WASHINGTON—Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued the following statement:

President Obama’s comments today in support of the redefinition of marriage are deeply saddening. As I stated in my public letter to the President on September 20, 2011, the Catholic Bishops stand ready to affirm every positive measure taken by the President and the Administration to strengthen marriage and the family. However, we cannot be silent in the face of words or actions that would undermine the institution of marriage, the very cornerstone of our society. The people of this country, especially our children, deserve better. Unfortunately, President Obama’s words today are not surprising since they follow upon various actions already taken by his Administration that erode or ignore the unique meaning of marriage. I pray for the President every day, and will continue to pray that he and his Administration act justly to uphold and protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman. May we all work to promote and protect marriage and by so doing serve the true good of all persons.

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“Christians have a responsibility to live out their faith in the public square, and today that also means online,” said Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Communications. “People donate, speak out on numerous issues, get their news and participate in campaigns through the Internet and social media. The Church also needs to reach people through these media.”

Resources include:

• An issues quiz, which will help Catholics form their consciences through statistics and facts related to key moral issues including abortion, poverty, embryonic stem cell research and immigration. One quiz question will be posted every Tuesday and Thursday starting April 24 at www.facebook.com/usccb.
• Video reflections by bishops, including Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami and Archbishop-designate William Lori of Baltimore, discussing different issues of importance for Catholic voters: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/videos-for-faithful-citizenship.cfm.
• A “Catholics Care. Catholics Vote.” blog series, which explores different aspects of the bishops’ document, including its assertion that political involvement is a moral duty for Catholics, the questions of conscience formation and a range of issues highlighted by the bishops ahead of the 2012 Elections: http://usccbmedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/catholics-care-catholic-vote-series.html.
• A tab on USCCB’s page on Facebook called “Catholics Care. Catholics Vote.” This web portal aggregates all of these resources at www.facebook.com/usccb/app_189116767802011.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information:

DATE: April 25, 2012
FROM:  Don Clemmer
O: 202-541-3206
M: 260-580-1137

Keywords: Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, political responsibility, civic engagement, moral duty, Catholics, bishops, USCCB, U.S. bishops, document, statement, guide, issues, election, voting, advocacy, campaigns, social media, resources, Facebook, Youtube, blog, video reflections, parish, diocese, consciences

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Too often today, we hear complaints about the church meddling in politics. We are accused of trying to take the reins of political power and imposing our religion on others. The church, however, does not seek to control the state nor does it wish to impose sectarian beliefs on the public.

Instead, the church seeks to be the conscience of the state, reminding society of the objective norms that are accessible to all and which govern right action. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, the church seeks to “help purify and shed light upon the application of reason to the discovery of objective moral principles.”

This year, we should com­mem­orate one occasion for which everyone should be grateful that the church intervened in the public arena to remind all people of their common humanity.

Averting war

2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which took place in October 1962. The placement of Soviet missiles in Cuba put the world on the brink of nuclear war, with neither the Americans nor the Russians wanting to back down for fear of looking weak.

Both President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev, facing “assured mutual destruction,” sought to avert war, but both were being pressured by agents of war in their respective governments to stand firm and launch a first strike if necessary.

To break the stalemate, it was suggested to President Kennedy that he seek the help of Pope John XXIII.  The president agreed, which was ironic given his promise not to let the Holy See dictate his policies as the first Catholic president.

Over the ensuing two days, a flurry of messages was sent between the White House and the Kremlin, with the Vatican serving as the intermediary. Blessed Pope John proposed a public message addressed to all people of good will and, after both leaders agreed, it was read publicly. The pope’s statement, which appeared in newspapers around the world and in the Soviet Union, read as follows:

“We beg all governments not to remain deaf to this cry of humanity. That they do all that is in their power to save peace. They will thus spare the world from the horrors of a war whose terrifying consequences no one can predict. That they continue discussions, as this loyal and open behavior has great value as a witness of everyone’s conscience and before history. Promoting, favoring, accepting conversations, at all levels and in any time, is a rule of wisdom and prudence which attracts the blessings of heaven and earth.”

The pope’s “decisive intervention,” as the Associated Press later described it, helped avert nuclear war. It allowed Krushchev to save face and not look weak by being the reasonable leader who kept the peace by removing the missiles from Cuba.

