When the disciples of John the Baptist asked Jesus if he was the Messiah, he told them to tell John “what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” (Matthew 11:5).
Members and friends of the AUSCP strive to continue to proclaim the good news in our world today. As the new administration seeks to shape our society, the AUSCP continues to emphasize our concerns about issues of climate, immigration, racism, church leadership, the death penalty and others. Visit our website section to see and hear What We Stand For.
News from the Catholic Climate Covenant
In a statement from Executive Director Dan Misleh, the Catholic Climate Covenant committed to address the climate crisis and “protect and promote the dignity of every person, from conception to natural death.”
Read the text of Misleh’s Inauguration Day statement.
The Catholic Climate Covenant also announced that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers, and Catholic Climate Covenant have published a new ecumenical and interreligious guidebook on creation care.
Read the guidebook, entitled Care for Our Common Home.
Biden begins yearslong effort to untangle Trump immigration policies.
Biden wants a family reunification task force for families separated by the Trump administration, according to a Newsweek article. Read the full article here.
The Church’s anti-death penalty position
What do the U.S. bishops say about the death penalty? It is a pro-life position:
the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil.”
That is the official teaching of the USCCB.
If you are searching for a way to take an active stand against the killing done in our name, visit the Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN).
But why is the death penalty wrong? Really?
The Grotto Network is a digital connection for young people founded at the University of Notre Dame. An article published on The Grotto Network discusses the reasons Sister Helen Prejean has opposed the death penalty. Her aversion to the death penalty is not only because the Church opposes it, but because it is a flawed system.
And by the way, when you visit this site, you will be invited to join the network.
And finally, some might ask, “Is Vatican II Relevant?”
The pope says it is.
Pope Francis recently said the Second Vatican Council ‘is the magisterium of the church.’ He told catechists “The council cannot be negotiated.” Josh McElwee provides the context of the pope’s comments in an article published by the National Catholic Reporter.
We hope you have enjoyed this roundup of recent news about the Initiatives of the AUSCP. We will return next week with another edition of Wisdom Wednesday.
Until next week, please follow us on social media with the buttons below to make sure you don’t miss the latest news from the AUSCP!