To the editor:
A letter published in the Catholic Herald on April 24, 2014, claimed that the HHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) mandate “demands that all hospitals and clinics providing health care must also do abortions on demand to all requests . . .”
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Our two newest saints — St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II — have been inspirations in my life and the lives of many people in the last 50+ years. Their canonizations should help bring more attention to their lives and their influence on the Church and the world.
Pope John XXIII (now St. John XXIII) died in 1963, the year I entered Aquinas High School in La Crosse. Despite his death, he had a profound impact on my high school years. That’s because during my daily religion classes we talked about what was happening at the Second Vatican Council called by Pope John XXIII. We also studied the documents of the council, hot off the presses.
The one I remember most is Gaudium et Spes (“Joy and Hope”), the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. This document touches on many of the challenges facing people in the modern world which we continue to face today: rapid change, an abundance of wealth and resources, discoveries in science and technology, advances in biology and psychology . . . the list goes on. This document is available in its entirety on the Vatican website (www.vatican.va) and is certainly worth reading today.
In our fast-paced world, it seems as if one holiday is barely done and we’re starting to get ready for the next one on the horizon.
This is especially true in the greeting card sections of our stores. The Mother’s Day cards have been on display for a few weeks (even though Mother’s Day was a month away at the time), and the graduation cards are on the racks. Before we know it, the Halloween cards will be making their appearance!
We should have time to savor each special day in our lives and not be rushing past any of the religious or secular holidays.
However, Easter should be the definite exception to our quick celebrations. That’s because Easter is more than just one day, as Pope Francis reminded thousands of visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Monday. In fact, he told them to celebrate Easter all through the week — and beyond.
To the editor:
We, the people of the United States of America, who profess to be Christians, are facing one of the greatest threats to our religious liberty since our forefathers included these God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence more than 200 years ago.
In a case now being heard before our U. S. Supreme Court, the constitutionality of the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate will be decided. This mandate demands that all hospitals and clinics providing health care must also do abortions on demand to all requests and that all drug-dispensing facilities must distribute contraceptive supplies.
It always makes me sad to read the Scripture passages telling how the apostles fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane just before Jesus’ arrest — not only once, but three times!
Jesus says to them, “Could you not watch one hour with me” (Mt. 26:40)? It doesn’t seem like much to ask of his disciples — who had traveled with him and were the primary teachers of his message — to stay awake by his side. However, the apostles were human. Jesus recognized their humanity when he added, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Unfortunately many of us aren’t always being vigilant about what is happening around us, especially when it comes to things that are impacting our faith and our Church.
In 2006, citizens in Wisconsin approved a “Marriage Protection Amendment” to the state Constitution by a “yes” vote of 59.4 percent of the voters.
Wisconsin voters upheld the definition of marriage as “one man and one woman.” The state’s Catholic bishops had encouraged citizens to protect this definition of marriage. John Huebscher, executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, commented in 2006, “In their votes . . . the people of Wisconsin reaffirmed their intention to preserve the one man, one woman institution of marriage in our state.”
Now, over seven years later, there are four same-sex couples suing our governor and other public officials in an attempt to overturn Wisconsin’s amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex marriage.
This week the United State Supreme Court will be taking up some crucial cases involving freedom of conscience of employers in our country.
As Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, points out in his guest column in this week’s Catholic Herald, the court’s justices will be considering whether employers must provide health insurance for drugs and services they find morally objectionable under the Affordable Care Act.
To the editor:
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. Of those individuals, 52,000 die, 275,000 are hospitalized, and 1.4 million are treated and released from an emergency department.
Despite the staggering numbers, brain injury is called the “silent epidemic” because public recognition and understanding remains extremely low. Consequently, the individuals who have sustained a brain injury are oftentimes misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and under-funded.
This is the time of year when Catholics throughout the Diocese of Madison are hearing and reading about the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA).
Members of parishes have received a letter and pledge form from Bishop Robert C. Morlino. In addition, there have been prayers and announcements about the ACA at Masses each weekend. There was an insert about the appeal distributed last weekend in parishes; it is also included in this week’s Catholic Herald. Next weekend, we will watch a video message from our bishop.
Why is this so important? The ACA funds the ministries and services benefitting every Catholic in the Diocese of Madison. It supports the work of diocesan offices and agencies in the 11 counties of our diocese and also the work of our Church beyond the diocese.
Perhaps the best way to talk about the ACA is to explain why I give to the appeal — and why I think you (other Catholics in our diocese) should, too.
Last year the Catholic Church had something almost unprecedented happen: a pope resigned his office. Pope Benedict XVI said that due to his advanced age, he was “no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.” He was the first pope to resign in more than 600 years.
On March 13, 2013, the cardinals gathered in their conclave elected Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the 266th successor of St. Peter. He took the name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi.