Papal diplomacy — as well as the efforts of local churches — to secure and maintain peace, or what St. Augustine called “the tranquility of order” (CCC 2304), has long been a feature of international affairs. The Holy See is a permanent observer at the United Nations because of this tradition.

Sadly, the church’s role as a neutral, diplomatic intermediary, which seeks to remind nations of the horrors of war and their obligations to respect international law and justice, often goes unheeded.

In our country, Pope John Paul II’s pleas to the Bush administration not to invade Iraq in 2003 were politely, but arrogantly dismissed. The result was a war that brought devastation and hundreds of thousands of deaths, has facilitated the near extinction of the ancient Christian community in Iraq, and has unleashed unforeseen political turmoil that has destabilized the entire region.

Few wars satisfy the very strict criteria of a “just war” (CCC 2309). The use of nuclear weapons, in particular, cannot be justified because their use aims to bring an enemy into submission by killing innocent, non-combatant civilians (CCC 2314).

Blessed John Paul II stated clearly the church’s view that war is not a useful tool for solving political disagreements: “No, never again war, which destroys the lives of innocent people, teaches how to kill, throws into upheaval even the lives of those who do the killing and leaves behind a trail of resentment and hatred, thus making it all the more difficult to find a just solution of the very problem which provoked the war” (“Centesimus Annus,” No. 52).

Threat still lurks

Today, sadly, the drumbeat of war continues. Besides the recent American incursion into Libya, and the decade-long war in Afghanistan (not to mention our continued presence in Iraq), the threat of war lurks in relations with Iran, North Korea and Syria. The current administration is even rattling sabers in Southeast Asia, where we are expanding our military presence in places such as Australia to thwart Chinese expansion in the region.

The best efforts of popes, bishops, and church diplomats to avert war will be ignored unless all Catholics and people of good will stand against it. “All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war” (CCC 2308).

Let us join our voices and prayers to those working for just solutions to the political conflicts of today.

Blessed are the peacemakers.

Jason Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

Urge movement toward comprehensive immigration reform

 WASHINGTON (April 24, 2012)—In letters sent April 24, on the eve of oral arguments to the Supreme Court on Arizona’s immigration law, 15 religious leaders urged President Barack Obama and the 112^th Congress to “reassert your authority” and move to enact immigration reform legislation “as soon as possible.”

The national faith leaders expressed concern that, because of its inaction on this issue for several years, the federal government is implicitly transferring “unprecedented authority” to state and local governments to implement immigration policy, to the “detriment of our nation and our local communities.”

“Instead of one federal immigration system applicable to all, we now have many states and an untold number of localities attempting to create their own immigration policies,” the letters stated. “This will only lead to a patchwork of laws which would cause family separation, economic disruption, and divided communities.”

The leaders called for federal elected officials to move to enact immigration reform legislation, which would reaffirm federal authority over immigration law and preserve family unity as the cornerstone of the U.S. immigration system. They agreed that any reform of the system should feature a path to citizenship for the undocumented.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of USCCB, and Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, signed the letters on behalf of the U.S. bishops. Other signatories included Bishop Minerva Circano, resident bishop of the Phoenix area of the United Methodist Church and chair of the United Methodist Task Force on Immigration; Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church; Rabbi Steve Gutow, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs; and Reverend Sam Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

The letters can be found at: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/immigration/upload/April-2012-USCCB-Interfaith-Letter-to-Congress-Immigration.pdf and www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/immigration/upload/April-2012-USCCB-Interfaith-Letter-to-President-Obama-Immigration.pdf.

Testimony of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops before the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration on the constitutionality of state laws is available at: www.usccb.org/about/migration-policy/congressional-testimony/upload/Testimony-JYoung-042412-Senate-Judiciary-Hearing.pdf.

The USCCB amicus brief on the case of Arizona v. United States is also available online: www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/amicus-briefs/upload/state-of-arizona-v-united-states-of-america.pdf.

—

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information:

DATE: April 24, 2012
FROM: Don Clemmer
O: 202-541-3206
M: 260-580-1137

Keywords: U.S. bishops, USCCB, immigration, comprehensive immigration reform, federal law, U.S. Congress, President Obama, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop José

Gomez, Leith Anderson, National Association of Evangelicals, policy, U.S. Supreme Court, Arizona v. United States, state and local governments

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St. Paul, Minn—Minnesota’s Catholic bishops, through their public policy office, the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), today released a statement reiterating their continued concern about our nation’s “ineffective” immigration laws, as well as their opposition to  state-level attempts at reform, which they believe are not prudent or just or solutions to a complex problem.

