TCA Podcast, – “Conversations with Consequences,” Episode 211 – Father Trullols And DC’s Eucharistic Procession & The Dobbs Leak One Year Later Father Charles Trullols and Angelica Tom of the Catholic Information Center join to discuss the Eucharistic Revival and the upcoming Eucharistic procession in our nation’s capitol on May 20. Father Trullols reminds us: “Keep your eyes on Christ and everything will be well.” As Justice Samuel Alito spoke to the WSJ about the Dobbs leak making Supreme Court justices “targets of assassination,” TCA colleague Ashley McGuire looks back at the countless threats and violence against the high court, Catholic churches, and pro-life pregnancy centers–as we reflect one year later. Father Roger Landry also offers an inspiring homily for this Sunday’s Gospel. Catch the show every Saturday at 7amET/5pmET on EWTN radio! https://thecatholicassociation.org/podcast/ep-211-father-trullols-and-dcs-eucharistic-procession-the-dobbs-leak-one-year-later/__________________________________________________________ 1. Pope seeks to encourage abuse prevention board amid turmoil, By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, May 5, 2023, 7:42 AM Pope Francis sought to encourage his embattled child protection advisory board Friday, following weeks of turmoil sparked by the latest resignation of a founding member and fresh questions about its direction. Francis urged his Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to pursue a “spirituality of reparation” with abuse survivors and build a culture of safeguarding to prevent priests from raping and molesting children. In particular, he praised the commission’s efforts to establish church child protection programs in Asia, Africa and Latin America, where there is less funding than in the U.S. and Europe. … https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/05/vatican-sex-abuse-pope/d994825a-eb39-11ed-869e-986dd5713bc8_story.html__________________________________________________________ 2. NC lawmakers pass 12-week abortion ban; governor vows veto, By Gary D. Robertson and Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press, May 5, 2023 North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday approved and sent to the governor a ban on nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, down from the current 20 weeks, in response to last year’s overturning of Roe v. Wade at the U.S. Supreme Court. The ban is one of the least onerous of a slew of bills Republican-led assemblies have pushed through in recent months since the high court stripped away constitutional protections for abortion. Other states have banned the procedure almost completely or throughout pregnancy … Abortion-rights supporter Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has pledged to veto the bill, calling it “an egregious, unacceptable attack on the women of our state. While GOP seat margins and assurances from chamber leaders indicate a veto will likely be overridden, Republicans appear for now to have little wiggle room with votes for the bill to become law. … https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-abortion-restrictions-legislature-fc7f84c6b4e4398da1b7ab920150fa27__________________________________________________________ 3. New York Catholic Conferences calls news abortion law ‘terribly misguided’, By John Lavenburg, Crux, May 5, 2023 The New York State Catholic Conference called Gov. Kathy Hochul “terribly misguided” in her focus after the governor signed legislation that makes abortion medication more accessible in New York, including at state universities. Hochul signed two bills to expand abortion access in New York on May 2. One allows pharmacists to dispense contraception over the counter. The other ensures that all public colleges and universities in the SUNY and CUNY systems offer access to medication abortion. There are 64 SUNY institutions, and 25 CUNY campuses, respectively. … https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2023/05/new-york-catholic-conferences-calls-news-abortion-law-terribly-misguided__________________________________________________________ 4. Birth control pills aren’t available over the counter in U.S. That could change, Six decades after approving the first pill, the FDA is considering allowing a product to be sold without a prescription., By Laurie McGinley, Rachel Roubein and Akilah Johnson, The Washington Post, May 4, 2023, 6:00 AM … For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration is weighing whether to allow a daily contraceptive to be sold OTC — over the counter. Next week, the agency’s outside experts are expected to meet to discuss an OTC request from a French company that makes a contraceptive called Opill. Birth control pills are available in more than 100 countries without a prescription. … The FDA could decide on the application by the end of the summer. If it approves the OTC switch, it would mark the latest milestone in a reproductive health landscape shaken by seismic legal and political upheavals during the past year. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/05/04/birth-control-pill-over-the-counter/__________________________________________________________ 5. In 5 years the Church in Nicaragua has suffered more than 500 attacks, 90 in 2023 alone, By Walter Sanchez Silva, Catholic News Agency, May 4, 2023, 5:00 PM Researcher and lawyer Martha Patricia Molina on May 3 presented the third installment of her report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church?” The document gives an account of the at least 529 attacks perpetrated by the Daniel Ortega dictatorship in the last five years with 90 committed so far in 2023. … The report details that in 2018 the Catholic Church in Nicaragua suffered 84 attacks, 80 in 2019, 59 in 2020, 55 in 2021, 161 in 2022 — the highest number in the last five years — and 90 in just the first four months of this year. The attacks by the dictatorship include unjustly sentencing Bishop Rolando Álvarez to 26 years and four months in prison, expelling 32 religious from the country, confiscating seven Church-owned buildings, and shutting down various media. … https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254242/in-5-years-the-church-in-nicaragua-has-suffered-more-than-500-attacks-90-in-2023-alone__________________________________________________________ 6. Gov. Moore signs abortion protections, transgender equity, By Brian Witte, Associated Press, May 3, 2023 At a time when Republican-led states are restricting or banning abortion and limiting gender-affirming care, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed measures into law on Wednesday to protect abortion rights and expand Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming treatment in the heavily Democratic state. Maryland voters will decide a constitutional amendment next year to enshrine abortion protections in the Maryland Constitution. While the right to abortion already is protected in the state’s law, supporters of the constitutional amendment say that will make it even harder for opponents to try to strip away abortion rights in the future. … https://apnews.com/article/maryland-governor-abortion-rights-transgender-cannabis-cb0aa4e48edab2837a22bbe82fd998ea__________________________________________________________

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.
Subscribe to the TCA podcast!
“Conversations with Consequences” is a new audio program from The Catholic Association. We’ll bring you thoughtful dialogue with the leading thinkers of our time on the most consequential issues of our day. Subscribe today or listen online and enjoy our entertaining and informative weekly episodes.