Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas Social Action Ministry

Catholics Confront Global Poverty

2009-04-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

ACTION ALERT:
URGE CONGRESS TO PASS A STRONG FY 2010 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BUDGET

TAKE ACTION NOW! Visit the Action Center now (http://actioncenter.crs.org) and urge members of the Senate and House conference committee negotiating the differences between the House and Senate’s FY 2010 budget plans to uphold the Senate’s higher levels allocated to the international affairs budget.

WHY IS THE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BUDGET IMPORTANT NOW?

The FY 2010 budget approved by the Senate fully funds President Obama’s request for a strong international affairs budget, creating the potential for a $3 billion increase to poverty-focused international assistance programs that confront poverty and save lives. But first, the Senate will have to reconcile budget differences with the House FY 2010 budget, which provides $5.3 billion less for international affairs. We need your help now to ensure that the conference committee negotiating the differences between the Senate and House versions upholds the Senate's levels for international affairs.

HOW DO KEY PARTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BUDGET CONFRONT GLOBAL POVERTY?

The international affairs budget encompasses lifesaving programs that confront global poverty, including: provision of food and clean water; treatment of people affected by HIV and other deadly diseases; promotion of agriculture and microfinance to help people support themselves and their families, and delivery of education and health services to poor people. At this point in the congressional budget process, a strong international affairs budget is a critical first step in the budget and appropriations process to ensure that adequate resources for those programs assisting poor and vulnerable people around the globe are available.

WHAT DOES THE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BUDGET HAVE TO DO WITH MY FAITH?

Our Catholic faith requires that we uphold the life and dignity of the human person by alleviating human suffering and promoting justice and solidarity worldwide. As William F. Murphy, Bishop of Rockville Centre and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop of Albany and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace said in a recent letter (http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/2009-03-26-ltr-to-congress-on-budget-bishops-murphy-hubbard.pdf) to Congress: “We urge Congress not to neglect the “least of these” in the budget deliberations that reflect our priorities and values as a nation in significant ways. Our plea is simple: put the poor and vulnerable first as you consider this historic budget resolution.”
For more information contact: Stephen Hilbert, Policy Advisor, USCCB Office of International Justice and Peace, shilbert@usccb.org; (202) 541-3149 Tina Rodousakis, Manager, CRS Grassroots Advocacy, trodousa@crs.org; (410) 951-7462

URGENT--Action Needed--SCHIP Unborn Child Amendment

2009-01-29T09:14:00.000-08:00

Within the next couple of days the Senate will vote on an important amendment to SCHIP.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has introduced an amendment to the SCHIP authorization bill that would codify in the law provisions currently included in regulations that allow states to interpret the word "child" to include the period from conception to birth. This move would allow states to retain choice and flexibility in how best to provide essential health services to pregnant women and children. Access to prenatal care will allow more children to be born in good health, without a need for more extensive and expensive medical intervention.

Please call or e-mail your senators asking them to support the Hatch Unborn Child Amendment to the SCHIP Authorization Bill. Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3121 or find your Senators contact information at www.congress.org ( http://www.congress.org/ ).

Attached you will find background information on The Unborn Child Amendment and a Letter on SCHIP from Bishop William Murphy, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, to the Senate.

BACKGROUND

SCHIP UNBORN CHILD AMENDMENT 1/28/09
There are two ways pregnant women and their unborn children might benefit from the SCHIP program. One is to extend coverage specifically to pregnant women themselves. That is now an option for states under a waiver, and it is already codified in the SCHIP reauthorization. But it is odd to refer to an adult pregnant woman as a "child," and more substantively the coverage has two negative features: it will be covered by the same restrictions regarding immigrants as other federal health programs, and in 17 states that have state-funded Medicaid abortions it will automatically expand coverage for abortion as well.

Here is what the unborn child option achieves that the "pregnant woman" coverage does not: Because the coverage is in the name of the soon-to-be-born child, who upon birth will be a citizen, it provides urgently needed care for both mother and child regardless of the mother's immigrant status. This is no doubt why 14 states, including liberal states like California and Massachusetts, are using this option NOW to provide care for many pregnant women and mothers who would otherwise be denied any help because of restrictive rule on health care for immigrants. It is, to say the least, a false and stupid "economy" to deny prenatal care in such cases, creating a situation in which the new citizen will be born sickly or premature and require an intensive care nursery or other corrective action, which of course the government will pay for because the child is now a citizen.

The "unborn child" rule will be supported by most Republicans because they respond to the idea of the child before birth receiving medical care; it should be supported by most Democrats because it helps the neediest women and children in our society who the SCHIP program will reach in no other way.

Bishop Murphy's letters to Congress can be found here.

BISHOPS URGE CONGRESS TO MAKE THE POOR A PRIORITY IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY LEGISLATION

2009-01-29T09:09:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON—The U.S. bishops urged Congress to make poor families and vulnerable workers central priorities as Congress adopts an economic recovery legislation. Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), made the call in a January 28 letter to both houses of Congress.

