WSCC 2019 Catholic Advocacy Bulletin, No. 20

This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant or up to date. For more information contact Msgr. Robert Siler, robert.siler@yakimadiocese.org.

August 2, 2019

VOTE: Drop your Ballot in the mail for the August 6^th Primary Election! The WSCC website includes quick links to helpful voter resources, including online voter registration for the General Election and quick access to voter pamphlets.

	Life and Liberty
	Take Action: Support Life and Religious Liberty in Healthcare
	The USCCB encourages Catholics to support a proposed rule by the Trump Administration to protect religious liberty rights of health care providers. Under the current law, health care providers who do not consider abortion to be appropriate medical care are at risk of being charged with sex discrimination. “These modifications follow the legislative intent of the Affordable Care Act to ensure nondiscrimination on the basis of sex in health care,” the USCCB said in a statement. “The proposed regulations would help restore the rights of health care providers – as well as insurers and employers – who decline to perform or cover abortions or ‘gender transition’ procedures due to ethical or professional objections. Catholic health care providers serve everyone who comes to them, regardless of characteristics or background. However, there are ethical considerations when it comes to procedures.” Take action to support these changes!

	Federal Reinstatement of the Death Penalty
	Last week the Justice Department announced that, after a nearly two-decade hiatus, federal executions of death row inmates will resume in December. Bishop Frank Dewane, chair of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, expressed deep concern and urged the US to “abandon the announced plans for executions.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.

State Department Hosts Ministerial on Global Religious Rights

In mid-July, the U.S. Department of State hosted the Second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom with 1,000 religious and civil society leaders and foreign ministers from 115 countries. The Ministerial reaffirmed international commitments to promote religious freedom and develop durable, positive ways to combat religious persecution and unjust discrimination.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, chair of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, commented: “Our faith reminds us that religious freedom is the cornerstone of a just society which is increasingly under threat. 77% of world’s population, 5.5 billion, live in 83 countries with high or very high restrictions on the practice of religion. We are witnessing entire communities around the world pay with their lives to exercise freedom of conscience and faith. I am pleased to participate in this Ministerial, and support our government’s efforts to promote freedom of conscience and religion for all.”

	AMA Continues Assisted Suicide Opposition
	On June 10, the American Medical Association’s (AMA) House of Delegates voted by a 2 to 1 margin to affirm its longstanding opposition to physician-assisted suicide. Following the vote, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, Chair of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, commented: “We strongly applaud [the] action by the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates to reaffirm its policy against physician-assisted suicide. The practice and promotion of assisted suicide poses grave consequences for our entire society but particularly for persons living with illness, disabilities, or socioeconomic disadvantages. The AMA was right to reaffirm its longstanding view that physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer.”

Social Justice

Immigration: The Church’s Call for Reform

The immigration crisis presents an important opportunity to revisit theChurch’s position on the need for comprehensive immigration reform:

Address root causes of migration
Assure an earned pathway to citizenship
Ensure humane conditions for migrants and keep families together
Provide protections for temporary immigrant workers
Restore due process rights protections
Focus enforcement efforts on dangerous and criminal elements

Register Now for the Cornerstone Conference

Cornerstone will inspire you. You’ll meet other Catholics who are united in living their faith. You’ll hear from the new Archbishop of Seattle and from each bishop from Washington state. You’ll hear about the latest issues impacting us today, including: respecting human life, immigration, racism, care for the environment, mental illness, and more! Register today!

Upcoming Events

Immigration Vigil & Masses (Multiple Locations and Times) – August 8

Vatican’s 105^th World Day of Migrants and Refugees – September 29

Cornerstone Catholic Conference, Tacoma – October 18-19

Vatican’s 3^rd World Day of the Poor – November 17

Washington March for Life, Olympia – January 21, 2020

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