U.S. bishops this week pleaded for an end to the ongoing attacks on Catholic churches and pro-life pregnancy centers. While the U.S. bishops have tracked 139 cases of church attacks since 2020, such incidents have increased following the leak of a draft opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case. In response to these ongoing attacks, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Religious Liberty, and Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement calling on elected officials to stand against the violence.
"Since the leak of the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, charities that support pregnant mothers in need have been firebombed, and pro-life organizations have been attacked almost daily and terrorized, and even the lives of Supreme Court justices have been directly threatened", the bishops wrote. "In light of this, we urge our elected officials to take a strong stand against this violence, and our law enforcement authorities to increase their vigilance in protecting those who are in increased danger."
Dolan and Lori also highlighted the Church's work as the largest provider of social services in the U.S., including its "long history of service to those who are most vulnerable,including both mother and child." The bishops also encouraged the faithful to "choose the path of peace and open our hearts to the love that God has for his children."
Religious freedom allows the Church, and all religious communities, to live out their faith in public and to serve the good of all. Beginning June 22, the feast of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher, the USCCB invites Catholics to pray, reflect, and act to promote religious freedom. Learn more here.
Oklahoma's attorney general has asked the state's highest appeals court to set execution dates for 25 death row inmates following a federal judge's ruling that the state's protocol does not create an unconstitutional risk of pain and suffering. The Oklahoma Department of Corrections has asked that the executions start on August 25 and that they be spaced at least four weeks apart. The order lists the 25 inmates.
"Killing 25 human beings as punishment for killing-even if guilty-only perpetuates the cycle of violence and offers none of the mercy and opportunity for redemption Jesus asks of us,'' Oklahoma City's Archbishop Paul S. Coakley said of the requests. "We also can't undo it if we are wrong."
The request comes as executions in the U.S. are on the decline. The 11 executions that took place last year were the fewest since 1988. Oklahoma went nearly seven years without carrying out an execution after its lethal injection protocol came under scrutiny after a botched execution of a death row inmate in 2014. The state has carried out four executions since October 2021.
While Juneteenth was only recognized as a national holiday last year, the celebration of Emancipation Day dates back 150 years. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, two months after the Civil War ended and two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021; the first time the federal government had designated a new national holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was approved in 1983.
"God our Father, we give you thanks and praise for fathers young and old.
We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation; may they find courage and perseverance to balance work, family, and faith in joy and sacrifice.
We pray for our own fathers, around the world whose children are lost or suffering; may they know that the God of compassion walks with them in their sorrow.
We pray for men who are not fathers but still mentor and guide us with fatherly love and advice.
We remember fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love. Amen."