“Low-income families and individuals are experiencing the greatest hardship and have the least capacity to cope in this time of economic crisis,” Bishop Murphy said in the letter, adding that these people are also more likely “to use these new resources quickly to purchase the essentials of life and to help move our economy forward.”

Citing the need to avoid partisan or ideological agendas and to focus on the needs of the poor, Bishop Murphy offered the bishops’ support for aspects of the proposed recovery legislation. These include increasing funds for nutrition assistance through food stamps and other programs, protecting low-income families from losing Medicaid and social service assistance, and extending Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. He also urged the House to reject measures that regarding contraception and immigration as unnecessary and inconsistent with the purposes of the recovery legislation

Bishop Murphy echoed Pope Benedict XVI’s call to bolster the economy by focusing on the dignity of the human person, adding, “This is a time to pursue the common good, beginning with help for the families and communities most hurt by this crisis.”

FULL TEXT of the Senate version of the letter follows:

Dear Senator:

On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I urge you to make the lives and dignity of poor families and vulnerable workers central priorities as Congress adopts an economic recovery package. Low-income families and individuals are experiencing the greatest hardship and have the least capacity to cope in this time of economic crisis. Low income people are also likely to use these new resources quickly to purchase the essentials of life and to help move our economy forward. Economic policies that assist and protect ‘the least among us’ are the right thing to do morally. I believe they are also very effective economically.

In this crucial moment, Congress should resist pressure to advance ideological or partisan agendas. New measures to expand contraception coverage or prescribe rules for immigrant employment are particularly inappropriate in legislation to promote economic recovery. Attention to those most affected by the crisis with priority for the poor and vulnerable can restore economic growth by rebuilding hope and opportunity for those who are losing their jobs, their homes, and their chance at a decent life for their families.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have begun consideration of different versions of the economic stimulus package entitled American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This legislation includes several measures that reflect a priority for poor and vulnerable people. Unfortunately, in our view, others do not. We urge your consideration of these important provisions:

• We strongly support efforts to strengthen and expand the refundable child tax credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit that would offer assistance to millions more poor and working families. These proven vehicles can get resources to those who need them the most and are almost certain to use this help to purchase the essentials of a decent life. It is essential these tax provisions be structured to include those with the fewest resources and the greatest needs.

• We strongly oppose the specific sections that target efforts to expand coverage for family planning (and only family planning) for low-income and temporarily unemployed women. They neglect women’s real needs and serve no legitimate purpose for an economic stimulus package. A non-pregnant woman who loses her job but is ineligible for Medicaid, SCHIP, and other government health care may have an urgent need for basic health care coverage for herself and her family, as well as assistance in finding gainful employment. This focus could even reduce basic health coverage, by cancelling support for “benchmark” and “benchmark-equivalent” health benefits unless they begin including contraceptive coverage. Finally, by covering any other related services only if they are “pursuant to” provision of family planning and offered in a “family planning setting,” effectively makes family planning clinics (many of which are abortion providers) a necessary entry point into the health care system, ignoring women’s genuine needs as well as their moral convictions.

• We support efforts for a temporary increase in nutrition assistance with more resources for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), and expanding eligibility for unemployed workers and legal immigrants. Our experience at the local level convinces us that additional funding is also needed for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), all of which provide critical assistance for families in need, the unemployed, the disabled, and the elderly.

• We also strongly oppose a provision in the bill that would require the use of the E-verify employer verification system by every organization receiving funding from the stimulus package. This provision could slow down implementation of the package and any subsequent economic recovery, because organizations would have to enroll in, learn, and implement the system. As a recent Congressional Budget Office report detailed, the E-verify program would add to the costs borne by small businesses, state and local governments, schools, hospitals, and non-profit organizations mandated to enroll in the system. The Social Security Administration database upon which the E-verify system relies has unacceptably high error rates and could lead to the wrongful dismissals of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. We urge you to remove this provision from the bill and defer its consideration to a more appropriate vehicle, such as legislation that reforms the nation's immigration laws.

• We support efforts to protect low-income families from losing Medicaid and social service assistance. Temporarily increasing Federal Medicaid matching payments (FMAP) and providing grants to state and local governments for social service programs (SSBG) will help ensure that the safety net remains strong.

• We support increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help poor families cope with costly heating oil and gas bills.

• We support extending Unemployment Insurance benefits (UI) to people in states with disproportionately high unemployment rates. Changes should be made to existing, arbitrary, and unnecessary rules which result in nearly 60 percent of laid-off workers being excluded from UI benefits.

• We support funding increases to HUD's Emergency Shelter Grant program that helps families avoid eviction or obtain new housing. A million more families with children could fall into deep poverty as a result of this economic crisis, putting them at a particularly high risk of homelessness.

• We support capitalizing the new Housing Trust Fund, which will employ workers in the construction or rehabilitation of homes for families facing dire situations. This will assist families through what may be a lengthy recession. Likewise, additional funding for additional housing vouchers would offer access to stable, affordable housing for vulnerable families.