 The bishops encourage Minnesota Catholics and all people of goodwill to petition Congress and the President to enact comprehensive immigration reform.

In the 1,300-word statement, “Unlocking the Gate in Our Hearts,” Minnesota’s Catholic bishops have joined their voice with their brother bishops around the country to encourage reform of the nation’s immigration laws.  Due to the nation’s broken system, several states, most prominently Arizona and Alabama, have recently tried to address the problem by enacting their own policies. Minnesota has been considering similar enforcement measures.  The bishops generally oppose these efforts.

“State-based solutions that focus on enforcement and divide families are not effective policies,” said Jason Adkins, Minnesota Catholic Conference executive director. “The enactment of state-level immigration policies should also be resisted because they will impede more effective, comprehensive solutions at the federal level.”

The Catholic Church has long been a vocal proponent of comprehensive immigration reform, and on the forefront of addressing the basic rights and needs of undocumented workers and their families. Some state-level legislation, however, directly interferes with that mission.

“The bills introduced in Alabama and Arizona makes it a crime to harbor illegal immigrants, which directly challenges the Catholic Church’s mission to serve all those in need,” said Adkins. “Bills like these not only threaten the human dignity of undocumented workers, but also threaten the Church’s mandate to serve those in need. And that threat to religious freedom affects all of us.”

The bishops recognize that the issue of immigration can be politically divisive, so they stress in the statement that “finding solutions to the plight of immigrants today will sometimes necessitate the overcoming of boundaries in the heart not just on the land.”   Working together for the common good often first requires a conversion of heart and an ability to see clearly the needs of others.

The statement references the Catholic teaching that “The human right to life—the foundation of every other right—implies the right to emigrate,” while also noting that immigrants are also obliged to respect and abide by the laws and traditions of the countries in which they come to reside. The statement indicates five key principles from which to assess policy proposals, including that “human rights and human dignity of all persons, including undocumented immigrants, should be respected.”

The statement can be found online, in both Spanish and English, at the Minnesota Catholic Conference website: mncc.org. Bilingual hard copies of the statement, currently under development, will list resources for Catholic communities and individuals to learn more about advocating for comprehensive immigration reform. Call 651.227.8777 to place an order for your organization.

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 ABOUT MCC

Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) coordinates the Catholic Church’s non-partisan lobbying and public policy activities on behalf of the bishops of Minnesota. It supports the ministry of the Minnesota Catholic bishops by: working with political and community leaders to shape legislation that serves the common good; educating Catholics and the public about the ethical and moral framework that should be applied to public policy choices; and, mobilizing the Catholic community to makes its voice heard in the public arena. MCC advocacy areas include economic welfare, human trafficking, immigration, education, bio-ethics, religious liberty, and marriage and family. On the grassroots level, MCC’s MN Catholic Advocacy Network (MNCAN) and Parent Advocacy Network provide opportunities for Minnesota Catholics to carry out their responsibility to participate in political life. For more information or to join MNCAN, including the Parent Advocacy Network, visit mncc.org. Follow MCC on Facebook and Twitter.

The Catholic Church is sometimes unfairly reproached because of an inaccurate perception that her defense of marriage and family diminishes her efforts to address economic problems such as poverty and the rights of workers.

For example, during a recent conversation I was asked when “the Catholic Church [will] stop involving herself in social issues like abortion and marriage and begin solving real problems like economic injustice.”

Creating false dichotomies

The question sets up a false dichotomy pitting two complementary and necessarily interdependent aspects of human life against each other. This view assumes that issues that intersect with human sexuality are simply “private issues” as opposed to social questions.

Marriage, however, is a profoundly social institution.  The civil institution of marriage primarily serves the well-being of children and affirms the optimal setting for their development. This, in turn, helps protect and nurture the next generation and the good of society.

Those who suggest that marriage is simply the emotional union of two adults, or that the government should not be in the marriage business at all, advocate for what we may call a “social free market,” that is, an individualist theory that reduces government functions to facilitating “choice,” and which conceives its purpose almost entirely in terms of limiting the harm individuals do to each other as they pursue their various lifestyle choices.

Rather than unite individuals in service of the common good, this unbridling of man’s thirst for his own self-interest atomizes society and isolates individuals from community. As Pope Leo XIII wrote in the encyclical “Libertas Praestantissimum,” the proponents of a social free market would “. . . adopt as their own [the] rebellious cry, ‘I will not serve’ and consequently substitute for true liberty what is sheer and most foolish license.”

