Call to Action: Respect for Rights of Conscience Act

UPDATE 2/2/12 and URGENT:  Have you signed the petition on the White House website yet?  CLICK HERE to SIGN.


Under the fine leadership of Cardinal designate Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and President of the USSCB, an unquestionably quick call to action has been heralded against the recent attack against the rights of every Catholic in the United States.   

Dated January 20, 2012:

WASHINGTON—The Catholic bishops of the United States called “literally unconscionable” a decision by the Obama Administration to continue to demand that sterilization, abortifacients and contraception be included in virtually all health plans. Today's announcement means that this mandate and its very narrow exemption will not change at all; instead there will only be a delay in enforcement against some employers.

“In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences,” said Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The cardinal-designate continued, “To force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and forgoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable.It is as much an attack on access to health care as on religious freedom. Historically this represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty."

The HHS rule requires that sterilization and contraception – including controversial abortifacients – be included among “preventive services” coverage in almost every healthcare plan available to Americans. “The government should not force Americans to act as if pregnancy is a disease to be prevented at all costs,” added Cardinal-designate Dolan.At issue, the U.S. bishops and other religious leaders insist, is the survival of a cornerstone constitutionally protected freedom that ensures respect for the conscience of Catholics and all other Americans.

“This is nothing less than a direct attack on religion and First Amendment rights,” said Franciscan Sister Jane Marie Klein, chairperson of the board at Franciscan Alliance, Inc., a system of 13 Catholic hospitals. “I have hundreds of employees who will be upset and confused by this edict. I cannot understand it at all.”

Daughter of Charity Sister Carol Keehan, president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, voiced disappointment with the decision. Catholic hospitals serve one out of six people who seek hospital care annually.“This was a missed opportunity to be clear on appropriate conscience protection,” Sister Keehan said.

Cardinal-designate Dolan urged that the HHS mandate be overturned.“The Obama administration has now drawn an unprecedented line in the sand,” he said. “The Catholic bishops are committed to working with our fellow Americans to reform the law and change this unjust regulation. We will continue to study all the implications of this troubling decision.”

To take action, go HERE.

Read other +Ponderings from the past about the Obama administration and Ms. Sibelius HERE. 

*See also USCCB January 23, 2012 News Release HERE

Welcome to the Blogosphere, Bishop Edward Kmiec!

On the left, Bishop Edward Kmiec, Diocese of Buffalo and on the right,
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York.

There is a new blogger on the block and he is Bishop Edward Kmiec, shepherd of the Diocese of Buffalo. His first entry is as follows:

Hello friends, and welcome to my blog page!

I think it is very important for the Catholic Church to be present on the Internet, and this is one more way that I can communicate with members of the Diocese of Buffalo and other followers of the Church, as well as those who are interested in our mission of building the Kingdom of God here in Western New York.

Take some time to look around our entire Web site - we've spent the last several months updating the site, adding this blog function, podcasting and making it a lot easier to access diocesan offices and organizations. We'll soon launch new sites for Youth & Young Adult Ministry, Daybreak TV Productions and the Western New York Catholic.

I'm interested in what you have to say, so feel free to respond to my blog entries or send an e-mail, I'd like to hear from you.

Yours in Christ,

Bishop Kmiec

I look forward to future posts and getting to know our Bishop a bit better. That he asks for feedback is indeed a wonderful blessing - and - I hope he knows what he's getting into ;) . On the right side of +Catholic Ponderings+, you will see that I include a listing of blogs. They are listed with the most recent entries published at the top. I now include the blog of Bishop Kmiec. I do not recommend other blogs lightly, as there are thousands of Catholic blogs to sift through. Please note that Archbishop Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York also has a new blog. You may read my review of Archbishop Dolan's most recent book HERE.

Book Review: Doers of the Word: Putting Your Faith Into Practice

I was very excited to have the opportunity to read the recently published Doers of the Word: Putting Your Faith Into Practice written by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. Solidly Catholic, delightfully touching, inspirational and always pointing to Christ all describe this collection of essays written by Archbishop Dolan. In the Preface, His Excellency shares that he wrote the essays while in the chapel of his residence. Each essay is followed by a brief paragraph of instruction or prayer pertaining to the essay. Some of the essays are only one page long and others span a few pages. The book is broken into seven chapters with the topics of: My Lord and My God, Signs of Faith, In the Year of the Lord, We Are the Branches, The Communion of Saints, Our Mother and Workers in the Vineyard.

I will share with you two of the essays that touched me most. In one, His Excellency shares that a priest friend of his was Pastor of a very wealthy parish. They had plenty of cash pouring into the collections and the buildings were very lavish. One Sunday, he surprised his parishioners with the announcement that he was going to ask for a transfer to another parish. He said that it was obvious he was not needed. Ouch.

"You don't need me here," he explained as the people gasped. "Like Jesus, I came to call sinners. And apparently, we have none here. I've heard maybe a half-dozen confessions since I got here six months ago. You're obviously all saints; I came to serve sinners. You don't need me."

In another, he relates a story about two couples he had been praying for. One couple had five boys, and one of the children was profoundly handicapped. They found out that another child was expected and that child would have Down's Syndrome. They prayerfully decided that they would give the child to another couple through adoption because they were already struggling to care for the one child with great needs. Enter the other couple, who were unable to have children biologically. What followed in the story he shared will bring tears to even the hardest heart. You'll have to read the book to find out how this one ends.

This is THE perfect gift for any Catholic you need to find something for. Though theologically sound, this book is not strictly for the Catechist. Certainly, the religious education teacher would love it, but think also about a Catholic who may be having struggles. Perhaps their state in life has taken their focus off of Christ and the book could serve as a mini retreat. Busy parents who have little time to read anything but bedtime stories would love the book. The book can be read in five minute spurts and may even be used as a daily devotional. Buy yourself a gift. I cannot recommend this book more highly. If you know me personally, I'll be happy to let you borrow it - but woe to the person who fails to return it!

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Published by Our Sunday Visitor, Doers of the Word is 125 pages, paperback and is $9.95. Find this and other books by Archbishop Timothy Dolan at The Catholic Company.