• We support efforts to create jobs for unemployed and underemployed people in private, non-profit, and public sectors that advance important national priorities, reflect good stewardship of resources, and meet urgent and emerging needs (e.g. alternative energy, environment, and infrastructure).

We urge Congress to act quickly and wisely with a constant attention to addressing the human impact and moral dimensions of this recession. As Pope Benedict XVI in his recent address to members of the diplomatic corps reminds us, “Bolstering the economy demands rebuilding confidence. This goal will only be reached by implementing an ethics based on the innate dignity of the human person.” This is no time to seek economic or partisan advantage. This is a time to pursue the common good, beginning with help for the families and communities most hurt by this crisis.

I pray that working together you can find the courage, wisdom, and skill to build a prosperous economy with greater justice for all.

Sincerely,

Most Rev. William F. Murphy

Bishop of Rockville Centre

Chairman

Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES BIPARTISAN GLOBAL AIDS BILL

2008-04-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Thanks to your efforts and those of many advocates around the country, the House this week passed H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008, the bill that reauthorizes the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) highlighted the major contributions of faith-based organizations in efforts to address the pandemic and specifically mentioned Catholic Relief Services' 250 programs in 52 countries as an example. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) praise the bipartisan consensus that led to significant improvements in the bill that passed.

TAKE ACTION NOW! Check here (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll158.xml) to find out if your Representative supported the Global AIDS bill, H.R. 5501, which reauthorizes the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEFPAR). Please let those who supported the bill know that you appreciate the spirit of bipartisan consensus that led to significant improvements in the bill. Visit the CRS Action Center (http://actioncenter.crs.org) to send a message now.

WHY IS PEPFAR IMPORTANT? Because of PEPFAR, CRS has saved more than 100,000 lives through antiretroviral treatment and provides HIV care and support services for another 250,000 HIV positive people.
Men and women who were on the brink of death are now leading normal lives, caring for their children and contributing to their communities because they are on antiretroviral therapy. More than 60,000 orphaned children are being cared for, going to school and embracing a bright future. Nearly 350,000 youth have been educated about risky behaviors and how abstinence-until-marriage and mutual fidelity within marriage is the most effective way to prevent HIV infections. Visit the CRS website (http://crs.org/public-policy/hiv_aids.cfm) for more information about PEPFAR.

WHAT DOES PEPFAR HAVE TO DO WITH MY FAITH? Our faith tradition as Catholics requires us to care for“the least of these”and to uphold the life and dignity of all people. People affected by HIV or suffering from AIDS need and deserve our love and care just as Jesus called on us to care for those who are “hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison.” Catholic social teaching instructs us to live in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world. Pope John Paul II reminded us that we must commit ourselves to this common good: “That is to say the good of all and each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.”

Morris Nassoro lost both his parents to AIDS when he was just 7 years old. He now lives with his grandmother in rural eastern Kenya, where thanks to PEPFAR CRS supports them with psychosocial counseling, educational assistance and some medical assistance.

WHAT IS THE CHURCH'S POSITION ON PEPFAR? USCCB and CRS praise the bipartisan consensus that led to significant improvements in the bill that the House passed. The House strengthened HIV and AIDS programs by authorizing $50 billion in funding over five years, increasing nutrition resources needed for effective treatment, improving the health care capacity of host governments, and expanding HIV and AIDS treatment and prevention.

WHERE DOES PEPFAR STAND NOW? Next the Senate will consider its own PEPFAR reauthorization bill, S. 2731, passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in March. USCCB and CRS will continue to seek improvements to the Senate bill and to monitor any attempts to weaken it and will alert you for appropriate action.

For more information, contact:Tina Rodousakis, Grassroots Advocacy Manager, CRS, 410-951-7462, trodousa@crs.org
Gerry Flood, Counselor, International Justice and Peace, USCCB, 202-541-3167, gflood@usccb.org

GLOBAL AIDS BILL PASSES SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE;

2008-03-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

PEPFAR UPDATE

March 19, 2008

Meet Penina Petro from Tanzania. She is HIV positive. She is one of more than 100,000 people whose lives have been saved thanks to the treatment program Catholic Relief Services has established because of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Read more about Penina
(http://crs.org/tanzania/aids-relief-photos/ and the lifesaving PEPFAR program.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS! Thank you for all of your advocacy efforts to ensure that the bill providing antiretroviral treatment, care to, and prevention services for HIV-affected people around the world will include important provisions that Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have identified as critical. The House Foreign Affairs Committee passed its PEPFAR reauthorization bill the end of February. Read the USCCB/CRS letter to the House of Representatives: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/2008-3- 7_pepfar_hb_5501.pdf). The Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week passed its version of the PEFPAR bill. USCCB and CRS are currently reviewing the Senate’s bill to ensure that our priorities are adequately reflected.

