BISHOPS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT RACISM AND MASS SHOOTINGS Bishops from three committees at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) expressed their deep concern on Aug. 8 about racism and xenophobia that apparently motivated the recent massacre in El Paso and that have motivated numerous other recent mass shootings in the United States. Following [...]
Father William Joensen, Ph,D. was appointed today by Pope Francis to succeed Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines. Bishop-elect Joensen, 59, is a priest of the Archdiocese of Dubuque and a professor of philosophy at Loras College. He grew up in Ames. During a news conference held earlier today, Bishop-elect Joensen said “I’m an Iowa [...]
Iowa is among the states that recently enacted legislation or is now bound by a state court decision that eliminates, or places at serious risk, any meaningful restriction on abortion through nine months of pregnancy. The success of abortion advocates in achieving such broad victories in targeted states, and their commitment to build on it [...]
The Catholic bishops of Iowa are pledging cooperation with the Iowa Attorney General’s request for information to be voluntarily provided regarding clergy sexual abuse. Please see below for the full text of their statement: “Last week the Iowa Attorney General asked the state’s four Catholic dioceses to submit, by Aug. 1, 2019, documents related to [...]
Leadership of the U.S. Catholic bishops have issued statements recently regarding several issues: U.S. Bishops’ Chairmen Respond to U.S. House Vote on Equality Act Five chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have responded to the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Equality Act (H.R. 5) on May 17. The Act would [...]
In the legislative session coming to a close, legislators considered a proposal to revise current Iowa law on fetal homicide, recognizing in the event of an assault of a pregnant woman, two human lives are at stake and in need of protection. Currently, at least 38 states have enacted fetal homicide laws that are a version of [...]
“Crime and corrections are at the intersection of rights and responsibilities. Those who commit crimes violate the rights of others and disregard their responsibilities. But the test for the rest of us is whether we will exercise our responsibility to hold the offender accountable without violating his or her basic rights. Even offenders should be [...]
The second “funnel” deadline in the Iowa Legislature is approaching. To survive, a bill must have passed one chamber and through a committee in the opposite chamber by April 5. (This does not apply to appropriations or tax-related bills). Several bills of interest to the Iowa Catholic Conference are bumping up against the deadline, including: [...]
The Iowa Catholic Conference is asking you to contact your legislator on two issues of concern: opposing the death penalty and support for parents of nonpublic school students. Many legislators are hearing from constituents about these issues and it’s making a difference. Go to www.votervoice.net/icc/home for background information and sample messages. Thanks to those of you [...]
Iowa’s Senator Charles Grassley realized a long-term policy goal in December 2018 when President Trump signed the bi-partisan achievement in criminal justice reform entitled the FIRST STEP Act. The legislation is a product of a national effort to reduce recidivism and refine sentencing laws and harsh penalties. It initiates a long-overdue process of evaluating an [...]