"Efforts directed to restoring legal protection to the lives of unborn children and those vulnerable to pressures to end their lives by assisted suicide, and to providing morally acceptable alternatives to abortion and assisted suicide."
HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL
March 11, 2010 - USCCB: New Bulletin Insert/Action Alert
English/Spanish
Stem Cell Research & Health Care Reform Links
Stem Cell Research Facts - http://stemcellresearchfacts.squarespace.com/
URGENT: UPDATED Nationwide Bulletin Insert on Health Care Reform
In an October 28 memorandum, diocesan and parish leaders were asked by the U.S. Bishops Conference to distribute a nationwide bulletin insert on health care reform. Thank you for your great cooperation in that effort. On November 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed major health care reform which reaffirmed longstanding and widely supported policy that no federal funds will be used to pay for elective abortions (the Stupak Amendment). Your efforts made a difference.
It is now critical that the Senate adopt the House-approved Stupak Amendment language that restricts federal funding for elective abortions and for plans which include elective abortions. This language, approved by the House by a large majority, ensures that Americans are not forced to pay for the destruction of unborn children as a part of needed health care reform. The Senate needs to address other essential moral priorities such as protecting conscience rights, making health care more affordable and accessible for those without coverage, and ensuring that immigrants do not lose or will not be denied needed health care coverage.
Given upcoming Senate action, the U.S. bishops have asked that the UPDATED: Nationwide Bulletin Insert on health care reform be printed or hand-stuffed in every parish bulletin and/or distributed in pews or at church entrances as soon as possible. Senate votes may take place soon. If your Arch/bishop approved disseminating the original bulletin insert last month, this is an update to that bulletin insert.
Also there is suggested Pulpit Announcements and a Prayer Petition. The Memo, Insert and Announcements, in Spanish, are also attached. Please encourage parishioners to pray for this effort as well. More information can be found at www.usccb.org/healthcare.
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.
Thank you for your urgent actions and prayers on behalf of this nationwide effort!
UPDATED NOTE TO LEADERS
UPDATED BULLETIN INSERTS
UPDATED PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENTS & PRAYER
NOTE TO LEADERS (SPANISH)
BULLETIN INSERTS (SPANISH)
PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENTS (SPANISH)
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URGENT: Nationwide USCCB Bulletin Insert on Health Care Reform
For many years, the U.S. bishops have supported decent health care for all based on our teaching that health care is essential for human life and dignity and on the Church's experience in providing health care and assisting those without coverage. Specifically, the bishops have clearly required that longstanding federal protections that restrict abortion funding and mandates and that protect conscience rights must be reflected in health reform legislation. In addition, the bishops have focused on efforts to insure that coverage is affordable to families and that immigrants have better health care as a result of reform. We seek reform that protects the life, dignity and health care of all.
The President of the Conference and the Chairmen of the three major USCCB committees engaged in health care reform have written all the bishops and asked that the USCCB Nationwide Bulletin Insert on health care reform (attachment below) be printed or hand-stuffed in every parish bulletin and/or distributed in pews or at church entrances as soon as possible. Congressional votes may take place as soon as early November. If your Arch/bishop is not in agreement with disseminating the bulletin insert, you will be hearing from his office immediately. You may wish to check with his office ASAP to see how you may be of assistance in distributing the Bulletin Insert, far and wide.
Also included are suggested Pulpit Announcements and a Prayer Petition.
There is also a copy of a newly-released ad for the Catholic press, which may be printed as flyers for the vestibule or copied on the flip-side of the Bulletin Insert. The flyer/ad directs readers to www.usccb.org/action where they may send their pre-written e-mails to Congress through NCHLA’s Grassroots Action Center. If you wish to sponsor the ad in your local Catholic paper and need a different size, please contact Deirdre McQuade at dmcquade@usccb.org.
Please encourage parishioners to pray for this effort as well. More information can be found at www.usccb.org/healthcare.
Thank you for your urgent actions and prayers on behalf of this nationwide effort!
