I hope you had a good Labor Day weekend with friends or family. Unfortunately, for the many millions of people who are unemployed, Labor Day was another reminder of their need for a job. In this year’s annual Labor Day statement, the U.S. bishops are calling for a “new social contract” to help workers in today’s economy.
Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, compared the challenges faced by today’s workers to the changing society of the Industrial Revolution addressed by Pope Leo XIII in the 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum (Of New Things).
Bishop Murphy also drew on the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI, which call for placing the human person at the center of economic life and emphasize the role of civil society and mediating institutions such as unions in pursing the common good.
“Workers need to have a real voice and effective protections in economic life,” said Bishop Murphy. “The market, the state, and civil society, unions and employers all have roles to play and they must be exercised in creative and fruitful interrelationships. Private action and public policies that strengthen families and reduce poverty are needed. New jobs with just wages and benefits must be created so that all workers can express their dignity through the dignity of work and are able to fulfill God’s call to us all to be co-creators. A new social contract, which begins by honoring work and workers, must be forged that ultimately focuses on the common good of the entire human family.”
Let’s keep those who are unemployed or under-employed in our prayers and give thanks for the work we have.
FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP AND EARLY VOTING
Early voting begins in Iowa on Sept. 23. I’ve never been a big fan of organized early voting efforts because I think we miss something when we don’t participate together in the act of going to our polling place with fellow citizens. But in any case, early voting is here and it’s still our responsibility as citizens to be informed.
We are in the final stages of producing our election-season “Faithful Citizenship for Iowa Catholics” flier which the bishops will ask parishes to include with the bulletin about a month from now. The Catholic Church does not endorse or oppose candidates or political parties. However, it contributes to the political process by encouraging Catholics to learn about the church’s teachings on protecting the vulnerable and the poor. The flier will also include a list of questions for candidates in Iowa.
We’ll send you the official announcement of the Faithful Citizenship project later this month.
IOWA INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL ACTION
Registration is now available at www.iowasocialaction.org for the 17th annual Iowa Institute for Social Action. It will be held Saturday, Oct. 9 at St. Mary-Holy Cross Parish in Elkhart, Iowa (halfway between Ames and Des Moines).
The Iowa Institute for Social Action (IISA) will help you become a better advocate on social justice and peace issues in your local community as well as throughout the world. The event is sponsored by the Catholic dioceses and Catholic Charities agencies in Iowa as well as the Iowa Catholic Conference.
Our keynote speaker will be Tina Rodousakis, Grassroots Advocacy Manager for Catholic Relief Services since 2002. She is responsible for engaging CRS’ U.S. constituents in advocacy efforts. Previously, she worked as a consultant to various grassroots organizations advocating policy changes on issues like immigration.
A variety of breakout sessions include topics such as the death penalty, poverty, payday lending regulation, post-abortion ministries, “local food” to “local schools,” domestic violence and more. Lunch is included with the $25 registration fee.
FUNDING FOR EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH STRUCK DOWN
In other news, we were pleased by a recent federal court injunction against the Obama administration’s funding of human embryonic stem cell research. The ruling vindicates the Catholic bishops’ reading of the Dickey amendment, an amendment approved by Congress since 1996, which prevents federal funding of research in which human embryos are harmed or destroyed.
Since 1999, this law has been distorted and narrowed to allow federal funding of research which directly relies on embryo destruction. Millions of dollars have been diverted from ethical research on adult stem cells, which are providing real therapies (as opposed to embryonic stem cell research).
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, welcomed the ruling, calling it a “victory for common sense and sound medical ethics.”
“I hope this court decision will encourage our government to renew and expand its commitment to ethically sound avenues of stem cell research,” Cardinal DiNardo added. “These avenues are showing far more promise than destructive human embryo research in serving the needs of suffering patients.”
A recent poll found that 57 percent of U.S. voters say funding for embryonic stem cell research should be left to the private sector.
