Providing Help. Creating Hope.
VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.
MISSION: To provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Committed to work to reduce poverty in half by 2020.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)
On Sunday (4th Week of Ordinary Time, B Cycle) the gospel reminds us that the Lord indeed has come to be with us; he can quiet and expel 'demons' to heal and bring persons suffering back into the community. We are reminded in the reading from St. Paul to the Christian Community at Corinth that these are days filled with anxiety. So too today. Anxiety and fear seem to surround us: the economy has engaged most of us with some dread of the unknown.
At Catholic Charities we work to help people confront their fears and anxieties by helping them think through and review their current situation and develop some action plans for themselves and their families. At Catholic Charities, more importantly, we try to provide persons and families facing crisis or anxiety to find a place of peace and respite for a moment. As the Lord quieted the man suffering from a 'demon' and brought him back to the community, we too are called to be that place of welcome and hope.
Some important date(s) this week:
MONDAY FEBRUARY 2. Presentation of the Lord. At the end of the fourth century, a woman named Etheria made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Her journal, discovered in 1887, gives an unprecedented glimpse of liturgical life there. Among the celebrations she describes is the Epiphany (January 6), the observance of Christ’s birth, and the gala procession in honor of his Presentation in the Temple 40 days later—February 15. (Under the Mosaic Law, a woman was ritually “unclean” for 40 days after childbirth, when she was to present herself to the priests and offer sacrifice—her “purification.” Contact with anyone who had brushed against mystery—birth or death—excluded a person from Jewish worship.) This feast emphasizes Jesus’ first appearance in the Temple more than Mary’s purification. The observance spread throughout the Western Church in the fifth and sixth centuries. Because the Church in the West celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25, the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days after Christmas. At the beginning of the eighth century, Pope Sergius inaugurated a candlelight procession; at the end of the same century the blessing and distribution of candles which continues to this day became part of the celebration, giving the feast its popular name: Candlemas.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 3. St. Blase. We know more about the devotion to St. Blase by Christians around the world than we know about the saint himself. His feast is observed as a holy day in some Eastern Churches. The Council of Oxford, in 1222, prohibited servile labor in England on Blase’s feast day. The Germans and Slavs hold him in special honor and for decades many United States Catholics have sought the annual St. Blase blessing for their throats. We know that Bishop Blase was martyred in his episcopal city of Sebastea, Armenia, in 316. The legendary Acts of St. Blase were written 400 years later. According to them Blase was a good bishop, working hard to encourage the spiritual and physical health of his people. Although the Edict of Toleration (311), granting freedom of worship in the Roman Empire, was already five years old, persecution still raged in Armenia. Blase was apparently forced to flee to the back country. There he lived as a hermit in solitude and prayer, but made friends with the wild animals. One day a group of hunters seeking wild animals for the amphitheater stumbled upon Blase’s cave. They were first surprised and then frightened. The bishop was kneeling in prayer surrounded by patiently waiting wolves, lions and bears. As the hunters hauled Blase off to prison, the legend has it, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blase’s command the child was able to cough up the bone. Agricolaus, governor of Cappadocia, tried to persuade Blase to sacrifice to pagan idols. The first time Blase refused, he was beaten. The next time he was suspended from a tree and his flesh torn with iron combs or rakes. (English wool combers, who used similar iron combs, took Blase as their patron. They could easily appreciate the agony the saint underwent.) Finally he was beheaded.
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/saints/bydate.asp
PAPAL INTENTIONS:
February 2009
General: That the Pastors of the Church may always be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit in their teaching and in their service to God's people.
Mission: That the Church in Africa may find adequate ways and means to promote reconciliation, justice and peace efficaciously, according to the indications of the Synod of the Bishops’ Special Assembly for Africa.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead
See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/
Monday, February 2, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
BISHOPS URGE CONGRESS TO MAKE THE POOR A PRIORITY IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY LEGISLATION
WASHINGTON—The U.S. bishops urged Congress to make poor families and vulnerable workers central priorities as Congress adopts an economic recovery legislation.
Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), made the call in a January 28 letter to both houses of Congress.
“Low-income families and individuals are experiencing the greatest hardship and have the least capacity to cope in this time of economic crisis,” Bishop Murphy said in the letter, adding that these people are also more likely “to use these new resources quickly to purchase the essentials of life and to help move our economy forward.”
