Senate will also “act decisively” to support the First Amendment.
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* The number of messages that can be online is limited. CNA reserves the right to edit messages for content and tone. Comments and opinions expressed by users do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of CNA. CNA will not publish comments with abusive language, insults or links to other pages
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Archbishop to Nancy Pelosi: You're wrong :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)
Archbishop to Nancy Pelosi: You're wrong :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)
Nancy Pelosi, this could be your moment.
St. Paul got knocked off his horse. St. Augustine dragged his feet. And for the rest of us, the story is still unfolding.
Conversion moments are personal. They can be uncomfortable and often—to our mortal eye—awkwardly timed. They are unfailingly memorable.
Nancy, this could be your conversion opportunity.
First, it’s a personal call.
Your hometown Archbishop—the shepherd concerned for your soul--has called you by name.
(As messengers go, you lucked out. Paul faced a lightning bolt and wary old Ananias, while St. Augustine had his mom after him for years and finally listened to a child.)
God’s messenger to you, Nancy, is a peer from your neighborhood who understands the work you do. He’s straightforward too, and he happens to be your spiritual shepherd. Surely his tug on your conscience must be perceptible, even to a Washington-hardened soul.
Why did he single you out now?
You’ve got a long-standing record of pro-abortion advocacy.
But your Newsweek interview on Dec. 21, 2009 went one step too far.
You said,
“ I have some concerns about the church's position respecting a woman's right to choose.
I have some concerns about the church's position on gay rights. I am a practicing Catholic, although they're probably not too happy about that. But it is my faith.
I practically mourn this difference of opinion because I feel what I was raised to believe is consistent with what I profess, and that is that we are all endowed with a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions. And that women should have that opportunity to exercise their free will.”
Your plainspoken prelate, Archbishop George Niederauer, responded on January 13th, peeling off the Catholic label of “free will” that you so easily stuck on your pro-abortion beliefs.
Your plainspoken prelate, Archbishop George Niederauer, responded on January 13th, peeling off the Catholic label of “free will” that you so easily stuck on your pro-abortion beliefs.
He rejected your “pro-choice” stance as “incompatible with Catholic teaching.” Further, he corrected your reasoning, pointing out that “free will cannot be cited as justification for society to allow moral choices that strike at the most fundamental rights of others.
Such a choice is abortion, which constitutes the taking of innocent human life, and cannot be justified by any Catholic notion of freedom.”
Conversion is uncomfortable. We all like to think we know everything and that we’ve thought through all angles of our long-held positions. We are tempted to think that our natural inclinations are right, simply because we believe in our own judgment so passionately--or, Nancy, because it’s what we “feel” and what we’ve been “raised to believe.”
Only when our consciences are formed in the light of truth, “aided by the...advice of others and guided by the authoritative teaching of the Church,” can we be sure that we see and judge clearly.
Well, this is indeed an awkward moment, isn’t it? Here you are, Nancy, at what could be your moment of truth. However, you’re in the middle of a health care debate and abortion is a driving force. You’ve got financial supporters and long-time friends on the wrong side of the abortion issue.
Conversion will be difficult, but take heart, that’s always the case. St. Paul was on his way to wipe out more Christian communities before his plans changed--and he couldn’t simply send out an email or a press release apprising his enemies of his change of heart.
It would take great courage for you to change your mind on abortion. You would certainly lose campaign donations from pro-abortion zealots. You’d probably lose the admiration and fawning support of Hollywood liberals. You’d certainly lose face.
But you might gain your soul.
Nancy, the good Archbishop’s words are only a Google away. Think them over. Ponder them.
This could be your moment, Nancy. Consider it well…and “beware the grace that passes, never to return.”
The Vatican's highest-ranking American said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other Catholic politicians who support abortion should be denied communion.
"This is a person who obstinately, after repeated admonitions, persists in a grave sin — cooperating with the crime of procured abortion — and still professes to be a devout Catholic," said Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome.
Burke's rebuke came during an interview with the Minneapolis-based Catholic Servant newspaper in July, but only came to national attention after another Catholic paper, The Wanderer, reprinted the article online.
The Catholic Servant asked Burke, the most important court official in the Holy See, how Catholics should react to Pelosi's refusal to comment when asked about Dr. Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted of manslaughter and first-degree murder charges for the death of a patient and seven babies who were killed after being born alive.
Editor's Note: Warren Buffett’s Secret to Wealth — The Bible?
"As a practicing and respectful Catholic this is sacred ground to me when we talk about this. I don’t think it should have anything to do with politics," Pelosi responded during a press conference earlier this year.
Burke said Canon 915 of the church's code should be applied in Pelosi's case: Those who are "obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion."
"To say that these are simply questions of Catholic faith, which have no part in politics, is just false and wrong," said Burke a former archbishop of St. Louis and bishop of La Crosse, Wis.
"I fear for Congresswoman Pelosi if she does not come to understand how gravely in error she is," Burke said.
Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., said in May that he would not deny communion to Pelosi, stating that the church does not use communion as a "weapon."
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!
"This is a person who obstinately, after repeated admonitions, persists in a grave sin — cooperating with the crime of procured abortion — and still professes to be a devout Catholic," said Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome.
Burke's rebuke came during an interview with the Minneapolis-based Catholic Servant newspaper in July, but only came to national attention after another Catholic paper, The Wanderer, reprinted the article online.
The Catholic Servant asked Burke, the most important court official in the Holy See, how Catholics should react to Pelosi's refusal to comment when asked about Dr. Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted of manslaughter and first-degree murder charges for the death of a patient and seven babies who were killed after being born alive.
Editor's Note: Warren Buffett’s Secret to Wealth — The Bible?
"As a practicing and respectful Catholic this is sacred ground to me when we talk about this. I don’t think it should have anything to do with politics," Pelosi responded during a press conference earlier this year.
Burke said Canon 915 of the church's code should be applied in Pelosi's case: Those who are "obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion."
"To say that these are simply questions of Catholic faith, which have no part in politics, is just false and wrong," said Burke a former archbishop of St. Louis and bishop of La Crosse, Wis.
"I fear for Congresswoman Pelosi if she does not come to understand how gravely in error she is," Burke said.
Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., said in May that he would not deny communion to Pelosi, stating that the church does not use communion as a "weapon."
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!
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