WHAT’S NEXT? Congress is in recess until March 31st. We expect the House of Representatives and then the Senate to consider their respective bills soon after they return. USCCB/CRS will continue to seek improvements to both bills and to fend off any attempts to weaken them. We will need your help once the bills are considered especially when amendments are offered. This may happen with little advance notice so we hope you can to respond to our alerts quickly.

HOW DOES THIS ISSUE RELATE TO MY FAITH? Our faith tradition as Catholics requires us to care for “the least of these” and to uphold the life and dignity of all people. People affected by HIV or suffering from AIDS need and deserve our love and care just as Jesus called on us to care for those who are “hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison.” Catholic social teaching instructs us to live in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world. Pope John Paul II reminded us that we must commit ourselves to this common good: “That is to say the good of all and each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.”

WHAT HAS PEPFAR ACHIEVED? CRS has saved over 100,000 lives through antiretroviral treatment and provides HIV care and support services for another 250,000 HIV positive people because of PEPFAR. Men and women who were on the brink of death are now leading normal lives, caring for their children and contributing to their communities because they are on antiretroviral therapy. More than 60,000 orphaned children are being cared for, going to school and embracing a bright future. Nearly 350,000 youth have been educated about risky behaviors and how abstinence-until- marriage and mutual fidelity within marriage is the most effective way to prevent HIV infections. Visit the CRS website (http://crs.org/public-policy/hiv_aids.cfm) for more information about PEPFAR and its accomplishments.

WHAT IS THE CHURCH’S POSITION? The USCCB and CRS are advocating for several important provisions to be included in the reauthorization of PEPFAR. Our main priorities include:
• Authorizing $50 billion for PEPFAR programs over the next five years;
• Expanding the integration of food and nutrition into treatment programs that will benefit people affected by HIV;
• Providing resources to address the shortage of healthcare workers and strengthen healthcare systems;
• Restoring a balanced approach to HIV prevention that includes effective abstinence and behavior change programs;
• Preventing inclusion of mandates that would integrate family planning and reproductive health services into HIV prevention, care and treatment. Such provisions would effectively exclude CRS and other religious organizations from participation in PEPFAR and reduce the effectiveness of prevention programs.

For more information, contact:
Tina Rodousakis, Grassroots Advocacy Manager, CRS, 410-951-7462, trodousa@crs.org
Gerry Flood, Counselor, International Justice and Peace, USCCB, 202-541-3167, gflood@usccb.org

URGE PRESIDENT BUSH TO SIGN ANTI-TORTURE PROVISIONS

2008-02-28T10:14:00.001-08:00

ACTION ALERT!!!

February 28, 2008

Why this issue is important? The Church stands firm in denouncing torture as it undermines and debases the dignity of both victims and perpetrators. Pope Benedict XVI said “the prohibition against torture cannot be contravened under any circumstance.”

The Senate voted 51-45 to pass HR 2082, the FY2008 Intelligence Authorization Act, which contains anti-torture legislation (Section 327) expanding the prohibition against torture of detainees to all U.S. intelligence agencies and their agents. Now the bill faces a possible veto by President Bush on March 5. We urge you to contact the White House and express your support for President Bush signing those anti-torture provisions of HR 2082 into law.

Background: USCCB was successful in joining with other organizations in pressing the Senate to pass HR 2082 on February 13, 2008 with its anti-torture provisions intact. It was a triumph as it prohibits cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners held by U.S. intelligence agencies. Earlier legislation supported by USCCB had prohibited torture of those held by U.S. military and required that interrogation techniques conform to the standard now offered by the U.S. Army Field Manual. While the Conference cannot presume to be experts on the Manual, one of its guiding principles which USCCB supports echoes the Golden Rule, i.e. we should not use any technique against an enemy that we would not like to have used against our own military or civilians.

While USCCB does not take positions on the more technical and other provisions of the Intelligence Authorization Act, we believe the adoption of the anti-torture provision (Section 327) in HR 2082 would go a long way to restoring U.S. credibility in the international community by helping the U.S. regain the moral high ground. Respect for the dignity of every person, ally or enemy, must serve as the foundation of security, justice and peace. We cannot win the war against terror by abandoning fundamental moral values.

ACTION REQUESTED: Ask your members to call the White House at 202-456-1111 or send an email to President Bush at comments@whitehouse.gov to express support for the anti-torture provisions in HR 2082 and urge him to sign this legislation.

For more information contact Virginia Farris. Office of International Justice and Peace, USCCB, 202-541-3182, vfarris@usccb.org. See the op-ed on torture signed by Bishop Thomas Wenski and four other religious leaders which is being offered for placement.

Thomas Awiapo: Search for food led to a new life

2008-02-14T16:32:00.001-08:00

This One Man's View column by Tim O'Callaghan first published February 14, 2008 in the Henderson Home News, a Community Newspapers of Nevada publication.

In my advocacy work to assist the marginalized in our world, I’m often blessed with the presence of wonderful people. Once in a while, an opportunity will arise where my family gets to enjoy the grace of those less fortunate than ourselves.