Citing the need to avoid partisan or ideological agendas and to focus on the needs of the poor, Bishop Murphy offered the bishops’ support for aspects of the proposed recovery legislation. These include increasing funds for nutrition assistance through food stamps and other programs, protecting low-income families from losing Medicaid and social service assistance, and extending Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. He also urged the House to reject measures that regarding contraception and immigration as unnecessary and inconsistent with the purposes of the recovery legislation.
Bishop Murphy echoed Pope Benedict XVI’s call to bolster the economy by focusing on the dignity of the human person, adding, “This is a time to pursue the common good, beginning with help for the families and communities most hurt by this crisis.”
FULL TEXT of the Senate version of the letter follows:
Dear Senator:
On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I urge you to make the lives and dignity of poor families and vulnerable workers central priorities as Congress adopts an economic recovery package. Low-income families and individuals are experiencing the greatest hardship and have the least capacity to cope in this time of economic crisis. Low income people are also likely to use these new resources quickly to purchase the essentials of life and to help move our economy forward. Economic policies that assist and protect ‘the least among us’ are the right thing to do morally. I believe they are also very effective economically.
In this crucial moment, Congress should resist pressure to advance ideological or partisan agendas. New measures to expand contraception coverage or prescribe rules for immigrant employment are particularly inappropriate in legislation to promote economic recovery. Attention to those most affected by the crisis with priority for the poor and vulnerable can restore economic growth by rebuilding hope and opportunity for those who are losing their jobs, their homes, and their chance at a decent life for their families.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have begun consideration of different versions of the economic stimulus package entitled American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This legislation includes several measures that reflect a priority for poor and vulnerable people. Unfortunately, in our view, others do not.
We urge your consideration of these important provisions:
• We strongly support efforts to strengthen and expand the refundable child tax credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit that would offer assistance to millions more poor and working families. These proven vehicles can get resources to those who need them the most and are almost certain to use this help to purchase the essentials of a decent life. It is essential these tax provisions be structured to include those with the fewest resources and the greatest needs.
• We strongly oppose the specific sections that target efforts to expand coverage for family planning (and only family planning) for low-income and temporarily unemployed women. They neglect women’s real needs and serve no legitimate purpose for an economic stimulus package. A non-pregnant woman who loses her job but is ineligible for Medicaid, SCHIP, and other government health care may have an urgent need for basic health care coverage for herself and her family, as well as assistance in finding gainful employment. This focus could even reduce basic health coverage, by cancelling support for “benchmark” and “benchmark-equivalent” health benefits unless they begin including contraceptive coverage. Finally, by covering any other related services only if they are “pursuant to” provision of family planning and offered in a “family planning setting,” effectively makes family planning clinics (many of which are abortion providers) a necessary entry point into the health care system, ignoring women’s genuine needs as well as their moral convictions.
• We support efforts for a temporary increase in nutrition assistance with more resources for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), and expanding eligibility for unemployed workers and legal immigrants. Our experience at the local level convinces us that additional funding is also needed for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), all of which provide critical assistance for families in need, the unemployed, the disabled, and the elderly.
• We also strongly oppose a provision in the bill that would require the use of the E-verify employer verification system by every organization receiving funding from the stimulus package. This provision could slow down implementation of the package and any subsequent economic recovery, because organizations would have to enroll in, learn, and implement the system. As a recent Congressional Budget Office report detailed, the E-verify program would add to the costs borne by small businesses, state and local governments, schools, hospitals, and non-profit organizations mandated to enroll in the system. The Social Security Administration database upon which the E-verify system relies has unacceptably high error rates and could lead to the wrongful dismissals of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. We urge you to remove this provision from the bill and defer its consideration to a more appropriate vehicle, such as legislation that reforms the nation's immigration laws.
• We support efforts to protect low-income families from losing Medicaid and social service assistance. Temporarily increasing Federal Medicaid matching payments (FMAP) and providing grants to state and local governments for social service programs (SSBG) will help ensure that the safety net remains strong.
• We support increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help poor families cope with costly heating oil and gas bills.
• We support extending Unemployment Insurance benefits (UI) to people in states with disproportionately high unemployment rates. Changes should be made to existing, arbitrary, and unnecessary rules which result in nearly 60 percent of laid-off workers being excluded from UI benefits.