The lust for freedom ignores the moral values and legal structures needed to defend and support the family. Just as it is an error to let economic relationships be governed solely by the logic of unbridled market forces, it is also a similar mistake to relegate marriage to the private sphere, as if it were just another private contract between consenting parties.

The premium paid for individualism

According to research, children of divorce and single- parent homes are three times more likely to drop out of school or have babies in their teenage years, are five times more likely to end up poor, and are 12 times more likely to be incarcerated.

Our society is also steadily becoming fatherless. Today, roughly 40 percent of our children are raised in homes without fathers, a statistic we cannot attribute only partially to economic conditions, but largely to the combination of no-fault divorce, fragmented or “alternative” parenting, abortion and contraception, which are disrupting our human ecosystem and fueling a culture of hyper-sexualized individualism.

The effects of rampant individualism are not confined to the private sphere, but have profound costs, especially economic ones. When children do well and are formed as virtuous citizens, they will grow up to be productive economic actors. When they do not do well, especially in school, it has profound consequences for not only their own long-term well-being but also for whole economies. Stable marriages produce children who have higher educational attainment. As the Social Trends Institute recently concluded, the well-being of a nation’s economy is closely connected to the well-being of the nuclear family.

Healthy marriages, healthy economies

Here we get back to the original question about why the Church spends so much time defending marriage.  The Church speaks to both marriage and the economy because they are both related to human happiness and social prosperity, and the church wishes to support and contribute to both.

If structural problems require structural solutions, as proponents of economic justice correctly observe, then we ought to pay closer attention to the integral relationship between economics and the social order, and promote what Pope Benedict calls a healthy human ecology.

The author G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “What embitters the world is not excess of criticism, but an absence of self-criticism.” In this vein, those of us with social concerns can no longer afford to play the socio-economic “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” debate over whether economic or cultural forces fragment the family. It isn’t an either/or dilemma. It’s both. Ignoring social justice in the family or in the economy only encourages individualist social and economic policies that come at the expense of human dignity.

Under the PPACA, states must show by January 1, 2013 that they are actively implementing an exchange that will be operating by January 1, 2014, or the federal government will impose one.

“The Catholic Church and Catholic healthcare providers have long advocated for healthcare reform that promotes access, quality, and affordability,” said Toby Pearson, CHA-MN executive director. “Minnesota should continue to be a leader in healthcare and implement an exchange that is able to address the many emerging challenges and opportunities in healthcare today, while at the same time respects the principle that true healthcare and medical ethics uphold the sanctity of life from conception through natural death.”

The PPACA allows states the flexibility to make determinations about the components of the health insurance exchange so that it best fits the state’s needs as well as complies with federal law. Under U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidance, states can choose the benefit set from among the largest existing insurance plans in the state. By selecting one of the state-specific plans, Minnesota is afforded the opportunity to set the benchmark of essential health benefits for our state.

According to the PPACA, maternity and newborn care must be included in any package of essential health benefits. Minnesota can join other states and exclude from coverage morally objectionable practices that do not constitute healthcare, such as abortion. An abortion exclusion would not prevent employers or subscribers from purchasing an additional rider to cover the procedure.

“Minnesota lawmakers should take the opportunity to build an exchange that accounts for Minnesota needs and values,” said MCC Executive Director Jason Adkins. “We cannot just do nothing and pretend the PPACA will go away.”

Adkins continued: “An exchange imposed by the federal government is unlikely to serve Minnesotans as well as something local leaders create. There is also a strong likelihood that a federally imposed exchange will reflect the Obama Administration’s policy of forcing people to pay for coverage of practices that are morally objectionable and do not constitute healthcare.”

He concluded: “It’s time for the Governor and legislative leaders to work together and continue Minnesota’s long traditions of health care excellence and respect for human life.”

The following is an interview given by Archbishop John C. Nienstedt of St Paul and Minneapolis to L’Osservatore Romano’s Nicola Gori.

Considering the recent economic crisis, do you think the Church could suggest ways to humanize the world of finance so that it is more equal and fair?

