Bishops' Campaign Declares War on Abortion Funding in Health Care [EWTN]

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Because of faults in the healthcare reform bills, the USCCB is issuing a mandatory bulletin insert for this weekend urging opposition to the current healthcare reform bills.

Bishops Call for Unprecedented, Massive Catholic Opposition to Abortion in Health Care Reform @ Catholic Online (www.catholic.org) catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=34735

Also look up the links in the article for up to the date information.

God bless!
 
Here is the proposed mandatory bulletin insert. It’s rather long for a bulletin insert. And the headline: “Tell Congress: Remove Abortion Funding & Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform,” is both too long and gives a mixed message, reflecting the bishops longstanding ambivalence on this issue.

Ambivalence isn’t really the right word. They know what they want: both healthcare reform AND no abortion funding.

What’s not clear to me is this: If they can’t get the no abortion funding, will they work to stop the healthcare bill dead in its tracks?

The USCCB seems to not quite understand the ferocity of the pro-abortion commitment by a great many congressional Democrats. If the bishops and the rest of us are successful in putting a Hyde Amendment equivalent into a bill, many pro-abortion congressmen and lobbyists will work fiercely to simply defeat the bill rather than allow a ban on abortion funding.
 
The last time I posted here was the evening after I received the USCCB guidance insert in our bulletin on the upcoming election- about a year ago.

I was angry at the ambiguity of the document- in the insert-- regarding abortion that I felt compelled to voice it. It stated in no uncertain terms, as long as you didn’t vote for a candidate because of their abortion position, you can. The Moral good, if you will.

My post, I thought while angry but still respectful- I thought- was deleted.

My comment on this is we reap what we sow. Catholic’s are responsible for this. We will never rid the world of the poor or injustice, but Catholic’s could very easily end, or at least slow as ‘Law of The Land’, the practice of abortion through the simple ballot box. With proper strong, clear leadership from our Church. Very simple. No ‘Social Justice’ comments need apply.

We will see what happens if this provision sticks in the final bill. Rest assured, through some back door it will eventually find the funds.

I remember telling some Protestant friends years ago you’ll need the measely one horse institition like the Catholic Church to stand against those who want to destroy the holding values you hold true. To steal from ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’.

I’ve been wrong in that-- the leadership and with the scandals our moral certitude hasn’t been there. No matter all of the recent problems with the clergy, at the end of the day, I believe many Catholics will seriously consider the rammifications of voting a certain way on ones soul, if told… clearly.

Maybe now, in this 11th hour, we can start to make a difference.
 
JimG said:
What’s not clear to me is this: If they can’t get the no abortion funding, will they work to stop the healthcare bill dead in its tracks?
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The bishops and major superiors of men have already said that if the abortion funding is not taken out of the bill and the conscience clause is not included, they will “virgorously” pursue to oppose the entire bill. They have have also said that they will demand that Catholics take action to stop the the bill.

I believe that now they are angry. They have been lied to right to their faces. The President said that the bill did not include funding for abortion and that he would rework the conscience clause, not eliminate it. Neither has happened. In an interview, Cardinal George has said that the bishops cannot run government and do not claim to know how to govern. But they will guide the laity involved in government by providing the moral compass. He was also very strong on pointing out that the role of putting preasure on government is a lay role. Civil government is a lay ministry.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
JReducation said:
The bishops and major superiors of men have already said that if the abortion funding is not taken out of the bill and the conscience clause is not included, they will “virgorously” pursue to oppose the entire bill. They have have also said that they will demand that Catholics take action to stop the the bill.

I believe that now they are angry. They have been lied to right to their faces. The President said that the bill did not include funding for abortion and that he would rework the conscience clause, not eliminate it. Neither has happened. In an interview, Cardinal George has said that the bishops cannot run government and do not claim to know how to govern. But they will guide the laity involved in government by providing the moral compass. He was also very strong on pointing out that the role of putting preasure on government is a lay role. Civil government is a lay ministry.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
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If the bishops are just now getting angry, that indicates a certain degree of naivete about what to expect from this administration and this congress.

trymybest, in the previous post, states he became angry at the ambiguity of the bishops’ previous document about the morality of voting for pro-abortion politicians.

I hope that the U.S. bishops are waking up–even at this late date–about the true intent of this administration when it comes to life issues.
 
Well, now I guess they can say, “We did what we could to oppose this.” AFTER the expose of their funding pro-abort groups thru CCHD and their unprecedented support of this anti-Catholic administration! They have become politicians by their own choosing. Are they now going to put their mitres back on? Let’s sincerely pray they do!
 
Did your parishes follow this directive - read the petition, announcement, and provide the insert?
Ours ignored it (yes, they knew about it), instead praying “that Congress provide health care for all”.
I’m wondering how to approach my pastor on this, or if I should.
 
catechizeme said:
Did your parishes follow this directive - read the petition, announcement, and provide the insert?
Ours ignored it (yes, they knew about it), instead praying “that Congress provide health care for all”.
I’m wondering how to approach my pastor on this, or if I should.
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You should approach your pastor. This was not an option. This was an order. In our diocese the bishop reiterated the order to all pastors and the email was passed out as a separate leaf on a bright color so that no one could easily misplace it.

Now let’s hope that Catholics will act on it.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
Washington D.C., Oct 30, 2009 (CNA).- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is calling on Catholics nationwide “to prevent healthcare reform from being derailed by the abortion lobby,” the conference said on Friday. The unprecedented campaign encompasses 19,000 parishes across the country, and asks the faithful to fight for restrictions on abortion funding in the health care bills by contacting their congressmen.