• We support funding increases to HUD's Emergency Shelter Grant program that helps families avoid eviction or obtain new housing. A million more families with children could fall into deep poverty as a result of this economic crisis, putting them at a particularly high risk of homelessness.
• We support capitalizing the new Housing Trust Fund, which will employ workers in the construction or rehabilitation of homes for families facing dire situations. This will assist families through what may be a lengthy recession. Likewise, additional funding for additional housing vouchers would offer access to stable, affordable housing for vulnerable families.
• We support efforts to create jobs for unemployed and underemployed people in private, non-profit, and public sectors that advance important national priorities, reflect good stewardship of resources, and meet urgent and emerging needs (e.g. alternative energy, environment, and infrastructure).
We urge Congress to act quickly and wisely with a constant attention to addressing the human impact and moral dimensions of this recession. As Pope Benedict XVI in his recent address to members of the diplomatic corps reminds us, “Bolstering the economy demands rebuilding confidence. This goal will only be reached by implementing an ethics based on the innate dignity of the human person.” This is no time to seek economic or partisan advantage. This is a time to pursue the common good, beginning with help for the families and communities most hurt by this crisis.
I pray that working together you can find the courage, wisdom, and skill to build a prosperous economy with greater justice for all.
Sincerely,
Most Rev. William F. Murphy
Bishop of Rockville Centre
Chairman
Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), made the call in a January 28 letter to both houses of Congress.
“Low-income families and individuals are experiencing the greatest hardship and have the least capacity to cope in this time of economic crisis,” Bishop Murphy said in the letter, adding that these people are also more likely “to use these new resources quickly to purchase the essentials of life and to help move our economy forward.”
Citing the need to avoid partisan or ideological agendas and to focus on the needs of the poor, Bishop Murphy offered the bishops’ support for aspects of the proposed recovery legislation. These include increasing funds for nutrition assistance through food stamps and other programs, protecting low-income families from losing Medicaid and social service assistance, and extending Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. He also urged the House to reject measures that regarding contraception and immigration as unnecessary and inconsistent with the purposes of the recovery legislation.
Bishop Murphy echoed Pope Benedict XVI’s call to bolster the economy by focusing on the dignity of the human person, adding, “This is a time to pursue the common good, beginning with help for the families and communities most hurt by this crisis.”
FULL TEXT of the Senate version of the letter follows:
Dear Senator:
On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I urge you to make the lives and dignity of poor families and vulnerable workers central priorities as Congress adopts an economic recovery package. Low-income families and individuals are experiencing the greatest hardship and have the least capacity to cope in this time of economic crisis. Low income people are also likely to use these new resources quickly to purchase the essentials of life and to help move our economy forward. Economic policies that assist and protect ‘the least among us’ are the right thing to do morally. I believe they are also very effective economically.
In this crucial moment, Congress should resist pressure to advance ideological or partisan agendas. New measures to expand contraception coverage or prescribe rules for immigrant employment are particularly inappropriate in legislation to promote economic recovery. Attention to those most affected by the crisis with priority for the poor and vulnerable can restore economic growth by rebuilding hope and opportunity for those who are losing their jobs, their homes, and their chance at a decent life for their families.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have begun consideration of different versions of the economic stimulus package entitled American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This legislation includes several measures that reflect a priority for poor and vulnerable people. Unfortunately, in our view, others do not.
We urge your consideration of these important provisions:
• We strongly support efforts to strengthen and expand the refundable child tax credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit that would offer assistance to millions more poor and working families. These proven vehicles can get resources to those who need them the most and are almost certain to use this help to purchase the essentials of a decent life. It is essential these tax provisions be structured to include those with the fewest resources and the greatest needs.
• We strongly oppose the specific sections that target efforts to expand coverage for family planning (and only family planning) for low-income and temporarily unemployed women. They neglect women’s real needs and serve no legitimate purpose for an economic stimulus package. A non-pregnant woman who loses her job but is ineligible for Medicaid, SCHIP, and other government health care may have an urgent need for basic health care coverage for herself and her family, as well as assistance in finding gainful employment. This focus could even reduce basic health coverage, by cancelling support for “benchmark” and “benchmark-equivalent” health benefits unless they begin including contraceptive coverage. Finally, by covering any other related services only if they are “pursuant to” provision of family planning and offered in a “family planning setting,” effectively makes family planning clinics (many of which are abortion providers) a necessary entry point into the health care system, ignoring women’s genuine needs as well as their moral convictions.