I believe that this question has been taken on quite well by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in his Encyclical Letter, Caritas in Veritate, in his Address to the College of Cardinals and the Roman Curia on 22 December and more recently in his address to administrators of the Province of Lazio on 12 January. The Holy Father points out that that financial crisis is basically a crisis of ethics and anthropology, stating: “Insofar as they are instruments, the entire economy and finance, not just certain sectors, must be used in an ethical way so as to create suitable conditions for human development and for the development of peoples” (Caritas in Veritate, n. 65).

Benedict XVI also wrote: “Development is impossible without upright men and women, without financiers and politicians whose consciences are finally attuned to the requirements of the common good” (ibid., n. 71). Adding finally that “There cannot be holistic development and universal common good unless people’s spiritual and moral welfare is taken into account, considered in their totality as body and soul” (ibid., n. 76). The Holy Father stated: “As this year draws to a close, Europe is undergoing an economic and financial crisis, which is ultimately based on the ethical crisis looming over the Old Continent. Even if such values of solidarity, commitment to one’s neighbor and responsibility towards the poor and suffering are largely uncontroversial, still the motivation is often lacking for individuals and large sectors of society to practice renunciation and make sacrifices. Reception and will do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. In defending personal interest, the will obscures perception, and perception thus weakened is unable to stiffen the will. In this sense, some quite fundamental questions emerge from this crisis: Where is the light that is capable of illuminating our perception not merely with general ideas, but with concrete imperatives? Where is the force that draws the will upwards? These are questions that must be answered by our proclamation of the Gospel, by the New Evangelization, so that message may become evident, so that proclamation may lead to life” (Address to College of Cardinals, 22 December 2011).

“It is important that a renewed humanism be developed, in which the human identity equates with the category of person. The current crisis, in fact, is also rooted in individualism, which obscures people’s relationship dimension and leads them to withdraw in their own small world, concerned primarily with satisfying their own needs and desires, with scant consideration for others. Are not speculation and leases, the increasing difficult integration of young people in the labor market, the loneliness of so many of the elderly, the anonymity which often characterizes life in the neighborhoods of the city and the at times superficial view of situations of marginalization and poverty a consequence of this mindset?” the Holy Father stated in his Address to the Administrators of the Lazio Region on 12 January 2012.

The Church offers the idea of the common good over and against what is often the triumph of individualism and greed. Many financiers see people simply as consumers and a means to an end (money), ignoring their inherent dignity as persons as well as the dignity of their labor. Faith is a key component here. Economic actors and market forces are reflections of decisions made by human persons who, while created in the image of God, are in need not only of the life of grace but also the moral virtues if they are to act in a manner that justly serves the common good. While there is a role for appropriate regulation of financial markets and the economy, what is needed even more so are moral leaders who understand the legitimate goal of profitability while maintaining a sense of social responsibility. The weakening of faith, especially in the Western world, has led to a weakening of the social bonds we have with one another. This gives rise to the temptation to view our neighbor as something to be used for one’s gain.

How is the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis involved in the fight for a culture of life?

The Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis has a department of five full-time persons dedicated to addressing the questions of marriage, family, youth and life. Through their leadership, efforts are directed to encompass the USCCB’s Pastoral plan for pro-life activities which include work in four main areas: Public Information and Education; Pastoral Care; Public Policy Program; Prayer and Worship. The Archdiocese has been involved in a Respect 4 Life Pro-Life curriculum supplement for our Catholic Schools for grades K-8. We honor local Catholics involved in the pro-life effort as a way to inspire and motivate more to the cause with the Champions for Life Awards. We participate in ongoing education for parish volunteers and educational resources for Clergy, as well as Project Rachel, a post abortion outreach and education for those affected by abortion. We have an archdiocesan lifefund, which provides financial assistance for women and families while pregnant or with a child under one year of age. Our Community Caring for Life Groups and Respect Life Committees in the parishes to carry out the Respect Life work outlined by the USCCB’s plan. It includes two workshops a year. The Archdiocesan Youth Advisory Board made up of High School students from the area Catholic High Schools supports for pro-life activities in their schools.

We write a monthly newsletter highlighting Respect Life news and events as well as options for legislative action. We held a Prayer Service for Life on 22 January where more than 3,000 individuals gathered in prayer to end abortion. Communication contacts throughout the diocese promote action on legislative issues requested by the Minnesota Catholic Conference and the USCCB’s office for Pro-Life Activities.

