By ERIC GIRTEN
THE CATHOLIC KITCHEN
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This month’s conversation around the table focuses on two recent items at the federal government level that challenge and contradict Catholic teaching in the areas of marriage, family and life. These are just the latest in what is now a steady march by the current congress and presidential administration to increase access to and funding for abortion – not only in the United States but in foreign countries as well – and to unravel the fabric of the family institution.
The first is in regard to the recently passed American Rescue Act. This is the legislation responsible for the $1,400 stimulus checks that are dropping into people’s accounts. I would suggest to those of you unaware of the details of the legislation to do some digging around to see what else is being funded by your taxpayer dollars; you can also do a search of the Hyde Amendment as it relates to this topic. See the USCCB reaction:
“In a joint statement, Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the chairmen of six USCCB committees praised ‘positive provisions’ that ‘will save people from extremely desperate situations and will likely save lives.’
“But they called it ‘unconscionable’ that Congress passed the bill ‘without critical protections needed to ensure that billions of taxpayer dollars are used for life-affirming health care and not for abortion.’”
Next is the Equality Act, which has already passed the House of Representatives: Here is a brief statement from the USCCB regarding this legislation:
“The Equality Act would: punish faith-based organizations, such as charities and schools who serve everyone in their communities, simply because of their beliefs; force girls and women to compete against boys and men for limited opportunities in sports, and to share locker rooms and shower spaces with biological males who identify as women; risk mandating taxpayers to fund abortions; force people in everyday life, and especially health care workers, to support gender transition; and expand what the government considers a ‘public’ place, forcing even some parish halls to host functions that conflict with Catholic beliefs.”
If you are interested in receiving more detailed information or if you would like to receive the Office of Family & Life monthly eNews, contact me at [email protected].