NATIONWIDE BULLETIN INSERTS
PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENTS & PRAYER PETITION
SAVING LIVES, NOT DESTROYING THEM - FLIER
Health Reform Must Not Fund Abortions, and Must Cover All Americans
TAKE ACTION NOW!
The health care reform debate in Washington, D.C., is heating up and floor votes in both the House and the U.S. Senate are expected to come soon. Please contact your Congressional Representative and U.S. Senators TODAY to urge support for affordable health care that respects all human lives and does not contain funding for abortion.
Go HERE to send a pre-written, editable message. Just fill out the required information and hit the "Send Message" button. This is the first of what will likely be several alerts as the health care reform debate progresses. It is important to continually let our elected officials know where we stand throughout the process. Take action NOW!
USCCB PRO-LIFE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN RELEASES STATEMENT FOR RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY
WASHINGTON—In a statement to mark Respect Life Sunday, October 4, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia called attention to those who are most vulnerable in recent debates on health care reform – the unborn, the poor, the elderly and the immigrant – and called upon Catholics to “examine how well we, as a nation and individually, are living up to our obligation to protect the rights of those who, due to age, dependency, poverty or other circumstances, are at risk of their very lives.”
Cardinal Rigali chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Cardinal Rigali noted that the lives of the unborn are those most at risk in America and “despite the opposition of 67% of Americans to taxpayer-funded abortion, all current health care proposals being considered by Congress would allow or mandate abortion funding, either through premiums paid into government programs or out of federal revenues.” MORE
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Tom Grenchik, Executive Director
Susan Wills, Assistant Director for Education & Outreach
USCCB: The mission of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is to support the ministry of bishops with an emphasis on evangelization, by which the bishops exercise in a communal and collegial manner certain pastoral functions entrusted to them by the Lord Jesus of sanctifying, teaching, and governing. For more information visit www.usccb.org
The Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities: The Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, under the guidance and direction of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, works to teach respect for all human life from conception to natural death, and organize for its protection. We proclaim that human life is a precious gift from God; that each person who receives this gift has responsibilities toward God, self and others; and that society, through its laws and social institutions, must protect and nurture human life at every stage of its existence. For more information visit http://www.usccb.org/prolife
U.S. Catholic Bishops, Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities
National Conference - USCCB: Purpose to educate on current human life issues
NEW YORK STATE CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
The mission of the New York State Catholic Conference is to identify, formulate and implement the public policy objectives of the Catholic Bishops of New York State. As one body, the Conference provides a unified voice and the means for joint action through which the eight Catholic dioceses in the 58-county state can impact the development of public policies in the areas of health, education, welfare, human and civil rights. MORE
The NYSCC Pro-Life Director’s meet 6 times in Albany,
state’s capital by NYS Pro-Life Director Kathleen Gallagher
New York State Catholic Conference
Writing Public Officials - ongoing
Distributing Legislative Alerts
For more information visit: www.nyscatholic.org
CATHOLIC ADVOCACY NETWORK
Join with thousands of others to work for justice in society and promote the values important to our faith. Through the Catholic Advocacy Network, you can stay informed about important issues and strengthen the Catholic voice. For more information visit: www.capwiz.com/nyscatholicconference
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Capitol Compass is a printable version of the Catholic Conference newsletter. It is published monthly from February to June by the NYS Catholic Conference. For more information visit: www.nyscatholic.org
MARCH FOR LIFE
January 21-22, 2009
Washington, DC
See photo gallery and videos by: Mike Gilhooly
Album 1 Video 1
Album 2 Video 2
Video 3
ADVOCATING FOR LIFE: A PRESENTATION ON DANGEROUS ABORTION BILLS
This presentation with audio provides an overview of both the federal “Freedom of Choice Act” and New Your State’s “Representative Health and Privacy Protection Act” and demonstrates how they threaten to undo decades of pro-life progress in the state and around the nation. AUDIO
Video: January 2008 Respect Life -
RHAPP (New York State Catholic Conference)
Public Policy Day
Annual lobbying day sponsored by Catholic Charities and the NYS Catholic Conference in Albany