Because the USCCB has championed the cause of health care reform for over a decade, their current effort is extraordinary.

“The bishops want health care reform, but they recoil at any expansion of abortion,” explained Helen Osman, USCCB Secretary for Communications.

Full article…
 
This wasn’t in our bulletin. Our pastor is very active in this area and would certainly have included it. Anyone else not receive this?
 
rep140 said:
This wasn’t in our bulletin. Our pastor is very active in this area and would certainly have included it. Anyone else not receive this?
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It was a separate leaf of paper. You should have received it inside your bulletin or at the door. In our diocese the ushers distributed them to the congregations. It has two sides to the page. On one side is the bishops’ message and on the other side is the information that you need to contact your representative. Ask your pastor about it.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
Tomorrow, the USCCB will be e-mailing these same materials to a large number of parishes across the country, already on a USCCB contact list. The parish list is incomplete, so we will still have to rely on diocesan e-mail systems to reach EVERY parish. Thank you for your great help with this.
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From the article, the parish list is incomplete? How can this be a mandatory notice if not all U.S. parishes received it?

This insert was NOT in our bulletin…I even checked with the office secretary because I thought perhaps it was accidentally missed in the one I grabbed. She said the parish did not receive anything from the USCCB!

My radar is up on this one! Did anyone find out anything?
 
I just called our daughter’s parish in another city (which is huge.) The Director of Communications just told me the insert will be put into this coming Sunday’s bulletin. Perhaps the directive was received by different parishes at different times and some included it last week.

If your parish has not complied by this weekend, could you please post to this thread and let everyone know. This is SO important!
 
I was speaking with a secular priest in our diocese, with whom I work at the Respect Life office. What happened was that the USCCB sent this out Wed or later. Many parish buletins go to press on Thurs. The insert did not make it to many parishes. In the one parish that my community runs the Superior ordered the pastor to print the darn thing on our copier and hand it out as single sheets. The buletin had already gone to the printer. There was no way to insert it. It cost a small fortune to photocopy it at the parish. The parish we run has over 3,000 families every Sunday. Many parishes may get it next Sunday. I just hope and pray that the vote is delayed.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
The House bill did pass tonight, with the abortion amendment not allowing for government spending being approved.

I take little comfort in this. In watching and reading for 20 years polictos, very rarely does policy come right at you. Maybe via SCOTUS decisions- yes we know. But through elected officials, it’s always more deft, more subtle.

They know how to work the fragmented and week kneed Catholics. Obama said himself prior to the elections abortion is ‘settled law’ in his address to PP.

But they won’t go right at this via FOCA or federal funding, it will be through some other means, through an organization thru an organization. ‘Social justice’ has been achieved tonight… and rest assured will be through the Senate in a very similar form. But at what cost? Economically? Our freedoms? And most importantly, Spiritually? ‘Who’ are we putting our faith in? I do believe our founding fathers had providence when writing ‘Life, Liberty, and the PURSUIT of Happiness’. In that order.

My aside, I’ve been watching the clouds overhead for many years. Maybe many of you have as well. I ‘feel’ these clouds have descended starting in 2008- with our economic crisis.

Something ate at me this last few months about 40 years-- from Scripture, from various talks—Sheen for one–the number is so prevalent in Scripture.

As I looked back in time- while I know the document, the timing did hit me. Of course, in 1968 was when Humanea Vitae (sp) was released.

We were given the instruction and guidance for many of our ills 40 years ago. Would not our families be better? Would not our culture? Would not our economy with 50 million or more citizens? It is clear Catholics and society, for the most part, but in majority, turned our backs on this.

I don’t know much, just what I am sensing. Have we been given 40 years to right the ship, so to speak… now, with societal rejection, face a time in wilderness?

Just my rambling spirit, but I don’t know. Maybe not. We’ll see.

God’s Freedom to us to chose Him will always be, but no other is guaranteed.
 
I think that we have done as well as we can do via the legal system. The challenge is in changing hearts.
 
trymybest said:
The House bill did pass tonight, with the abortion amendment not allowing for government spending being approved.

I take little comfort in this. In watching and reading for 20 years polictos, very rarely does policy come right at you. Maybe via SCOTUS decisions- yes we know. But through elected officials, it’s always more deft, more subtle.

But they won’t go right at this via FOCA or federal funding, it will be through some other means,
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I completely agree - we will all be paying for abortions in some manner. Just watch and see.
As I looked back in time- while I know the document, the timing did hit me. Of course, in 1968 was when Humanea Vitae (sp) was released.
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Yes, and I am so angry; I feel a betrayal by our clergy who rejected that document which, had it been embraced, was so essentially a barrier to the evils we are experiencing today. Well now we will reap what we sow. They will answer before their Lord why they did this and explain, according to recent documentation, their justification in funding political groups that are in alignment with Obama’s culture of death. May God have mercy on us all!
 
Tigg said:
I completely agree - we will all be paying for abortions in some manner. Just watch and see.

Yes, and I am so angry; I feel a betrayal by our clergy who rejected that document which, had it been embraced, was so essentially a barrier to the evils we are experiencing today. Well now we will reap what we sow. They will answer before their Lord why they did this and explain, according to recent documentation, their justification in funding political groups that are in alignment with Obama’s culture of death. May God have mercy on us all!
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We are going to get what we need and what we deserve…better duck!
 
I’m still trying to understand what happend on Saturday. In my part of the country the news is not saying much about the vote and the healthcare bill. Does anyone have any more complete information? Thanks.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
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