• We support efforts for a temporary increase in nutrition assistance with more resources for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), and expanding eligibility for unemployed workers and legal immigrants. Our experience at the local level convinces us that additional funding is also needed for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), all of which provide critical assistance for families in need, the unemployed, the disabled, and the elderly.
• We also strongly oppose a provision in the bill that would require the use of the E-verify employer verification system by every organization receiving funding from the stimulus package. This provision could slow down implementation of the package and any subsequent economic recovery, because organizations would have to enroll in, learn, and implement the system. As a recent Congressional Budget Office report detailed, the E-verify program would add to the costs borne by small businesses, state and local governments, schools, hospitals, and non-profit organizations mandated to enroll in the system. The Social Security Administration database upon which the E-verify system relies has unacceptably high error rates and could lead to the wrongful dismissals of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. We urge you to remove this provision from the bill and defer its consideration to a more appropriate vehicle, such as legislation that reforms the nation's immigration laws.
• We support efforts to protect low-income families from losing Medicaid and social service assistance. Temporarily increasing Federal Medicaid matching payments (FMAP) and providing grants to state and local governments for social service programs (SSBG) will help ensure that the safety net remains strong.
• We support increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help poor families cope with costly heating oil and gas bills.
• We support extending Unemployment Insurance benefits (UI) to people in states with disproportionately high unemployment rates. Changes should be made to existing, arbitrary, and unnecessary rules which result in nearly 60 percent of laid-off workers being excluded from UI benefits.
• We support funding increases to HUD's Emergency Shelter Grant program that helps families avoid eviction or obtain new housing. A million more families with children could fall into deep poverty as a result of this economic crisis, putting them at a particularly high risk of homelessness.
• We support capitalizing the new Housing Trust Fund, which will employ workers in the construction or rehabilitation of homes for families facing dire situations. This will assist families through what may be a lengthy recession. Likewise, additional funding for additional housing vouchers would offer access to stable, affordable housing for vulnerable families.
• We support efforts to create jobs for unemployed and underemployed people in private, non-profit, and public sectors that advance important national priorities, reflect good stewardship of resources, and meet urgent and emerging needs (e.g. alternative energy, environment, and infrastructure).
We urge Congress to act quickly and wisely with a constant attention to addressing the human impact and moral dimensions of this recession. As Pope Benedict XVI in his recent address to members of the diplomatic corps reminds us, “Bolstering the economy demands rebuilding confidence. This goal will only be reached by implementing an ethics based on the innate dignity of the human person.” This is no time to seek economic or partisan advantage. This is a time to pursue the common good, beginning with help for the families and communities most hurt by this crisis.
I pray that working together you can find the courage, wisdom, and skill to build a prosperous economy with greater justice for all.
Sincerely,
Most Rev. William F. Murphy
Bishop of Rockville Centre
Chairman
Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Vatican Official in US: Immigration Has Benefits
Says Migration Is Opportunity for Interreligious Dialogue
SAN DIEGO, California, JAN. 27, 2009 ( Zenit.org ).- Immigration presents both a challenge and an opportunity, and requires the promotion of authentic integration as well as respect for the dignity of each person, affirmed a Vatican official in California.
Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, said this today in an address at San Diego University. The theme of the conference was "Religion, Migration and National Identity."
Archbishop Marchetto spoke about the cultural identity of migrants, easily lost when they move to a new society, and the need to prepare people for this step through pre-migration educational programs.
He addressed the need for genuine integration of migrants into their host society, avoiding the extremes of total rejection of the new culture and its consequent marginalization, or the migrant's adoption of the "local cultural model without in the least attempting to evaluate its consequences on the way they conduct their own lives."
The prelate stated that this intercultural integration through dialogue is the responsibility of the immigrant as well as the host society.
He continued, "A simple juxtaposition of groups of migrants and locals tends to encourage a reciprocal closure between cultures, or the establishment, among them, of relations that are merely superficial or tolerant. We should encourage instead a mutual fecundation of cultures."