There is man from Ghana in West Africa who has touched our family in many ways not only collectively but on a couple of individual occasions. Thomas Awiapo first left an extraordinary impression on our oldest daughter, Brenna, during his first visit to Las Vegas three years ago while talking to a group of Bishop Gorman High School students.

Brenna came home from school and told us about the visitor from West Africa and how he overcame great odds to not only survive being orphaned but to eventually become educated and is now giving back to society.

Within a few weeks I would unknowingly be enriched by the story of Thomas, told by him to a group of Catholic Social Action advocates from around the country in Washington, D.C.

He spends several months of the year on a speaking tour around the United States addressing mostly Catholic parishes and schools on behalf of Catholic Relief Services, raising awareness of the millions of dollars collected in the U.S. through the Lenten program Operation Rice Bowl and how this money is used around the world to break the chains of poverty.

Thomas was the second of four boys born to a couple in a small village in the isolated northern lands of Ghana, where the family barely eeked out an existence living in a mud hut. Within a year of each other, his parents became sick and died, leaving the four boys orphaned to fend for themselves.

Faced with starvation, the boys did whatever they could to survive, often fighting over a small bowl of food, which wasn’t enough. Thomas would eventually see his two younger brothers die from starvation. Later, he would be abandoned by his older brother, who said he couldn’t stay in the village any longer because there was too much misery. One morning when Thomas awoke, his brother had disappeared never to be seen again.

He would have faced certain death with no one left to help him, until a Good Samaritan came along help him. The Good Samaritan was not a single person but Catholic Relief Services, which built a school in the village. Thomas had no interest in going to school — no one in his family had ever gone to school. He needed to find food every day to sustain his existence, and this couldn’t possibly be found in schools.

Well, he was mistaken. He would soon learn that food could be obtained from school in the form of a small snack in the morning and a little lunch later in the day. The food was provided by a program funded by Operation Rice Bowl.

Every Lent when U.S. Catholics fast on Fridays, Rice Bowl encourages them to take the money saved through fasting, place it in a bowl, then donate it to the program on the last Sunday of Lent. Last year Operation Rice Bowl raised $10 million that helped curb hunger around the world.

Thomas would show up to the school, get a snack then sneak away from school. The teachers figured this out, and tricked him and others into going to school by withholding the snack until after the lesson.

“They held me hostage” he said, “tricking me into going to school.”

Eventually, Thomas would get an education, then an advanced education in the United States, where he earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of California, Hayward. He returned to Ghana to, in his words, “continue the practice of tricking children with a little snack to go to schools” knowing that education is the best tool for breaking the chains of poverty.

Last week, we hosted Thomas in our home during his visit to Nevada, where we had the opportunity to be touched personally by him. During Thomas’ previous visits to Las Vegas and many other U.S. cities, he rarely had the chance to see the communities he visits. This trip would be different, because we scheduled some down time during which we could show him a few sites.

Donna and I had the wonderful experience of seeing the Bellagio fountains through the eyes of a man who grew up without truly clean water. Together we watched as he marveled at the acres of crystal clear water on the Strip, and showed even more amazement as the fog rolled across the lake and the fountains burst to life with thunder and light.

As we walked through the mall in Planet Hollywood, Thomas noted the beauty of the evening sky, how it appeared so close you could touch it. I must admit being a little confused until I realized he thought the ceiling was really the sky. This is cause for pause, because we have become so accustomed to these facades that we don’t notice them anymore. This experience through Thomas’ eye whirled me back in time to when the Forum Shops first opened at Caesars Palace, to my own wonderment of the sky within the sky. How jaded we have become, our senses numb to ever-changing technology.

Thomas spoke of growing up without electricity, how excited they were when the moon shined full, lighting the village so they could dance and drum into the dawn. Having experienced the darkness of Africa last September, I recalled listening to the drums and singing, how the stars hung so low you could almost touch them.

With that in mind, we thought it would be appropriate to show him Hoover Dam, where electricity begins for much of the Southwest.

As you probably well know, a trip to Hoover Dam isn’t complete without stopping at the marina to feed the fish. While he and Donna strolled the dock, I ducked into the store for a bag of popcorn. The rest is history if you have ever experienced the feeding frenzy of giant carp.

However, Thomas was even more frenzied watching the last quarter of the Super Bowl after I explained the game. He rooted relentlessly for the underdogs, his new team, the New York Giants. He understands being the underdog. I think that’s why he asked me before the game started, “Who is the underdog?” then said, “That’s who I will cheer for.”

Even observing Thomas watch his first Super Bowl brought more excitement than the game itself.

Tim O’Callaghan, co-publisher of the News, can be reached at 990-2656 or tim.oc@vegas.com.

URGE YOUR SENATORS TO EXPAND THE BAN ON TORTURE

2008-02-11T16:58:00.001-08:00

ACTION ALERT!!!

February 7, 2008

Why this issue is important? Torture is abhorrent in the eyes of the Church as it undermines and debases the dignity of both victims and perpetrators. Pope Benedict XVI said, “I reiterate that the prohibition against torture ‘cannot be contravened under any circumstance.’”

