-
September 27, 2020US BISHOPS OFFER MORAL GUIDANCE FOR CATHOLIC VOTERS:
Catholic teaching challenges voters and candidates, citizens and elected officials, to consider the moral and ethical dimensions of public policy issues. In light of ethical principles, we bishops offer the following policy goals that we hope will guide Catholics as they form their consciences and reflect on the moral dimensions of their public choices:
● Keep our nation from turning to violence to address fundamental problems—a million abortions each year to deal with unwanted pregnancies, euthanasia and assisted suicide to deal with the burdens of illness and disability, the destruction of human embryos in the name of research, the use of the death penalty to combat crime, and imprudent resort to war to address international disputes.
● Protect the fundamental understanding of marriage as the life-long and faithful union of one man and one woman and as the central institution of society; promote the complementarity of the sexes and reject false “gender” ideologies; and provide better support for family life morally, socially, and
economically, so that our nation helps parents raise their children with respect for life, sound moral
values, and an ethic of stewardship and responsibility.
● Achieve comprehensive immigration reform that offers a path to citizenship, treats immigrant workers fairly, prevents the separation of families, maintains the integrity of our borders, respects the rule of law, and addresses the factors that compel people to leave their own countries.
● Help families and children overcome poverty: ensuring access to and choice in education, as well as decent work at fair, living wages and adequate assistance for the vulnerable in our nation, while also helping to overcome widespread hunger and poverty around the world, especially in the areas of development assistance, debt relief, and international trade.
● Provide health care while respecting human life, human dignity, and religious freedom in our health care system.
● Continue to oppose policies that reflect prejudice, hostility toward immigrants, religious bigotry, and other forms of unjust discrimination.
● Encourage families, community groups, economic structures, and government to work together to overcome poverty, pursue the common good, and care for creation, with full respect for individuals and groups and their right to address social needs in accord with their basic moral and religious convictions.
● Establish and comply with moral limits on the use of military force— examining for what purposes it may be used, under what authority, and at what human cost—with a special view to seeking a responsible and effective response for ending the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East and other parts of the world.● Join with others around the world to pursue peace, protect human rights and religious liberty, and advance economic justice and care for creation.
This Tuesday is the Feast of our Patron, St. Michael. Bishop Stephen Parkes will be visiting in the evening to confirm Scarlett Gillen and Catherine Evans. He will also baptize Leland Norman Hayes IV. Due to Pandemic restrictions the Bishop’s visit will be by invitation only.However, we will have our normal 8am Mass to honor St. Michael and also to honor the first responders here on Tybee. In addition to being the patron of our parish, St. Michael is the patron and protector of Police Officers.
Bringing the Gospel Home – The son in today’s Gospel who does the father’s will, is the one who does the work? Are you doing the Father’s will in all areas of your life? You may not be fully committed to some of the policy goals that our Bishops have laid out. This week what can you do to be more faithful to the will of the Father; to build up God’s Kingdom?