SUPPORT FOR LAW PREVENTING FEDERAL FUNDING OF ABORTION
Cardinal DiNardo also called on members of the House of Representatives to support the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” (H.R. 5939). The bill would apply the Hyde amendment policy of “no federal funds for abortion” to all federal funding. The bill also would protect health care providers from retaliation for not assisting with abortions. See www.nchla.org for more information about this and other pro-life bills.
TELEMED ABORTIONS
A group of pro-life organizations in Iowa led by Iowans for Life have encouraged the state Board of Medicine to look into Planned Parenthood’s abortion program which provides an abortion pill by remote control following a consultation by webcam (a “telemed” abortion).
The Board of Medicine announced that it has formed an ad hoc committee to review its policy statement on a physician’s practice of medicine over the Internet and by means other than a face-to-face visit with a patient.
CALIFORNIA MARRIAGE AMENDMENT STRUCK DOWN
The voters of California were recently informed they cannot recognize marriage as a union of one man and one woman. An Aug. 4 decision by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in California struck down Proposition 8, an amendment to the California Constitution providing that “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” The amendment was approved by California voters in 2008.
The judge held that Proposition 8 violates federal due process and equal protection guarantees because there is no rational basis for excluding same-sex couples from marriage.
“Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals,” the judge said. He also found that “moral and religious views form the only basis for a belief that same-sex couples are different from opposite-sex couples” and are therefore of no use in the public debate.
One could ask if you don’t take “moral” views into account, what views are left? This idea strikes at the heart of the church’s work to support Catholics acting according to their conscience, i.e. deeply held moral and religious convictions. Those who wonder why the church is so committed to protecting marriage should ask what the next judge might say about our moral and religious convictions in protecting the poor and vulnerable.
The decision is being appealed and I believe the case is headed for the U.S. Supreme Court. If the Court upholds precedent and permits states to recognize traditional marriage, a marriage amendment will still be necessary in Iowa. The Iowa Catholic Conference intends to continue its support of efforts to pass such an amendment.
IMMIGRATION NEWS
A new study from the Pew Hispanic Center shows that the number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States in 2009 sharply declined. Apparently undocumented immigration to the U.S. has dropped by nearly two-thirds over the past decade as immigration has become more difficult and expensive, and the economy entered a downtown.
The Iowa Immigration Education Coalition has prepared a new fact sheet about the population and demographics of immigrants living in Iowa, education and other public benefits, taxes and the economy, crime rates and immigration enforcement. Go to www.iowaimmigrationeducation.org for more information.
Last month, President Obama signed a $600 million emergency spending bill for border security.
At the same time, regular readers of this newsletter know that the U.S. bishops are advocates for just immigration reform. Take a look at www.justiceforimmigrants.org for updated information.
STATE’S BUDGET
The State of Iowa has applied to receive about $226 million for Medicaid and K-12 education, thanks to a state aid bill passed by Congress last month. While the bill will help save teacher jobs and improve access to health services for low-income individuals, unfortunately it was paid for by reducing funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – popularly known as food stamps.
Catholic Charities USA had urged members of the Senate and House not to fund other federal programs at the expense of hungry families.
“FAIR SENTENCING FOR YOUTH” CONFERENCE
The Iowa Coalition 4 Juvenile Justice is holding a “Fair Sentencing for Youth Conference” on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines. The keynote speaker is Jody Kent, director of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. There will be breakout sessions on “disproportionate minority contact,” juveniles tried in adult courts, and life without parole for minors. You can RSVP by leaving a message at (515) 999-0559.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
To celebrate the back-to-school season, the Council for American Private Education has a new video on how religious and independent schools promote the public good and provide a path to a promising future. View the four-minute video at www.capenet.org. We believe Catholic schools are a public resource in helping to train good citizens and alleviate poverty by offering first-rate education, moral truth, and discipline in communities across our nation.
AND FINALLY,
The National Catholic Rural Life Conference has a new website at www.ncrlc.com. Go take a look!
I appreciate your taking the time to read this newsletter. I know it’s more lengthy than usual this month, but there’s a lot going on as we head into the election season. Don’t hesitate to contact me or visit our Action Center for more information.
Tom Chapman Executive Director Iowa Catholic Conference