The Senate is expected to vote on H.R. 2082, the FY 2008 Intelligence Authorization Act, in the next two weeks. Contained in that bill is important anti-torture legislation (Section 327) which would expand the prohibition against torture of detainees to all U.S. intelligence agencies and their agents. We urge Senators to adopt this legislation as it is consistent with the Church’s belief in human dignity and because it would allow the U.S. to regain the moral high ground and restore our credibility in the international community.

Background: USCCB was successful in its earlier efforts to encourage Congress to adopt provisions in the FY2006 Defense Appropriations Act to prohibit cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners under custody of the U.S. military by applying the prohibition on torture outlined in U.S. Army Field Manual. There is concern that the earlier legislation does not apply consistently to all U.S. intelligence agencies and their agents.

Section 327 of H.R. 2082 would close that loophole. However this section was not part of either the original House or Senate versions of the Intelligence Authorization Act but rather was included in the conference report after consultations between House and Senate conferees preparing the final bill. The House passed the conference report in December on a 222-199 vote. Some Senators want to block inclusion of Section 327 in HR 2082 and may raise a point of order because it was not in either of the original versions of the bill. 60 votes are needed to override the point of order or prevent a filibuster, and eventually to pass the bill with Section 327 intact.

ACTION REQUESTED: If your Senator is listed below, please contact him or her and urge support for the anti-torture provisions (Section 327) in H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2008.
Check http://capwiz.com/c-span for your Senator’s telephone number and email address.

Lamar Alexander (R-TN) Mel Martinez (R-FL)
Evan Bayh (D-IN) John McCain (R-AZ)
Sam Brownback (R-KS) Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Robert Casey (D-PA) Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Norm Coleman (R-MN) Ken Salazar (D-CO)
Susan Collins (R-ME) Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA) John Sununu (R-NH)
Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) George Voinovich (R-OH)
Richard Lugar (R-IN) John Warner (R-VA)

For more information contact: Virginia Farris, Office of International Justice and Peace, USCCB, 202-541-3182, vfarris@usccb.org. See Bishop Thomas Wenski’s January 30, 2008 letter on torture which is attached and can be found with other material at www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/libertyind.shtml.

Bishop Thomas G. Wenski's Letter to U.S. Senate

2008-02-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development
3211 Fourth Street NE • Washington DC 20017-1194 • Fax 202-541-3339
WEBSITE: WWW.USCCB.ORG/SDWP
International Justice and Peace

January 30, 2008

Dear Senator:

As Chairman of the Committee on International Policy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I am writing regarding proposed legislation in HR 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Act, to prohibit torture as an interrogation technique. I urge you to make sure that the United States continues to insist upon the highest ethical standards and fully complies with U.S. commitments to observe international law in its treatment of detainees, whether here in the United States or abroad.

Earlier, our Conference of Bishops encouraged Congress to adopt provisions in the FY2006 Defense Appropriations Act prescribing uniform standards for the interrogation of persons under the detention of the Department of Defense and prohibiting cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment of persons under the custody or control of the United States government. Now we want to support provisions in HR 2082 in order to expand the prohibition against torture to all U.S. government agencies and their agents.

Experts have told us that the U.S. Army Field Manual, as revised and published in September 2006, includes specific wording that explicitly bans morally questionable interrogation practices. While the Conference is not in a position to assess its specific provisions, we understand that the Field Manual provides a standard that requires humane treatment during interrogation. In particular, we note one guiding principle in the revised Army Field Manual that echoes the Golden Rule: “If in attempting to determine if a contemplated approach or technique should be considered prohibited and therefore should not be included in an interrogation plan, consider. . . if the proposed approach or technique were used by the enemy against one of your fellow soldiers, would you believe the soldier had been abused?”

Adherence to the Golden Rule would allow the United States to answer the profound moral question of how we should treat detainees and regain the moral high ground. This issue has a major impact on human dignity and on the way the United States is viewed abroad. As you know, the United States has long supported Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits “cruel treatment and torture” as well as “outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment...” Our own troops and citizens benefit from the protections of this standard. We are opposed to any proposed or adopted legislation or other actions that would appear to once again decriminalize torture and abusive conduct. We believe any legislation adopted by the Congress must be unambiguous in rejecting torture and cruel treatment as dangerous, unreliable and illegal.

While we recognize that combating terrorism remains a top priority for Congress and the Administration, we also recognize that any report of prisoner mistreatment by military or civilian agents of the United States or its allies could seriously undermine U.S. efforts to defeat terrorism. More importantly, prisoner mistreatment compromises human dignity. Our nation must not embrace a morality based on an attitude that “desperate times call for desperate measures” or “the end justifies the means.” A respect for the dignity of every person, ally or enemy, must serve as the foundation of security, justice and peace. There can be no compromise on the moral imperative to protect the basic human rights of any individual incarcerated for any reason. The inherent justice of our cause and the perceived necessities involved in confronting terrorism must not lead to a weakening or disregard of U.S. or international law.

