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Participate in the #HopeforSyria campaign this week, March 15-20
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Global Call for Acts of Solidarity and Days of Prayer and Fasting for Syria
In solidarity of all victims of this brutal war
15 March 2016: 5 years since the start of the protests
Pax Christi International is calling on all people of good will to organize acts of solidarity and days of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria between 15 and 20 March 2016. Pax Christi calls on individuals and organizations to show solidarity with refugees and victims of war and violence and create signs of hope that peace can come again in Syria.
In March 2011, Syrian civilians started non-violent demonstrations to demand basic freedoms and rights. The regime's extreme repression led to the militarization of the protests, evolving to a systemic war that has affected the whole region.
In the five years since, more than 250,000 people have been killed, more than 13.5 million people inside Syria are in need of emergency relief, including 6.5 million civilians who are internally displaced in besieged cities, deprived of food and basic services. Moreover, more than 4.6 million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries and the wider region. Check out the Pax Christi International webpage for resources. |
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Little Sisters of the Poor at U.S. Supreme Court
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Over one hundred lawsuits have been filed around the country opposing the HHS mandate. Many of these lawsuits were filed by Catholic dioceses, Catholic schools and universities, Catholic health systems, and Catholic charitable organizations that have been forced to facilitate and/or fund drugs and devices that violate their religious and moral convictions. Other lawsuits have been filed by plaintiffs-both Catholic and non-Catholic-who also oppose the HHS mandate. Next Wednesday, March 23, the Little Sisters of the Poor take their case to the Supreme Court. Join other American Catholics in prayer on March 23, asking for the intercession of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of Our Country. Prayer card is also available en español.
The USCCB has in-depth materials and analysis of the HHS mandate and its implications, including the narrow exemption and "accommodation" for certain employers, as well as information on the lawsuits filed around the country by Catholic and other faith groups seeking to preserve their religious liberty. |
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A Consistent Ethic of Life
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First of Two Excerpts from U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities (USCCB):
"A wide spectrum of issues touches on the protection of human life and the promotion of human dignity. As Pope John Paul II has reminded us: "Where life is involved, the service of charity must be profoundly consistent. It cannot tolerate bias and discrimination, for human life is sacred and inviolable at every stage and in every situation; it is an indivisible good" (The Gospel of Life, no. 87).
"Among important issues involving the dignity of human life with which the Church is concerned, abortion necessarily plays a central role. Abortion, the direct killing of an innocent human being, is always gravely immoral (The Gospel of Life, no. 57); its victims are the most vulnerable and defenseless members of the human family. It is imperative that those who are called to serve the least among us give urgent attention and priority to this issue of justice.
"This focus and the Church's commitment to a consistent ethic of life complement one another. A consistent ethic of life, which explains the Church's teaching at the level of moral principle-far from diminishing concern for abortion and euthanasia or equating all issues touching on the dignity of human life-recognizes instead the distinctive character of each issue while giving each its proper place within a coherent moral vision. As bishops of the United States we have issued pastoral letters on war and peace, economic justice, and other social questions affecting the dignity of human life-and we have implemented programs for advancing the Church's witness in these areas through parishes, schools, and other Church institutions (e.g., Communities of Salt and Light [1994]; Sharing Catholic Social Teaching [1998]). Taken together, these diverse pastoral statements and practical programs constitute no mere assortment of unrelated initiatives but rather a consistent strategy in support of all human life in its various stages and circumstances."
The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) is the public policy voice of the Catholic Bishops of Washington State. |
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