Category: Opinion

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Work for sensible gun control

In the wake of the shootings in the nightclub in Orlando, Fla., I’ve heard some people say, “We have to buy a gun to protect ourselves.”

While on the surface that may seem like something to consider, I’ve looked into the issue of gun ownership and found some alarming statistics.

Rarely used for self-defense

Most studies show that guns are rarely used in self-defense. When you think about it, unless you’re carrying a gun with you everywhere you go, you often won’t be able to get to your gun quickly enough to defend yourself.

Instead, gun owners are far more likely to injure themselves or an innocent person rather than stop a criminal, according to a study released in 2015 by the Violence Policy Center.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Take pope’s advice: World must dial down aggression

Not long before the shooting tragedy in Orlando, I read about a message Pope Francis gave to a group of YouTubers from around the world.

About 12 young people who create their own videos and blogs had the privilege of meeting privately with the Holy Father at the Vatican. These YouTube celebrities apparently have about 25 million subscribers combined.

Dial down aggressiveness

Pope Francis urged them to help wipe out bullying and aggression by being better listeners and offering concrete gestures of tolerance and patience.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Facing pope’s challenge to protect creation

It doesn’t seem possible that almost a year has passed since Pope Francis issued Laudato Si’, his beautiful encyclical on care for our common home.

Released on June 18, 2015, the encyclical touched on many of the critical issues facing our world today, including the availability of fresh drinking water, the loss of biodiversity, decline in the quality of human life, the breakdown of society, and global inequality, to name a few.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Devotion to Mary continues

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

When I was growing up in La Crosse, I used to attend Our Mother of Perpetual Help novenas every Tuesday evening with my family at Blessed Sacrament Parish.

I liked attending the novenas, but I never learned much about this Marian devotion. It wasn’t until recently that I found out how it developed.

I discovered that the icon of the Blessed Mother with her divine son (pictured here) has helped provide strength, comfort, and even miracles to the faithful for centuries.

It seems appropriate during May — the month dedicated to Mary — that we learn more about Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Court ruling is step in the right direction

In my Editor’s View column in the March 3 issue of the Catholic Herald, I encouraged people to join a prayer campaign to support the Little Sisters of the Poor.

These Sisters — who primarily care for the elderly — were involved in fighting for their religious beliefs. They refused to go along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate requiring them to provide contraceptive services for their employees.

Many people have been praying for the Little Sisters of the Poor and others involved in the Zubik v. Burwell case being argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Their prayers seem to have been answered.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Caring for both babies and mothers

Some people criticize the pro-life movement for caring too much about unborn babies and not enough about their mothers. In my experience, their criticism is unfounded. Pro-lifers DO care about both babies and their mothers.

There really should not have to be a choice between a woman and her child. We as a society should be concerned about the life of both. Yet we realize that there are women facing crisis pregnancies. They are confused, alone, afraid.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

A Mother’s Day gift: paid maternity leave

Did you know that women are the sole breadwinners in nearly half of U.S. households?

Yet, when women give birth to a baby, 88 percent of them are paid nothing in the weeks they take off after having a child.

These statistics were reported in an article by Cindy Goodman in the Miami Herald entitled, “Best Mother’s Day gift: paid maternity leave.”

As we approach Mother’s Day on May 8, it’s a time to thank and celebrate all mothers who gave us the gift of life.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

No one is beyond conversion

These days it seems as if people fall into opposing camps on many issues. Abortion is certainly one of the most divisive issues in our society.

But people can change their minds on issues, even polarizing ones like abortion.

Someone who exemplifies the possibility of change is Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood Clinic director. Johnson — whom I’ve heard speak — is now a powerful advocate for the pro-life side of the spectrum.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Caring for creation: making it personal

As a small child, I can remember watching my grandmother work in the garden on the family farm. It was so peaceful to be outside in such a beautiful setting.

My father also had a garden in the backyard of our house in La Crosse when I was young. As a teacher, he had summers off and had the time to plant a big garden. At harvest time, he often went through the neighborhood giving away beets, tomatoes, and other extra vegetables.

I enjoyed helping him plant and care for the vegetables and flowers (which were my favorite part of the garden). To this day, there is nothing I like better than digging in the soil and planting flowers. The smell of the dirt and the sound of insects always make me feel good.

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Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Council of Toulouse was a local council addressing problem of Albigensian heretics

To the editor:

In his letter responding about the use of Latin in liturgical worship (Catholic Herald, March 17), Tom Roberts wrote, “The Council of Toulouse in 1229 declared, ‘We prohibit also that the laity should be permitted to have the books of the old and new testament’; they were in Latin.”

More information is required lest false conclusions be drawn about the Church. The Council of Toulouse was a local council, held by a local church.  It was not an Ecumenical Council, for the whole Church.

It addressed the problem of Albigensian heretics (aka Cathars), very active in Toulouse, who mistranslated the Latin Scriptures to support their pernicious heresies. When the Albigensianism problem was resolved, the limited edict for that local church was no longer needed.

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