Archbishop Marchetto addressed the importance of emphasizing respect for the dignity of each person, including respect for their cultural practices and religious traditions.
He pointed out that due to the link between culture and religion, "international migration has become a golden opportunity not only for dialogue between cultures, but also for interreligious dialogue."
He added, "If therefore society wants to benefit from international migration, then it must respect the freedom of migrants to profess, practice and even change their religion."
In this regard, the archbishop advocated the principle of reciprocity, "a relationship based on mutual respect and on justice in juridical and religious matters" that "enables us to live together everywhere with equal rights and duties."
He concluded by affirming the "treasure" of plurality of cultures, and the need to promote the value of unity, living as one human family according to God's design.
--- --- ---
On the Net:
Full text: www.zenit.org/article-24922?l=english
SAN DIEGO, California, JAN. 27, 2009 ( Zenit.org ).- Immigration presents both a challenge and an opportunity, and requires the promotion of authentic integration as well as respect for the dignity of each person, affirmed a Vatican official in California.
Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, said this today in an address at San Diego University. The theme of the conference was "Religion, Migration and National Identity."
Archbishop Marchetto spoke about the cultural identity of migrants, easily lost when they move to a new society, and the need to prepare people for this step through pre-migration educational programs.
He addressed the need for genuine integration of migrants into their host society, avoiding the extremes of total rejection of the new culture and its consequent marginalization, or the migrant's adoption of the "local cultural model without in the least attempting to evaluate its consequences on the way they conduct their own lives."
The prelate stated that this intercultural integration through dialogue is the responsibility of the immigrant as well as the host society.
He continued, "A simple juxtaposition of groups of migrants and locals tends to encourage a reciprocal closure between cultures, or the establishment, among them, of relations that are merely superficial or tolerant. We should encourage instead a mutual fecundation of cultures."
Archbishop Marchetto addressed the importance of emphasizing respect for the dignity of each person, including respect for their cultural practices and religious traditions.
He pointed out that due to the link between culture and religion, "international migration has become a golden opportunity not only for dialogue between cultures, but also for interreligious dialogue."
He added, "If therefore society wants to benefit from international migration, then it must respect the freedom of migrants to profess, practice and even change their religion."
In this regard, the archbishop advocated the principle of reciprocity, "a relationship based on mutual respect and on justice in juridical and religious matters" that "enables us to live together everywhere with equal rights and duties."
He concluded by affirming the "treasure" of plurality of cultures, and the need to promote the value of unity, living as one human family according to God's design.
--- --- ---
On the Net:
Full text: www.zenit.org/article-24922?l=english
Friday, January 23, 2009
Bishops Welcome Obama Executive Order Banning Torture
WASHINGTON—An executive order banning torture signed by President Barack Obama was welcomed by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, Chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
"Based upon the teachings of the Catholic Church, our Conference of Bishops welcomes the executive order," Bishop Hubbard said. "Together with other religious leaders, we had pressed for this step to protect human dignity and help restore the moral and legal standing of the United States in the world."
He added: "A ban on torture says much about us – who we are, what we believe about human life and dignity, and how we act as a nation."
In their November 2007 document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. bishops declared that "direct assaults on innocent human life and violations of human dignity, such as genocide, torture, racism, and the targeting of noncombatants in acts of terror or war, can never be justified" (No. 23). The bishops asserted: "The use of torture must be rejected as fundamentally incompatible with the dignity of the human person and ultimately counterproductive in the effort to combat terrorism" (No. 81).
In September 2007 Pope Benedict XVI, echoing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, said "[T]he prohibition against torture 'cannot be contravened under any circumstance.'"
"Based upon the teachings of the Catholic Church, our Conference of Bishops welcomes the executive order," Bishop Hubbard said. "Together with other religious leaders, we had pressed for this step to protect human dignity and help restore the moral and legal standing of the United States in the world."
He added: "A ban on torture says much about us – who we are, what we believe about human life and dignity, and how we act as a nation."
In their November 2007 document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. bishops declared that "direct assaults on innocent human life and violations of human dignity, such as genocide, torture, racism, and the targeting of noncombatants in acts of terror or war, can never be justified" (No. 23). The bishops asserted: "The use of torture must be rejected as fundamentally incompatible with the dignity of the human person and ultimately counterproductive in the effort to combat terrorism" (No. 81).
