1. Vatican Seeks to Renew Church Pact, By Francis X. Rocca and Josh Chin, The Wall Street Journal, September 16, 2020, Pg. A9
The Vatican is seeking to renew a controversial agreement with China’s government on the leadership of the Catholic Church there, despite concerns over religious freedom and criticism that the deal has abandoned members of the country’s so-called underground church.
The Holy See wants to extend the agreement to help the Catholic Church operate in China, even though the results from the 2018 agreement “have not been particularly striking,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told reporters in Rome on Monday.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/vatican-looks-to-extend-church-leadership-agreement-with-china-despite-criticism-11600179880?
___________________________________________________________
2. Vatican laments inclusion of ‘reproductive rights’ in UN resolution on coronavirus, By Catholic News Agency, September 16, 2020, 3:00 AM
A Vatican representative has said that the inclusion of a reference to “reproductive rights” in a United Nations resolution on combating the coronavirus is “deeply concerning and divisive.”
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia made the remark Sept. 11 after the UN General Assembly in New York endorsed the resolution, entitled “Comprehensive and coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The resolution appealed to states “to take all measures necessary to ensure the right of women and girls to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, including sexual and reproductive health, and reproductive rights.”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vatican-laments-inclusion-of-reproductive-rights-in-un-resolution-on-coronavirus-30967
___________________________________________________________
3. Cardinal attacks euthanasia law being debated in Spanish parliament as ‘defeat for humanity’, By Inés San Martín, Crux, September 16, 2020
Cardinal Antonio Cañizares of Valencia, said that the possible approval of the legalization of euthanasia, currently being discussed in the Spanish senate, would be a “major and historical defeat for the whole of Spain.”
“Defeat also of humanity, of man himself, due to the approval of the euthanasia law, assisted suicide, and the rejection of other proposals on palliative care that [would have] improved the current legislation,” he said.
Spanish law currently outlaws any form of assisted suicide, and medical personnel face 10 years in jail if convicted of the crime.
https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2020/09/cardinal-attacks-euthanasia-law-being-debated-in-spanish-parliament-as-defeat-for-humanity/
___________________________________________________________
4. Catholic group launches $9.7M campaign against Biden targeting swing-state voters, By Justine Coleman, The Hill, September 15, 2020, 1:44 PM
A Catholic voters group launched a $9.7 million campaign against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, targeting Catholic voters in swing states.
…
The group attacking Biden, CatholicVote, is a conservative faith-based advocacy group that takes issue with Biden’s position on abortion, among other issues. The group operates independently from Catholic Bishops as a “layperson-led effort” and is organized as a grassroots lobbying organization, according to its website.
“Joe Biden’s record makes clear he will not protect our Catholic values or defend our way of life,” CatholicVote President Brian Burch said in a statement. “For Catholics who cherish the Faith and their freedom to live it, a Biden presidency represents an existential threat.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/516504-catholic-group-launches-97m-campaign-against-biden-targeting-swing-state
___________________________________________________________
5. Catholic Group Launches $9.7 Million Anti-Biden Campaign in Battleground States, By Mairead Mcardle, National Review, September 15, 2020, 2:39 PM
A Catholic group is launching a multi-million dollar effort to educate Catholic voters in key battleground states about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s “anti-Catholic record and policy agenda” ahead of the general election in November.
CatholicVote, a national Catholic political advocacy group, on Tuesday announced the $9.7 million campaign to discourage Catholics from voting for Biden. The organization is producing an “in-depth report on Biden’s record on issues Catholics care about,” including a shortened “voter guide” version, that it plans to send to five million Catholic voters. The effort will also kick off with a $350,000 digital ad buy in the swing states of Pennsylvania and Michigan.
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/catholic-group-launches-9-7-million-anti-biden-campaign-in-battleground-states/
___________________________________________________________
6. US Commission: Vatican-China deal should focus on religious freedom, By Catholic News Agency, September 15, 2020, 1:15 PM
Religious freedom must be the result of any renewed Vatican agreement with China, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom emphasized on Tuesday, noting that underground Catholics in the country remained “persecuted.”
On Monday, Sept. 14, the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said that a renewal of the Holy See’s 2018 deal with China on the appointment of bishops was likely and would help “normalize the life of the Church” there.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/us-commission-vatican-china-deal-should-focus-on-religious-freedom-82881
___________________________________________________________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. |
