Puerto Rico, as well as other places affected by September’s back-to-back hurricanes, first Irma and now Maria, has a long way to go before life returns to normal.
National News
Bishops: Health Care Bill Must Protect the Poor
The U.S. bishops’ effort urging senators to protect the poor and amend the Graham-Cassidy bill, meant to replace the Affordable Care Act, may be a moot subject as opposition to the bill stiffened amid frantic rewriting to get critical senators’ votes.
As Deadline For Refugee Ceiling Looms, US Church Backs Greater Welcome
President Trump has until Oct. 1 to set a deadline as to how many refugees the U.S. will allow this coming fiscal year. The president is reportedly looking to cap the number at 50,000. The USCCB is advocating to admit at least 75,000 refugees.
U.S. Bishops Urge Caution On Republican-Backed Healthcare Bill
The United States bishops are urging caution on the proposed Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill that is currently scheduled for a Senate vote next week. Four bishops from pro-life, migration, religious liberty, and justice and human development committees sent on a letter on Thursday rejecting the partisan bill and its rushed timeline.
Catholic Bishop Says Debate Over Racism More Complicated Than Statues
Bishop Edward Braxton says the debate over Confederate and Civil War monuments is not a black and white issue, but one that should be engaged via local and communal discussions.
Remains of More Than 300 Individuals Given Burial in Michigan
Earlier this week, the cremated remains of over 300 individuals were laid to rest in a ceremony presided over by Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan. Some of the unclaimed remains had been kept in hospital storage for over two decades.
Peace Prayers In St. Louis
Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis, Mo., called for peace following a not guilty verdict in the trial of former St. Louis Police Officer Jason Stockley, who was charged with the fatal shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith.
California Pastor of Immigrant Parish Honored with Lumen Christi Award
Today, Greenfield in California’s Salinas Valley looks and feels different because Father Enrique Herrera believed the Catholic Church could make life better for the city’s residents. Catholic Extension has chosen Father Herrera to receive the 2017-18 Lumen Christi Award.
Pope Francis Sends Letter for Centennial Celebration of Mother Cabrini in Chicago
As the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus gather in Chicago this week to mark the centennial of the death of their founder Mother Cabrini, Pope Francis sent them hailing Cabrini as a model for our times. “The great migrations underway today need guidance filled with love and intelligence similar to what characterizes the Cabrinian charism,” he wrote.
Backlash Over Martin’s LGBT Book Prompts Speech Cancellations
Following the publication of his book on outreach to LGBT Catholics, Jesuit priest Father James Martin has been disinvited from various speaking engagements. Most recently, an invitation to speak at Theological College at the Catholic University of America has been rescinded.