In a time of terrorism and fear, our individual and collective obligations to respect dignity
and human rights, even of our worst enemies, gains added importance. Reaffirming the standards contained in Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions would reflect the conviction that our nation must treat its prisoners as we would expect our enemies to treat our own military personnel or citizens. We urge you to support proposed legislative language in HR 2082 that would definitively implement America’s commitment to Common Article 3 and expand the application of standards of humane treatment during interrogation, as exemplified in the revised Army Field Manual, to all U.S. government agencies and their agents. Preserving the strong U.S. commitment to humane and ethical treatment of detainees would continue your efforts to restore the moral credibility of the United States at a crucial time.

Thank you for your consideration of our views on the just treatment of prisoners and detainees.

Sincerely yours,

Bishop Thomas G. Wenski
Bishop of Orlando
Chairman, Committee on International Policy

Economic Stimulus Package Action Alert from Justice, Peace and Human Development

2008-01-25T09:14:00.000-08:00

ACTION ALERT!!!

January 24, 2008

Economic Stimulus Package

The USCCB has contacted Congressional leadership and members of the Administration about the proposed economic stimulus package urging that low-income people be included. (See attached letter from Bishop William Murphy.) Reports indicate that leaders of Congress and the Administration have reached an agreement. We are pleased that low-income people appear to be included in the package through a rebate. However, there is more to do as the final steps are taken on this package. Key goals would be to strengthen the food stamp, unemployment insurance, and low income energy assistance (LIHEAP) programs.

CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND ASK THEM TO:

• keep in the stimulus package the rebates that will help low-income families (who don’t pay income taxes but pay other taxes, e.g., social security);

• add to the stimulus package increases in unemployment insurance, food stamps, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

A basic moral test for our society is how we treat the most vulnerable in our midst. In a society marred by deepening disparities between rich and poor, Scripture gives us the story of the Last Judgment (see Mt 25:31-46) and reminds us that we will be judged by our response to the “least among us.”
The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, No. 50.

BACKGROUND

Providing help to low-income families makes practical good sense because these families will most likely use this money short term within the economy. Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke told the House Budget Committee, “There is good evidence that cash that goes to low and moderate income people is more likely to be spent in the near term.” Others, including the January 15, 2008, “Options for Responding to Short-term Economic Weakness,” along with analysts and economists from the Department of Labor and the CBO, report that strengthening unemployment insurance, food stamps and LIHEAP can be effective means for stimulating the economy in a timely

Bishop Murphy's Letter to Secretary Paulson

2008-01-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

January 23, 2008

Secretary Henry J. Paulson, Jr.
United States Department of the Treasury
Washington, D.C. 20220

Dear Mr. Secretary:
As Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I write to express our hope that the Administration and Congress will work together quickly and cooperatively to shape and pass effective measures to
help our nation and our people respond to growing economic stress. I also write to express our strong conviction that poor families and their children as well as low wage workers should receive priority consideration in developing these plans and carrying them out.

Specifically, I urge you to find effective ways to protect the poorest families and low wage workers from financial hardship during this economic downturn. Any economic stimulus policy must provide concrete economic help to these families. The bishops’ conference continues to support strengthening existing programs such as unemployment compensation, food stamp benefits, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as effective means to assist families and help the economy.

We, as Pastors and our many Catholic Church agencies working with the poor and vulnerable, know at first hand of what we speak. We also know that, in the various proposals and positions being debated, too often the voices poor families and low paid workers are often missing. Allow us to remind one and all that, while their voices are not always heard, poor people have compelling needs that should have a priority claim on our consciences and on the choices and investments which you will make.

Such an approach makes practical good sense because we all know this segment of our citizens will most likely use this money short term within the economy. Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke told the House Budget Committee, “There is good evidence that cash that goes to low and moderate income people is more likely to be spent in the near term.” Others, including the January 15, 2008, “Options for Responding to Short-term Economic Weakness,” along with analysts and economists from the Department of Labor and the CBO, report that strengthening unemployment insurance, food stamps and LIHEAP can be effective means for stimulating the economy in a timely and efficient manner.

More importantly there is a moral argument that none of us can escape. A good society is measured by the extent to which those with responsibility attend to the needs of the weaker members, especially those most in need. A good society is one in which all benefit and none are left outside the common concern we carry together. Economic policies that help lower income working families live in decency and with dignity should be a clear and common priority.

Permit me, in the name of the Catholic bishops, to urge the Administration and Congress to act together quickly. Keep in mind that poor working people and their families will be disproportionately hurt by this declining economy.

Be assured of our prayers for all of you as you face this challenge and respond to the needs of all the people of this great land.

With every best wish, I am,

Sincerely,

Most Rev. William Murphy, S.T.D.
Bishop of Rockville Centre
Chairman, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development

U.S. Catholic bishops approve faithful citizenship statement

2008-01-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON – The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) today overwhelmingly approved a statement called Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States. The statement urges Catholics to be involved in public life and to use the values of their faith to shape their political choice. It was approved at the bishops’ general meeting in Baltimore, November 12-15, 2007.

“In this statement, we bishops do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote,” the bishops explain. “Our purpose is to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with God’s truth. We recognize that the responsibility to make choices in political life rests with each individual in light of a properly formed conscience, and that participation goes well beyond casting a vote in a particular election.”

The church’s role in helping Catholics to form their consciences is a central theme of the document. “With this foundation,” the bishops explain, “Catholics are better able to evaluate policy positions, party platforms, and candidates’ promises and action in light of the Gospel and the moral and social teaching of the Church in order to help build a better world.”

The bishops affirm their legitimate role in public life. “The obligation to teach about moral values that should shape our lives, including our public lives, is central to [our] mission,” they state. “Our nation’s tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups and people of faith bring their convictions and concerns into public life.”

Respect for the dignity of every human being is a foundation for Catholic teaching about “faithful citizenship.” The statement explains the necessity of opposing actions that are intrinsically wrong, such as abortion and euthanasia, because these actions involve directly andintentionally ending an innocent human life. It also affirms the obligation to promote the common good by combating such threats to human life and dignity as hunger, poverty, racism, unjust immigration policies, and unjust war. “Both opposing evil and doing good are essential obligations.”

The bishops warn of two temptations for Catholics in public life. “The first is a moral equivalence that makes no ethical distinctions between different kinds of issues involving human life and dignity. The direct and intentional destruction of innocent human life…is always wrong and is not just one issue among many. It must always be opposed.” A second temptation involves “dismissing or ignoring other serious threats to human life and dignity. Racism and other unjust discrimination, torture, the use of the death penalty, resorting to unjust war, war crimes, the failure to respond to those who are suffering from hunger or lack health care, or unjust immigration policies are all serious moral issues that challenge our consciences and require us to act.”

The bishops call Catholics to a different kind of political engagement shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak and the vulnerable.” They add, “Participation in political life in light of fundamental moral principles is an essential duty for every Catholic and all people of good will.”

The bishops also acknowledge the challenges faced by Catholic voters. “Catholics may feel politically disenfranchised sensing that no party and too few candidates fully share the Church’s comprehensive commitment to the dignity of the human person.” They add, “As Catholics we are not single issues voters. A candidate’s position on a single issue is not sufficient to guarantee a voter’s support. Yet a candidate’s position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support.”

Despite these challenges, the statement urges Catholics “to become more involved: running for office, working within political parties, and communicating concerns to elected officials.” It suggests that Catholics should be “guided more by our moral convictions than by our
attachment to a political party or interest group.” As they prepare for the elections, the statement says “Catholic voters should use Catholic teaching to examine candidates’ positions on issues and should consider candidates’ integrity, philosophy, and performance.”

According to Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the bishop of Brooklyn who led an broad consultation process to develop the new statement, an extensive effort will be undertaken to distribute the statement as well as a bulletin insert summarizing the statement that was also approved by the bishops. Also planned are a DVD on Faithful Citizenship” and a Web site offering resources for parishes, schools, religious education programs, youth groups, young adult groups, and many others. “But the most important next step will be what we bishops do to teach and lead our people in our dioceses,” DiMarzio stated.

The Faithful Citizenship statement concludes with a “call for a renewed kind of politics:
• Focused more on moral principles than on the latest polls;
• Focused more on the needs of the weak than on benefits for the strong;
• Focused more on the pursuit of the common good than on the demands of narrow interests.
“This kind of political participation,”the bishops claim, “reflects the social teaching of our Church and the best traditions of our nation.”

New website under construction

2008-01-23T19:30:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas Social Action Ministry (LVSAM) is in the final development of its webpage and should be published in the coming weeks. So keep checking back at this link.

2008-01-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teachings

The Church identifies seven key principles of Catholic Social Teaching that stand today as a guide for furthering the education and understanding of what our response should be to the needs of those in our midst - whether locally or worldwide.

Life and Dignity of the Human Person - All people are sacred, made in the image and likeness of God. People do not lose dignity because of disability, poverty, age, lack of success, or race. This emphasizes people over things, being over having.
Call to Family, Community, and Participation - The human person is both sacred and social. We realize our dignity and rights in relationship with others, in community. "We are one body; when one suffers, we all suffer." We are called to respect all of God's gifts of creation, to be good stewards of the earth and each other.
Rights and Responsibilities - People have a fundamental right to life, food, shelter, health care, education and employment. All people have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities to respect the rights of others in the wider society and to work for the common good.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable - The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation. We are called to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor.
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers - People have a right to decent and productive work, fair wages, private property and economic initiative. The economy exists to serve people, not the other way around.
Solidarity - We are one human family. Our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic and ideological differences. We are called to work globally for justice.
Care for God's Creation - The goods of the earth are gifts from God. We have a responsibility to care for these goods as stewards and trustees, not as mere consumers and users.