In September 2007 Pope Benedict XVI, echoing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, said "[T]he prohibition against torture 'cannot be contravened under any circumstance.'"
President Obama's Reversal of Mexico City Policy 'Very Disappointing,'
WASHINGTON—The decision by President Barack Obama to reverse the Mexico City Policy is "very disappointing," said Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
He made the statement January 23, after President Obama issued the executive order restoring U.S. funding to organizations that perform and promote abortion in developing nations. Cardinal Rigali's statement follows.
"It is very disappointing that President Obama has reversed the Mexico City Policy, which prevents U.S. funding of organizations that perform and promote abortion as a family planning method in developing nations. An Administration that wants to reduce abortions should not divert U.S. funds to groups that promote abortions.
"Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote to President-elect Obama last week urging him to retain this policy. As Cardinal George said in his letter:
"'The Mexico City Policy, first established in 1984, has wrongly been attacked as a restriction on foreign aid for family planning. In fact, it has not reduced such aid at all, but has ensured that family planning funds are not diverted to organizations dedicated to performing and promoting abortions instead of reducing them. Once the clear line between family planning and abortion is erased, the idea of using family planning to reduce abortions becomes meaningless, and abortion tends to replace contraception as the means for reducing family size. A shift toward promoting abortion in developing nations would also increase distrust of the United States in these nations, whose values and culture often reject abortion, at a time when we need their trust and respect.'"
He made the statement January 23, after President Obama issued the executive order restoring U.S. funding to organizations that perform and promote abortion in developing nations. Cardinal Rigali's statement follows.
"It is very disappointing that President Obama has reversed the Mexico City Policy, which prevents U.S. funding of organizations that perform and promote abortion as a family planning method in developing nations. An Administration that wants to reduce abortions should not divert U.S. funds to groups that promote abortions.
"Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote to President-elect Obama last week urging him to retain this policy. As Cardinal George said in his letter:
"'The Mexico City Policy, first established in 1984, has wrongly been attacked as a restriction on foreign aid for family planning. In fact, it has not reduced such aid at all, but has ensured that family planning funds are not diverted to organizations dedicated to performing and promoting abortions instead of reducing them. Once the clear line between family planning and abortion is erased, the idea of using family planning to reduce abortions becomes meaningless, and abortion tends to replace contraception as the means for reducing family size. A shift toward promoting abortion in developing nations would also increase distrust of the United States in these nations, whose values and culture often reject abortion, at a time when we need their trust and respect.'"
Monday, January 19, 2009
Holy See and Gaza: Humanitarian Relief
AID TO THE PEOPLE OF GAZA
VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2009 (VIS) - "In the face of the unrelenting conflict in the Gaza Strip, which has provoked a major humanitarian crisis, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has affirmed several times his closeness to our brothers and sisters, who have already suffered so much", reads a communique released today.
"In his name, the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum', the dicastery of the Holy See entrusted with implementing the charitable initiatives of the Holy Father, has sent a personal concrete sign to aid the relief efforts of the small but fervent Catholic presence in Gaza. It is directed to Fr. Manuel Musallam, pastor of Holy Family Church, the Missionaries of Charity, and other religious congregations, who serve those especially vulnerable in the homeland of Jesus, now being tragically scourged by death, human pain, material damage, and tears that cry out for peace".
CON-CU/AID GAZA/... VIS 090119 (150)
SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE AND ISRAEL
VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2009 (VIS) - On 16 January, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, participated in the tenth emergency special session of the U.N. General Assembly dedicated to: " Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory: draft resolution (A/ES-10/L.21)".
Speaking English, Archbishop Migliore turned his attention to "the dramatic situation in Gaza and some Israeli cities", expressing his solidarity "with the civilians in those regions who bear the brunt of a cruel conflict". He also highlighted the need "to step up the pace of the joint diplomatic efforts and ensure that urgent humanitarian assistance reaches those in need.
"The Holy See asks that Security Council resolution 1860, of 8 January, which calls for an immediate and enduring ceasefire as well as for unimpeded humanitarian assistance, be implemented fully", he added. "In the past few days we have witnessed a practical failure from all sides to respect the distinction of civilians from military targets. Within the context of this resolution, we call on all parties to fully abide by the requirements of international humanitarian law, in order to ensure the protection of civilians".