The Association with the Archbishop’s Biomedical Ethics Commission educates and informs lay people and clergy on biomedical ethics through a web presence and as a resource to field and direct specific questions from individuals. We offer programs and information on Respect for Life topics such as: euthanasia, infertility, abortion and post abortion healing, end of life planning through advanced health care directives as well as other topics. The Respect Life outreach works collaboratively with outside Pro-Life Organizations such as crisis pregnancy centers, sidewalk counseling services, pro-life lobbying and pro-life educational resource organizations.

Our Catholic Medical Guild assists doctors in knowing their faith and helping them to serve the Culture of Life in their professional settings. They also support through mentoring young medical students.

I, myself, presided at the end of the Forty Days of Prayer held at a neighboring hospital which, until now, has had the largest abortuary in the City of St Paul. A few weeks after I held the prayer service, the administration of the hospital announced that it was closing the abortuary. This was a remarkable result of the power of prayer.

Through the good services of the Knights of Columbus, tombstones have been erected in parishes and on the campus of the University of St Thomas, commemorating the millions of babies who have died through abortion. Such reminders are constantly raising awareness about the dignity of life in the minds of our people.

Religious freedom is a cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. Recently there seem to be some exceptions to this right. Is it for reasons of national security or is it the beginning of a change of heart?

I think it is important to note that the first freedom in the Bill of Rights is the freedom of religion. We are beginning to see the erosion of that freedom and a morphing into a more narrow “freedom of worship”, in that we are free to worship privately where and how we please but not to bring faith or religion into the public square. This is seen in the recent HHS ruling mandating that medical insurance plans include contraceptives, sterilizations, and even drugs to induce abortion, the closing of some Catholic adoption agencies because they refuse to place children with homosexual couples, and the USCCB being denied a grant to help victims of sexual trafficking because of their teaching against abortion. At the same time, we see the current administration arguing before the Supreme Court (and losing unanimously) that religious groups should be subject to discrimination lawsuits when they choose their leaders according to internal religious standards that secular courts might find unfair.

Thus, the reason that lies behind these threats to religious freedom derive, in my opinion, from a secular ideology, perhaps best represented by the mission of Planned Parenthood. In this context, a secular reading of “happiness” in terms of self-interest and self-gratification has become more prominent. For some, religion, itself, has become an impediment to “happiness” and thus must be done away with.

The upcoming Synod on the New Evangelization challenges American Catholics. Has the proclamation of the Gospel changed in a society that is at times hostile and indifferent to its message? If so, how?

I believe that this question goes directly to the heart of what the New Evangelization is all about. Fundamentally, the message of the Church never changes: Jesus is Lord, yesterday, today and tomorrow. However, we need to ask ourselves how we proclaim this truth to a world that is seemingly oblivious and indifferent to the realm of the supernatural. As pointed out above, the American culture is characterized by a heightened individualism, a rampant secularism and a pervasive hedonism that tends to consider the self first, acquaintances second and the stranger last.

Thus, a secular and individualist account of happiness creates new challenges for the proclamation of the Gospel. Modern technology also poses certain advantages and disadvantages to proclaiming the Gospel. The rise of social media such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc., has been both a positive and challenging reality. The positives include the ability to communicate quickly and being able to connect and interact with hundreds or thousands of people on a regular basis. The challenges are that the information passed on must be brief and can often be incomplete or distorted. In addition, true conviction and faith is now seen by many as quaint, out-of-touch or even dangerous to modern, Western sensibilities. This question makes me think of a G.K. Chesterton quote that would fit as a critique of our current culture: “Tolerance is the virtue of a man with no convictions”. That said, there is still a deep longing in people for the beautiful, the true and the good. The world is not completely closed off to God, but many people just have a lot of layers of busyness of life that need to be peeled away and pruned in order for Him to take root in their hearts.

For the same reasons as noted above, a secular and individualist account of happiness creates new challenges for the proclamation of the Gospel. As our Holy Father Benedict noted in Spes Salvi, a response to the Gospel, whose proclamation provokes a question of faith, is not only informative but performative. First, then, the Church must be reawakened in the United States and Catholics need to learn — for only then will they love — their faith. And then, like the Christians of every age, our proclamation of saving truths will become performative: the world will know that we are Christians by our love.

I believe, then, that the New Evangelization needs to propose the credible witness of contemporary saints who offer an alternative to the cynicism, the broken promises and the isolation of this present society. Individual believers must take it upon themselves to fight heroically, within their own lives, against the tendencies of the day, including the rampant problem of materialism. Such models of sanctity need to speak eloquently and resolutely to the connection between faith and reason. This call must be extended to academics, artists and preachers. The New Evangelization will only be truly effective if the chasm between faith and reason can be repaired.

