The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily put on hold a state law restricting Louisiana abortion providers.
National News
Virginia Bishop Says Racist Photo Another Assault on Human Dignity
Arlington Bishop Michael F. Burbidge called on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Feb. 2 “to do what is best to restore the trust and confidence of the people in our leaders” after a racist photo from the governor’s 1984 medical school yearbook emerged a day earlier.
Texas Dioceses Name Clergy with Credible Allegations of Sex Abuse
In a step to restore trust in the Catholic Church, dioceses in Texas released their lists of priests against whom credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor have been determined. The 15 dioceses disclosed Jan. 31 the names of 278 individual clerics who have such credible allegations in Texas. The statewide disclosure removed duplication of clerics who appear on multiple diocesan lists.
Denver Archbishop Urges Colorado Catholics to Fight Passage of Sex-Ed Bill
Colorado lawmakers have proposed a bill to require all public schools and charter schools to either use a comprehensive sex-ed curriculum that contradicts human nature and is inconsistent with Christian values, or no instruction on sexuality at all.
New NY Law Allows Abuse Survivors More Time to Sue
The Catholic Church in the state had removed its opposition to the Child Victims Act, or CVA, after the Legislature a week earlier expanded the retroactive window to include both private and public institutions, noting that the support for all victims – regardless of where the abuse occurred – had been a critical reason the bishops could not support past versions of the bill.
House Members Introduce Bipartisan Measure to Ban Abortions at 20 Weeks
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, was joined by more than 100 other members of the House Jan. 24 in introducing the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act of 2019, a measure that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of gestation.
New York’s Child Victims Act Is Expected to Pass Today
Today lawmakers in Albany are expected to pass the Child Victims Act, making it easier for victims of sexual abuse to sue as adults.
Freedom of Religion Act Seeks to Ban Immigration Discrimination
The Freedom of Religion Act, introduced Jan. 16 in the House of Representatives, would – if enacted in its current form – ban religious discrimination in the U.S. immigration system.
Biased Outrage at March for Life Students
An exchange between Catholic high school students and a Native American tribal leader in Washington Jan. 18 was vilified on social media the following day, but the immediate accusations that the students showed racist behavior have been stepped back as more details of the entire situation have emerged.
Most U.S. Bishops Say They Would Ordain Women Deacons, If Vatican Gives OK
A new study released on Tuesday found that a high majority of U.S. Catholic bishops and deacon directors believe that if the Holy See gives the green light to ordination of women deacons, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) would implement the practice.