Over sixty years of coexistence, he went on, Israelis and Palestinians have "witnessed a long succession of conflict, but also of dialogue, including the Madrid meetings, the Oslo Accords, the Wye Memorandum, the peace process of the Quartet, the road map and the Annapolis Conference with their two State solution. Unfortunately, however, the many efforts to establish peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples have so far failed", he noted.
"The United Nations has the weighty task to get the parties to respect the ceasefire, pave the way to negotiations and agreements between them and ensure humanitarian assistance. In particular, this General Assembly can assist the parties in the conflict to discover new patterns for establishing peace, patterns based on mutual acceptance and co-operation amid diversity".
DELSS/ISRAEL PALESTINE CONFLICT/U.N.:MIGLIORE VIS 090119 (340)
VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2009 (VIS) - "In the face of the unrelenting conflict in the Gaza Strip, which has provoked a major humanitarian crisis, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has affirmed several times his closeness to our brothers and sisters, who have already suffered so much", reads a communique released today.
"In his name, the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum', the dicastery of the Holy See entrusted with implementing the charitable initiatives of the Holy Father, has sent a personal concrete sign to aid the relief efforts of the small but fervent Catholic presence in Gaza. It is directed to Fr. Manuel Musallam, pastor of Holy Family Church, the Missionaries of Charity, and other religious congregations, who serve those especially vulnerable in the homeland of Jesus, now being tragically scourged by death, human pain, material damage, and tears that cry out for peace".
CON-CU/AID GAZA/... VIS 090119 (150)
SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE AND ISRAEL
VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2009 (VIS) - On 16 January, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, participated in the tenth emergency special session of the U.N. General Assembly dedicated to: " Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory: draft resolution (A/ES-10/L.21)".
Speaking English, Archbishop Migliore turned his attention to "the dramatic situation in Gaza and some Israeli cities", expressing his solidarity "with the civilians in those regions who bear the brunt of a cruel conflict". He also highlighted the need "to step up the pace of the joint diplomatic efforts and ensure that urgent humanitarian assistance reaches those in need.
"The Holy See asks that Security Council resolution 1860, of 8 January, which calls for an immediate and enduring ceasefire as well as for unimpeded humanitarian assistance, be implemented fully", he added. "In the past few days we have witnessed a practical failure from all sides to respect the distinction of civilians from military targets. Within the context of this resolution, we call on all parties to fully abide by the requirements of international humanitarian law, in order to ensure the protection of civilians".
Over sixty years of coexistence, he went on, Israelis and Palestinians have "witnessed a long succession of conflict, but also of dialogue, including the Madrid meetings, the Oslo Accords, the Wye Memorandum, the peace process of the Quartet, the road map and the Annapolis Conference with their two State solution. Unfortunately, however, the many efforts to establish peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples have so far failed", he noted.
"The United Nations has the weighty task to get the parties to respect the ceasefire, pave the way to negotiations and agreements between them and ensure humanitarian assistance. In particular, this General Assembly can assist the parties in the conflict to discover new patterns for establishing peace, patterns based on mutual acceptance and co-operation amid diversity".
DELSS/ISRAEL PALESTINE CONFLICT/U.N.:MIGLIORE VIS 090119 (340)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for week of January 18
Providing Help. Creating Hope.
VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.
MISSION: To provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Committed to work to reduce poverty in half by 2020.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)
On Sunday (2nd Week of Ordinary Time, B Cycle) we read how Jesus' earliest disciples started to follow him. Jesus questions them: "what are you looking for?" The disciples do not know how to answer but rather change the topic and ask where he lives. Jesus invites them: "Come and see." We hear in the first reading from Samuel, that the Lord is persistent in His calling each of us; we have to be open to hearing that Word of invitation. St. Paul reminds the faith community at Corinth that as we respond to the Lord's call, everything changes: we are the Lord's and are called upon to act and be different.
In Catholic Charities we must demonstrate the same openness to each person who comes through our doors or call us on the phone. Since we continue Jesus' healing and loving ministry, we must be, look, and act differently with, to and for our clients. We are places of radical hospitality; people of great welcome no matter the need or fear you have, "Come and See."