Unemployment and job insecurity is a major issue at the moment and a contributing factor in family crises. What is the diocese doing to help?

Fortunately, unemployment rates in the United States are not as high as in many countries of Europe. Still, a sluggish economy is hesitant about job creation and, in the contraction of 2009 and 2010, many employees lost their jobs. In the Archdiocese, we have responded not only by a vast network of food shelves and free medical care to assist the unemployed, but many parishes have employment information efforts to match those looking for work and those who are looking for workers.

Catholic Charities also makes a decisive contribution with its four Program Divisions: Housing and Emergency Services; Children’s Services, Family Services; and Advocacy. The Housing and Emergency Services division has 12 locations in the Archdiocese and 20 programs. Children’s Services has two locations and three programs. Family Services has a main location in St Paul with various sites throughout the State and has seven programs. Its annual budget is $39,063,000. All told, nearly 35,000 people were helped last year, regardless of what faith they profess.

In addition, through the Minnesota Catholic Conference, whose Board of Governors consists of all the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota, we continue to monitor efforts and, where appropriate, offer witness at the State Capitol as deliberations continue at the state level to balance seemingly diverse interests in public policy.

The legislative session is set to end on April 30, and the deadline for bills to be heard in committee is fast approaching. Legislators are eager to pass a bonding bill, work out the details of a Vikings stadium, and head home to hit the campaign trail.

There are, however, other important pieces of legislation that the Minnesota Catholic Conference is monitoring and either supporting or opposing. Here is a brief overview of some of the key issues:

Educational opportunity

MCC supports a package of legislation designed to expand choice in education by allowing parents to choose the school that best serves their child’s needs.

S.F. 388 (Nienow) does three things: It (1) expands the existing lineup for tax credits for parents whose children attend non-public schools; (2) creates new tax credits for individuals and organizations who give to organizations that provide scholarships for students to attend non-public schools; and (3) also creates enrollment options scholarships (vouchers) for students to escape underperforming schools. It has passed the Education Committee, and is now in Taxes.

Individual bills on each provision of S.F. 388 are also working their way through the legislative process. The enrollment options scholarship bill (H.F. 273 —Woodard) is currently being reviewed by the House Education Finance Committee. The Equity and Opportunity in Education Tax Credit (individual and corporate tax credit) (S.F. 641 — Senjem/H.F. 1059 — Loon) awaits committee hearings in both houses. The tax credit expansion (S.F. 764 — Kruse/H.F. 1293 — Loon) also awaits hearings.

Safety net

MCC opposes H.F. 2080 (Daudt), which would make cuts to services provided by the Minnesota Family Investment Program. MFIP is an assistance program designed to provide benefits to families with children.

MCC believes the bill could place significant burdens on Minnesota families and drive them deeper into poverty. The bill also moves away from recommendations made by the bi-partisan Poverty Commission.

Among the most troubling changes is the reduction in lifetime benefits from 60 months to 36 months. Another modification would eliminate benefits when a family reaches 100 percent of the federal poverty level, rather than the 115 percent under current law. These changes are not wise in difficult economic times, will make it more challenging to climb the ladder out of poverty, and will have the most impact on children, who receive approximately 70 percent of MFIP benefits.

The bill has passed the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee and was to be heard by the Health and Human Services Finance Committee on March 13.

Abortion

Two pieces of abortion-related legislation could significantly ensure women’s safety when procuring an abortion, and deserve support.

The first (S.F. 1921 — Robling/H.F. 2340 — Holberg) would impose a system of licensing and inspections on abortion clinics. The provisions of this bill will protect the lives and health of Minnesota women by ensuring that abortion providers meet minimum health and safety requirements.

The bill has passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and was to be heard in Judiciary on March 13. It awaits a hearing in the House Human Services Reform committee.

The second bill (S.F. 1912 — Gazelka/H.F. 2341 — Peppin) would ban “webcam abortions.”

Planned Parenthood recently admitted to doing “webcam abortions” in Rochester. In this dangerous procedure, an abortionist administers the deadly RU486 abortion drug remotely, using a closed-circuit connection from St. Paul. To ensure that women’s safety comes before profit, webcam abortions ought to be prohibited.

