1. Major abortion law changes unlikely in S. Carolina after Roe, By Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press, September 27, 2022, 12:22 AMWhether conservative South Carolina changes its abortion laws at all in the wake of this year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision may be decided by divided conservatives Tuesday in the state House. South Carolina for decades was at the forefront of passing more restrictive abortion laws that challenged Roe v. Wade. before the landmark case was overturned this summer. But the state that helped lead the nation through requiring ultrasounds, parental consent and 24-hour waiting periods before abortions is at an impasse during a special session. The Senate could only muster enough votes to tweak South Carolina’s current six-week ban — which isn’t even in effect at the moment because of a state Supreme Court challenge. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/major-abortion-law-changes-unlikely-in-s-carolina-after-roe/2022/09/27/000bc0a4-3e1c-11ed-8c6e-9386bd7cd826_story.html__________________________________________________________ 2. Vatican’s synod chief tells U.S. Church leaders to ‘listen to others’, By John Lavenburg, Crux, September 27, 2022 In a recent presentation to more than 200 U.S. Catholic leaders, Cardinal Mario Grech encouraged them to continue the process of listening called for by the Synod on Synodality even as it moves out of the local phase, and to always consider the contributions of all people of goodwill. “When we say that we are listening to the others, we are also saying that we are listening to the Holy Spirit, and for me, this is something sacred and it was about time that we came around to recognize this wealth, this richness in the church,” Grech said. https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2022/09/vaticans-synod-chief-tells-u-s-church-leaders-to-listen-to-others__________________________________________________________ 3. Pope names prefect, secretary for Dicastery of Culture and Education, By Cindy Wooden, Crux, September 26, 2022 Pope Francis has named Portuguese Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça to be prefect of the new Dicastery for Culture and Education and has named Italian Msgr. Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi to be secretary of the dicastery. Cardinal de Mendonça, 56, had been Vatican librarian and archivist since 2018. Pope Francis named Archbishop Angelo Zani, 72, secretary of the former Congregation for Catholic Education, to be the new “archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church,” the formal title of the position previously held by Cardinal de Mendonça.  According to the apostolic constitution, the dicastery will have a section for culture, “dedicated to the promotion of culture, pastoral activity and the enhancement of cultural heritage,” and a section for education that will work with Catholic schools and universities as well as promote fundamental principles of education. https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2022/09/pope-names-prefect-secretary-for-dicastery-of-culture-and-education__________________________________________________________ 4. Bishop Pfeifer asks Supreme Court to recognize ‘personhood’ of the unborn, By Katie Yoder, Catholic News Agency, September 26, 2022, 12:45 PM An emeritus Texas bishop is asking the Supreme Court to explicitly affirm the personhood of the unborn child in the womb. “While the Supreme Court should be praised for overturning Roe v. Wade, it did not go far enough,” Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer, OMI, bishop emeritus of San Angelo, said of the court’s decision that leaves abortion up to the states. “Now as a follow-up to this pro-life decision, the Supreme Court must recognize explicitly fetal personhood.” In a September statement, Pfeifer called on the court to recognize the personhood of the unborn under the 14th Amendment to ensure that no state will “deprive any person of life, liberty, [or] property without due process of the law.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252391/bishop-pfeifer-asks-supreme-court-to-recognize-personhood-of-the-unborn__________________________________________________________ 5. Helen Alvaré Draws Blueprint for Protecting Religious Freedom in America, By Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, National Catholic Register, September 26, 2022, Opinion The Supreme Court has vindicated religious freedom time and time again in recent years. Faithful Catholics have good reason to celebrate. So why, then, is Helen Alvaré, one of the country’s greatest Catholic legal scholars, not satisfied? Professor Alvaré’s latest book, Religious Freedom After the Sexual Revolution: A Catholic Guide (256 pages; The Catholic University of America Press) urges Catholic institutions to take a radical step: In defending themselves in legal battles, they should evangelize.   With her insight, expertise and sincerity, Helen Alvaré has charted a course for Catholic institutions and people of goodwill that not only can help safeguard the Church’s autonomy but also promote a countercultural understanding of the nature of love as God designed it. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is a legal analyst for EWTN News. https://www.ncregister.com/features/helen-alvare-draws-blueprint-for-protecting-religious-freedom-in-america__________________________________________________________

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.
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