1. Vermont Moves to Add Abortion Rights to Its Constitution, By Jennifer Calfas, The Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2022, Pg. A4
Vermont lawmakers approved a state constitutional amendment on Tuesday enshrining abortion rights, the culmination of a yearslong legislative effort that could make the New England state the first in the U.S. with such protections.
Voters will have final say on the amendment, known as the Right to Personal Reproductive Autonomy Amendment, or Proposition 5, on the ballot in November. The proposal would establish a person’s “right to personal reproductive autonomy,” which would include protections around abortion, birth-control access and sterilization.
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If it is approved by voters, Vermont would become the first state in the U.S. with constitutional protections for abortion.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/vermont-is-one-step-closer-to-adding-abortion-rights-to-its-constitution-11644348231?
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2. Appeals court rules in Biden’s favor on abortion referrals, By Julie Carr Smyth, Associated Press, February 8, 2022, 7:15 PM
Federally funded family planning clinics can continue to make abortion referrals for now, a federal court ruled Tuesday, in a setback for a dozen Republican attorneys general who have sued to restore a Trump-era ban on the practice.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati denied a request by the 12 states to pause rules for the federal government’s family planning program while their case is heard. The states were eager to stop implementation before the next round of federal grants starts rolling out in March.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/appeals-court-rules-in-bidens-favor-on-abortion-referrals/2022/02/08/6f80448e-892f-11ec-838f-0cfdf69cce3c_story.html
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3. The Pro-Life Case Against Robert Califf for the FDA, President Biden’s nominee caters to the abortion industry and the most extreme voices in his party., By Chuck Donovan, The Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2022, Pg. A16, Letter to the Editor
Your editorial “Robert Califf for the FDA” (Jan. 31) unfairly dismissed well-documented pro-life and public-health concerns with President Biden’s nominee. While serving as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration under President Obama, Dr. Califf authorized the weakening of data reporting requirements on medical complications that result from chemical abortions, obscuring the real dangers these drugs pose to women and girls.
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Mr. Biden’s pick caters to the abortion industry and the most extreme voices in his party, who put their ideology ahead of public health. There is little doubt Dr. Califf will authorize mail-order abortions permanently if he is confirmed, with countless women and their unborn children paying a dire price.
Chuck Donovan is the President of the Charlotte Lozier Institute
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pro-life-abortion-robert-califf-fda-biden-nominee-11644274583?
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4. Cardinal Hollerich and the Destabilization of Doctrine, The Luxembourgian cardinal, who is the relator general of the upcoming Synod on Synodality, has called into question not only foundational Church teachings on sexuality but the integrity of doctrine itself., By Jonathan Liedl, National Catholic Register, February 9, 2022, Opinion
Last month, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, the relator general of the unfolding Synod on Synodality, stated that proposed reforms in the life of the Church “need a stable foundation.”
But just one week later, the prelate made it clear that Catholics should steer clear of him when seeking any kind of firm doctrinal footing.
During an interview with the German Catholic news agency KNA, Cardinal Hollerich stated that Church teaching related to homosexuality “is false,” because the “sociological-scientific foundation of this teaching is no longer correct.”
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The statement was shocking, an instance of a prominent Church leader openly criticizing a moral doctrine that has been held by the Church quod semper, quod ubique, quod ab omnibus (always, everywhere, from its beginning), siding with secularized culture on the contentious topic over orthodox teaching.
But perhaps even more troubling than the specific content of Cardinal Hollerich’s view is the underlying logic related to Church doctrine and development that prompted it, a concern amplified by the significant role the prelate is set to play in the synod.
On this analysis, Cardinal Hollerich wasn’t just attacking a discrete set of moral and anthropological doctrines. Instead, he was undermining the notion of doctrinal integrity itself, destabilizing the entirety of the Church’s body of teachings and calling into question the Church’s capacity to teach anything with authority, to communicate anything about Divine Revelation with accuracy.
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Cardinal Hollerich is not only the synod’s realtor general, he is the president of the European Union’s episcopal conference. With these responsibilities, his words cannot be taken as private opinion, but indeed as the way he understands Church doctrine and intends to use his position to shape it accordingly. Cardinal Hollerich says this “grundrevision” must be made so that the Church does not “lose contact” with present day civilization, but he seems willing to sacrifice the Gospel itself for continued worldly relevance—a present day instance of “Clever Hans,” the German folktale figure who Cardinal Ratzinger used to illustrate the Church’s temptation to slowly give away her treasure—the truth and life that Christ has handed on to us through the generations—for the sake of comfort.
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Those Catholics who genuinely desire for the synod to be a fruitful period of communal discernment should consider how Cardinal Hollerich’s role in the process, or at a bare minimum the fact that his heterodox statements on sexual morality have gone uncorrected, threaten that laudable goal. Taking decisive steps to address the confusion that Cardinal Hollerich’s comments and leadership in the synod have caused would go a long way toward restoring trust and confidence in the process. Failing to do anything will likely do the opposite.
https://www.ncregister.com/blog/cardinal-hollerich-and-the-destabilization-of-doctrine
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5. Pope Francis: The Dying Need Palliative Care, Not Euthanasia or Assisted Suicide, Concluding his address, the Pope noted that in the Hail Mary prayer, Catholics ask the Virgin Mary to be close “at the hour of our death.”, By Catholic News Agency, February 9, 2022
Pope Francis said on Wednesday that the dying need palliative care, not euthanasia or assisted suicide.
At his general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Feb. 9, the Pope said that this ethical principle was valid not only for Christians but for everyone.
He expressed gratitude for palliative care, which seeks to improve the quality of life of people suffering from severe illnesses.
https://www.ncregister.com/cna/pope-francis-the-dying-need-palliative-care-not-euthanasia-or-assisted-suicide
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6. EU Catholic bishops criticize Macron’s call to add abortion to rights charter, By Catholic News Agency, February 8, 2022, 7:10 AM
Catholic bishops across Europe expressed “deep concern” on Tuesday at French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal for abortion to be added to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
In a Feb. 8 statement, the presidency of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) noted that there is no “right” to abortion enshrined in European or international law.
“Attempting to change this by introducing a supposed right to abortion in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union not only goes against fundamental European beliefs and values, but would be an unjust law, devoid of an ethical foundation and destined to be a cause of perpetual conflict among the citizens of the EU,” it said.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250324/eu-catholic-bishops-criticize-macron-s-call-to-add-abortion-to-rights-charter
___________________________________________________________TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association. |