The bill has passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and now sits in Judiciary. It awaits a hearing in the House Human Services Reform Committee.

Health care

The Catholic Church and Catholic health care providers have long advocated for health care reform that promotes access, quality and affordability. Instituting a state-level health insurance exchange as required by the federal Affordable Care Act could provide a true market to help Minnesotans afford and purchase health care coverage.

MCC and the Catholic Health Association believe a state-level exchange, rather than one imposed by the federal government, would best serve the needs of Minnesotans by capitalizing on Minnesota’s long tradition of health care innovation and excellence. Therefore, we have jointly encouraged legislative leaders and Gov. Mark Dayton to work together to create an exchange.

Minnesota should implement an exchange that respects the principle that true health care and medical ethics uphold the sanctity of life from conception through natural death. Creating a state exchange enhances the possibility that abortion coverage will be excluded from insurance coverage except as an add-on rider, and at the same time could help protect people from cost-saving measures incurred during end-of-life care.

For more information and an update on the status of these bills, please visit the House and Senate home pages. For action alerts that allow you to receive key updates and email your legislator directly, be sure to join the Minnesota Catholic Advocacy Network (MNCAN), which can be found at http://capwiz.com/mncc/mlm/signup.

Jason Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

(by Jason Adkins, Editorial section)

Too often, it seems, the good of marriage, if it is discussed at all, is confined to its private purposes: the fulfillment of individual needs and the social recognition of the mutual love between two people — as though marriage is about nothing more than personal happiness.

But is that really all marriage is? Or does marriage in fact serve a public purpose that goes beyond the happiness of the couple involved to include what is best for any children they might have, and for society as a whole?

Those promoting the marriage amendment believe marriage is not just about recognizing the love and commitment of the adults involved in the relationship. Love and commitment are surely necessary, but marriage is more.

A special place

So how does marriage serve the good of everyone? Marriage occupies a special place in society because it provides a universal good that not only includes love but — in the vast majority of cases — children, too, which are, of course, essential for the very continuation of society. Just ask the Russians or the Danes, who are paying citizens exorbitant sums of money to have children because their national birthrates are so low.

Marriage is the most important social institution we have that is child-focused and that encourages men and women to marry before having children so that any kids they produce will be known and cared for by their own parents.

Certainly, there are different kinds of families — single parents, adoptive parents, etc. Many parents in these circumstances work overtime to provide the best for their children, and they deserve our thanks and appreciation. Still, while death and divorce too often prevent the ideal, the “gold standard” for children is to be raised by their married mother and father.

In this way, marriage serves a vital and universal societal purpose by channeling biological drive and male-female sexual activity into enduring families that have the best opportunity to ensure the care and education of children.

Children raised by their married mother and father receive numerous benefits: an increased likelihood of fostering healthy relationships, decreased likelihood of divorce, reduced incidence of becoming an unwed parent, reduced poverty, higher educational attainment and much more.

The report, “Sustainable Demographic Dividend: What Do Marriage and Fertility Have to Do With the Economy?” emphasizes that children raised in married, mother-father families have an advantage when it comes to acquiring the skills and social capital they need to become well-adjusted, productive workers. The overwhelming body of social science evidence establishes that children do best when raised by their married mother and father.

Whether we’re talking about poverty rates, physical health, mental health, education attainment, or general happiness, science shows that children are better off when raised in an intact home by their own married parents.

Mom AND dad

Speaking of parents, media commentators and others sometimes go out of their way to talk about things like “parenthood” rather than acknowledging the importance of “fatherhood” and “motherhood.” But mothers and fathers are not interchangeable. Children need both a mom and a dad — as in the love of a mother as a female and the love of a father as a male.

Whatever one’s view of same-sex “marriage,” it is undeniable that every child living in a same-sex household is intentionally denied the unique and essential nurturing that comes with being raised in an intact home by her mom and dad.

No one has a right to a child, but every child has a right to a mom and a dad. And, in fact, every child has a biological mother and father. Same-sex couples may choose to adopt or be inseminated because they wish to experience parenthood, but it certainly isn’t what we as a society should be promoting.

The public purpose of marriage is to serve the interests of children and society, and thus the common good. Shouldn’t the needs of children and society be put ahead of individual adult desires?

This is the opinion of Jason Adkins, vice chairman of Minnesota for Marriage, the official campaign supporting the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment.