Wisdom Wednesday | July 13th

AUSCP NewsJuly 13Roundup

Churchy LaFemme, one of the stars of the comic-strip POGO by Walt Kelly many years ago, used to say “Friday the 13th comes on a Wednesday this month!” Welcome to Wisdom Wednesday the 13th, leading off with three opinion strikes against the Supreme Court.

Commonweal writer says a Supreme Court decision is “stunningly bad jurisprudence.” Michael Peppard”s opinion essay is headlined “Fumbling the First Amendment.”

Sean Michael Winters, at NCR, says the Second Amendment decision of the Supreme Court is “nonsense on stilts.”

Regarding the EPA, Isabella Simon writes in Commonweal, “Only extraordinary measures can extricate the United States from its deadly fossil-fuel dependency.” Simon quotes Justice Elena Kagan, who in a searing dissent, refers to the decision as a “get-out-of-text-free card.”

Another quotable quote

You will know that we are Christians by our love, but you will know that we are Catholics by our fights.

That’s from Jesuit Tom Reese in NCR that the Eucharist is the sacrament of unity and the source of division.

Wednesday for Women’s News

Pope Francis said he plans to appoint two women to the traditionally male dominated, clergy heavy Vatican committee for selecting bishops, in a July 2 interview with Reuters. Following are two reports.

A Texas Catholic Charities CEO has been removed after planning women’s empowerment summit. Brian Fraga reported the story in NCR.

Among Australian bishops, support for consideration of women deacons received a majority of support among consultative voters, but fell short among deliberative voters. La Croix International reports a protest disrupted the plenary council.

On July 7, 2022, President Joe Biden awarded Sister Simone Campbell, SSS and 16 other extraordinary Americans with our country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. While leading NETWORK from 2004 to 2021, Sister Simone propelled NETWORK’s mission of political ministry into the national spotlight with her committed advocacy for justice.

Archeologists working at a dig in the Galilean town of Huqoq have uncovered the earliest known depictions of the biblical heroines Deborah and Yael, in mosaics that are thought to be nearly 1,600 years old. Details from the Times of Israel.

synagogue included images of the biblical story of the Israelite spies in Canaan. A year earlier, the earliest known mosaic of Jonah and the whale was uncovered, and in 2016, mosaic floors showing the iconic scenes of Noah’s Ark and the parting of the Red Sea were revealed.

Death and (public) life

Many foreign officials expressed shock over the shooting — especially because of Japan’s strict gun laws. With a population of 125 million, Japan had only 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in one death and four injuries, according to police. Eight of those cases were gang-related. Tokyo had no gun incidents, injuries or deaths in the same year, although 61 guns were seized.

A federal judge has issued a temporary order telling Texas prison officials that they can carry out the execution of a death row inmate only if they grant all of his religious accommodations, including allowing his spiritual adviser to hold his hand when he receives a lethal injection. The execution had been scheduled today [July 13]. Then lawyers Thea Posel and Raoul Schonemann asked Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to grant a 30-day reprieve so the inmate can be considered a living donor “to someone who is in urgent need of a kidney transplant.”

Here and there

The “golden age” of conspiracy theories, it seems, is here and now.

Across the country, Catholic farmers find that taking care of the land helps them serve others and connect with God.

(Rev.) Jerry Kleba, a long time member of the AUSCP, was featured in an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, regarding the health hazards – and the deaths – of Uranium workers in nuclear bomb development. Tony Messenger wrote the article.

Officials investigate vandalism, fires at Maryland churches

Feces mailed to Ohio GOP lawmakers; post office investigates

Synodality

An online course shows synodality is about the church breaking old, bad habits. So says Massimo Faggioli.

Polling news

Most Americans favor protecting trans people from discrimination, but fewer support policies related to medical care for gender transitions; many are uneasy with the pace of change on trans issues.

Looking for homily helps?

Catholic Climate Covenant and the Integral Faith team provide resources for homilists and other materials that will help you integrate the rich insights of Laudato Si’ and Christian care for creation into Sunday Mass. These include highlights from the scriptures, readings of the day, relevant quotations from Laudato Si’, brief commentary, illustrations and anecdotes, sample applications, sample petitions, and bulletin notes. Integral Faith is a working group of the Association of United States Catholic Priests.

Support Wisdom Wednesday

We hope you have enjoyed this roundup of recent news about faith, politics, and culture. We will return next week with another edition of Wisdom Wednesday.

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