The settings couldn’t be more different. One, Mukuru, a slum in the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi, home to some 10,000 living in wood and corrugated metal shacks, crowded together, with no running water, electricity, or sewage systems.
Tag: Catholics
Human beings are not commodities
The cornerstone of Catholic social teaching is that human life is sacred. As such the Catholic Conference evaluates any law, policy, or program in terms of its impact on the life and dignity of the human person.
Teaching on the economy
Catholic teaching on the economy reflects this emphasis on the human person. Pope John Paul II put it quite directly in his 1981 encyclical letter, Laborem exercens. He recalled that the error of early capitalism can be repeated wherever humans are treated as mere instruments or means of production and not as ends in themselves.
The elderly are a blessing, not a burden
As the 20th century came to a close, the United Nations celebrated the International Year of Older Persons, heralding the vision of “A Society for All Ages.”
The first years of the new millennium have been anything but that, with the abandonment of frail seniors during natural disasters from New Orleans to Japan, the legalization of assisted suicide in several U.S. states and foreign countries, and political rhetoric that seems to consider the growing population of seniors merely as a drain on our health care system and the federal budget. Is this the society for all ages we envisioned in 1999?
Contraception mandate: endangers religious liberty, women’s health
In implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) now requires almost all private health plans to cover contraception and sterilization as “preventive services” for women.
We celebrate Labor Day for very good reasons
Years ago, when we were packing for one of our family vacations, I asked my mother where she went for vacations when she was a little girl.
“We didn’t take vacations when I was little,” she said. “Your grandfather worked for a railroad, and if he wanted a day off, they would give his job to someone else.” She paused a moment and said, “Later when the union came, we got to take vacations.”
Enjoy benefits won by others
I think of that moment from time to time, usually around Labor Day. It’s useful to recall that what many of us enjoy today is the result of victories won by others years ago.
Recall-loaded summer unlike any other
The summer of the odd-numbered year is usually quiet on the political scene. By early July the Legislature has completed its work on the state budget and goes home until autumn. Other than an occasional special election, the campaign season is more than a year away.
Is conceal carry proposal necessary?
The right to bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and by the Wisconsin Constitution.
But that right, like many others, is not absolute and may be regulated to a certain extent. One such regulation is our state’s current ban on carrying concealed weapons.
Proposal up for consideration
Wisconsin is nearly alone in that regard. For some time this fact has fueled a desire to join other states in permitting citizens to carry a concealed weapon (CCW). Such legislation has passed twice in recent years only to be vetoed by Governor Doyle.
Catholic conferences bring Church’s message
The springtime of the year is a season for debates over state budgets. Here, as in other places, state Catholic Conferences are part of the conversation.
And here, as in other states, the issues of concern to state Catholic Conferences don’t fit neatly into the conventional liberal-conservative categories.
WCC and the budget proposal
In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) backs the governor’s recommendations regarding the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and his proposal to remove the mandate that health insurance policies include contraceptive services coverage, even when religious organizations do not want to purchase such coverage.
The WCC also supports budget provisions that limit or end funding for family planning programs, but also urges that those funds be redirected to programs that help pregnant women and their children.
Growing closer to the Mother of God during May
Our Lady is for us the ultimate example of somebody adhering herself fully to God’s will. She was surely scared and unsure of what might come next, but unknowingly said yes to God’s will, that she would bear His son.
We can use this as a model for our relationship with God, and invoke Mary’s kind whispers in Jesus’ ear to help us through a hard time and grow closer to Jesus.
Devotion through the Rosary
Obviously, a powerful devotion to Our Lady, the Rosary is a great way to strengthen your relationship with God’s mother. While many people my own age think of the Rosary as a chore to pray with family or a boring task, sometimes its true potential is never quite realized.
Common good must be focal point of budget debate
Now that the governor has presented his state budget to the Legislature, fiscal issues and spending priorities will dominate the legislative agenda for the next several months.
First, the Joint Committee on Finance will hold hearings on the proposals. Then some of the standing committees may hold “subject matter” hearings on aspects of the budget related to their areas of expertise.