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Hyde Amendment - Real Life Saver
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The following is adapted from a recent issue of the Consistent Life Network newsletter, Peace & Life Connections. September 30, 2016 will be the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Hyde Amendment by the United States Congress. Since 1976 the Hyde Amendment has prohibited funding for abortions in federal programs, including Medicaid, which provides health coverage for low-income people. Women in poverty still have Medicaid coverage for pregnancy and child-rearing, but under the Hyde Amendment, the danger was lessened of being pressured into abortions. The abortion rate among low-income women dropped dramatically in those states that observed the ban, but it did not drop for higher-income women in those states. Nor did it drop for low-income women in states that chose to offer their own abortion coverage, such as Washington State. |
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USCCB Call to Prayer
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The ongoing USCCB Call to Prayer on Fridays will highlight certain time-sensitive matters of national concern through Friday, November 11, 2016. In addition to the current invitation to fast on Fridays, participants are encouraged to pray one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the week's intention (see below) and for our civic leaders and upcoming elections.
In case diocesan and/or parish staff would like to share or expand upon this effort, a list of these specific intentions and accompanying, shareable images will be accessible at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/take-action-now/call-to-prayer/prayer-intentions.cfm. Links to resources for the National Day of Prayer and Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship are accessible from there as well. New participants can sign up at www.usccb.org/pray to receive these and the continuing weekly intentions via email, text message, or the Facebook page.
The remaining weekly intentions are as follows:
Friday, September 30: May all Americans recall the necessity of dialogue, civility, and humility in this election season.
Friday, October 7: Through Our Lady of the Rosary's aid, may voters & elected leaders uphold the dignity of human life in their political engagement.
Friday, October 14: May Catholics recall all aspects of Catholic Social Teaching as they consider their votes.
Friday, October 21: May there be a transformation of politics to focus on the dignity of the human person and the common good.
Friday, October 28: May we keep in mind the gift of religious freedom and our duty to defend and exercise it as faithful citizens.
Friday, November 4: As we approach the polls, may we understand & embrace the principles of our Faith that should guide our political engagement.
Tuesday, November 8 (Special on Election Day): Today we pray for a peaceful, just, and grace-filled election.
Friday, November 11: May the leaders elected this week be guided by the Holy Spirit as they fulfill their positions. |
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Development for Peace
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Earlier this week, historic peace accords in Columbia were signed. To mark this, Cornerstone Notes offers a CRS video on how the development work of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) helps people rebuild their lives. Thanks to Catholic Relief Services' Borderlands project, those displaced by violence are given the opportunity to further their education in a special farming program at a local university. Watch Hungering for Opportunity in Colombia. |
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Remembering Msgr. Marv, Friend of the Poor, Companion to the Oppressed
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On September 16, Monsignor Marvin A. Mottet, diocesan priest for the Diocese of Davenport, died peacefully. He was 86. Monsignor Mottet established the Social Action Office in the Diocese of Davenport in 1969. Msgr. Mottet created the Two Feet of Social Justice, now known by many more in the United States as the Two Feet of Love in Action. He later served as the National Director of the Campaign for Human Development, which is now known as the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). The following is a reflection on his life by Ralph McCloud, the current Director of CCHD at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
"Last week, like many people, I paused, shed a brief tear, offered a prayer, and then found myself with a big smile. So many people were saddened to hear of the death of Msgr. Marv Mottet, my predecessor as Director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. I shed a tear at the loss of such a champion for the poor who worked most of his 86 years on behalf of those in need. He was always one with quick wit and charm. But he was also one who would swiftly challenge systems that oppressed and kept poor people down. His embrace of the Gospel was synonymous with his embrace of "the other." He could not separate the two. Monsignor had a way of correcting, confronting and instructing a person in way that neither demeaned nor degraded. I stand as a beneficiary of his strong affirmations and his quick and appropriate admonishments. He had a way of doing both with Christian love. His humility led him to live in Catholic Worker houses and homeless shelters, and to eat at soup kitchens; not because he couldn't do better but because he placed high value of encountering the poor and looked for creative ways to embrace them and understand their stories.
"He once shared with me that one of his proudest moments was when he had the audacity to invite Martin Luther King Jr. to receive the Diocese of Davenport's Pacem in Terris Award. Msgr. Marv, in his humble manner, called up MLK, told him about the award and asked him when he would be arriving in Iowa to receive it. Dr. King, taken aback, told him that despite a busy schedule, he was honored. In a cassette tape Marv shared with me of the award presentation, Dr. King remarked 'Who would believe that a Black Baptist minister named Martin Luther would be receiving an award from a Catholic priest?'
"Upon hearing of Msgr. Marv's death, I also had to smile. Just thinking of Marv's smile, I could not help myself. Smiling within my grief. I recalled the joy he shared and the contagious laughter he so often freely offered. He has been a wonderful gift to me and countless others. I had to smile because I know what has been promised to those who live lives like Msgr. Marv Mottet. Those who care for the poor, those who pursue justice, those who walk humbly. Rest in Peace Msgr. Marvin Mottet, Good and Faithful Servant."
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The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) is the public policy voice of the Catholic Bishops of Washington State. |
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