Some important date(s) this week:
SUNDAY JANUARY 18-JANUARY 24: National Week: Christian Unity.
MONDAY JANUARY 19. National Holiday. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. See Bishop's Murry talk on Martin Luther King and call to reduce poverty as reported in the Youngstown Vindicator.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22. St. Vincent Palloti. 1795-1850. Born to the Italian nobility. Priest. Taught theology. He lived in constant danger working with the sick during a cholera epidemic. Highly successful fund-raiser for charities for the poor. Founded guilds for workers, agricultural schools, loan associations, orphanages and homes forgirls. Felt a strong calling to bring Christ to Muslims, and founded a program to incorporatelay people in the apostolate of priests. Founded the Pious Society of Missions (Pallottines) for urban mission work. Started the special observance of the Octave of Epiphany for the reunion of theEastern and Roman Churches, and the return of the Church in England.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23. St. John the Almoner. 550-616. Cypriot nobility; son of the governer of Cyprus. Married briefly, and father of one child. Entered the religious life when his wifeand child died of disease. Patriarch of Alexandria in 608. Archbishop. Known as the Almoner because of his generosity to thepoor. Helped refugees from Persian assults on the Holy Lands. Forced to leave Alexandria when the Persians threatened to overrun it, he returned to his home on Cyprus. Predicted the date of his own death.
PAPAL INTENTIONS:
January 2009
General: That the family may become more and more a place of training in charity, personal growth and transmission of the faith.
Mission: That the different Christian confessions, aware of the need for a new evangelisation in this period of profound transformations, may be committed to announcing the Good News and moving towards the full unity of all Christians in order to offer a more credible testimony of the Gospel.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead
See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/
VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.
MISSION: To provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Committed to work to reduce poverty in half by 2020.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)
On Sunday (2nd Week of Ordinary Time, B Cycle) we read how Jesus' earliest disciples started to follow him. Jesus questions them: "what are you looking for?" The disciples do not know how to answer but rather change the topic and ask where he lives. Jesus invites them: "Come and see." We hear in the first reading from Samuel, that the Lord is persistent in His calling each of us; we have to be open to hearing that Word of invitation. St. Paul reminds the faith community at Corinth that as we respond to the Lord's call, everything changes: we are the Lord's and are called upon to act and be different.
In Catholic Charities we must demonstrate the same openness to each person who comes through our doors or call us on the phone. Since we continue Jesus' healing and loving ministry, we must be, look, and act differently with, to and for our clients. We are places of radical hospitality; people of great welcome no matter the need or fear you have, "Come and See."
Some important date(s) this week:
SUNDAY JANUARY 18-JANUARY 24: National Week: Christian Unity.
MONDAY JANUARY 19. National Holiday. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. See Bishop's Murry talk on Martin Luther King and call to reduce poverty as reported in the Youngstown Vindicator.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22. St. Vincent Palloti. 1795-1850. Born to the Italian nobility. Priest. Taught theology. He lived in constant danger working with the sick during a cholera epidemic. Highly successful fund-raiser for charities for the poor. Founded guilds for workers, agricultural schools, loan associations, orphanages and homes forgirls. Felt a strong calling to bring Christ to Muslims, and founded a program to incorporatelay people in the apostolate of priests. Founded the Pious Society of Missions (Pallottines) for urban mission work. Started the special observance of the Octave of Epiphany for the reunion of theEastern and Roman Churches, and the return of the Church in England.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23. St. John the Almoner. 550-616. Cypriot nobility; son of the governer of Cyprus. Married briefly, and father of one child. Entered the religious life when his wifeand child died of disease. Patriarch of Alexandria in 608. Archbishop. Known as the Almoner because of his generosity to thepoor. Helped refugees from Persian assults on the Holy Lands. Forced to leave Alexandria when the Persians threatened to overrun it, he returned to his home on Cyprus. Predicted the date of his own death.
PAPAL INTENTIONS:
January 2009
General: That the family may become more and more a place of training in charity, personal growth and transmission of the faith.
Mission: That the different Christian confessions, aware of the need for a new evangelisation in this period of profound transformations, may be committed to announcing the Good News and moving towards the full unity of all Christians in order to offer a more credible testimony of the Gospel.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead
See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/
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