CONSERVATIVE LAWMAKERS GO TO BATTLE WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OVER CHRISTIAN CHARITY TO IMMIGRANTS.
Washington DC - March 21, 2006 - Catholics for Faithful Citizenship is joining over 70 Catholic Diocese nationwide in opposition to the attacks on the Catholic Church leadership and Catholic Social teaching by far right politicians and political operatives. In defense of HR 4437, a bill roundly criticized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, these lawmakers and their supporters continue to trivialize central teachings of the Catholic Church.
HR 4437 will, among other provisions, criminalize Christian charity as practiced by the Church. The legitimate concerns of Church leadership are answered by shallow promises that, while the law is clear in its language, churches will not be prosecuted. Along with his message of don’t worry be happy, the bill’s co-sponsor and Catholic, U.S. Representative Peter King (R-NY) has been a vocal critic of the Bishop’s advocacy of Catholic teaching on immigrant justice. In a recent interview with the New York Times, King described the Bishops as “the left wing of the Catholic Church — these are the frustrated social workers.” In recent weeks during an interview on The O'Reilly Factor Representative King was asked if he thought opposition to HR 4437 reflects the “left-wing” politics of the church. King responded, “Yes, I do. I think it's become politically correct within the Catholic Church to take these very liberal positions.” Catholics for Faithful Citizenship would suggest Rep. King review Deuteronomy 24:17-22 and it’s call to care for the alien. Care for the least among us is not a liberal idea; it is one of the principle teachings of our faith. Rep. King should apologize to the millions of Catholics, including the Holy Father who are committed to the rich traditions of Catholic Social Teachings.
GOP Catholic spokespersons Deal Hudson of the Morley Institute and Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, editor of First Things, a conservative journal about religion and public life have both been quick to defend their right-wing ideological counterparts in Congress by questioning Catholic Teaching on immigration. These are the same spokespersons that claim a moral high ground behind Church Teaching when the issue suits them. The Catholic Church’s teaching is clear on the issues of immigration. By what authority do Hudson and Neuhaus challenge this teaching for their political bosses?
“The sponsors of HR 4437 are quick to claim they are champions of values, especially Christian values”, said Jeff Sinnard, spokesperson for Catholics for Faithful Citizenship. “Someone should remind them of the Christian values of justice and mercy. The hypocrisy of Representatives King and Sensenbrenner on this issue is amazing when you consider how quickly they clothe themselves in religion and cozy up to the Church when it suits their own narrow purposes.”
On the Web
http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/
http://www.catholicsforfaithfulcitizenship.org/

FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH

St. Joseph might be called the silent saint.
We certainly don’t have any immortal words of his recorded for our edification.
But Joseph’s silence is like the pause in a symphony; the great symphony of God becoming human.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen in his book, On Being Human, said, “Life, like music, must have its rhythm of silence as well as sound.” Without silence there is no music only noise. Human silence is wonderful to listen to.
Perhaps Joseph’s silence reminds us that in the face of infinite Mystery there are no word to adequately express our awe.
Perhaps Joseph, like Mary, pondered in his heart all that was occurring in his life with no need to utter a Magnificat.
Joseph is a model for our contemplative life when we close down the noise that assaults us from outside and the noise that rumbles in our interior emotions and reactions.

A SECOND ASPECT ABOUT JOSEPH

Legend paints pictures of Joseph and Mary being poor.
But Joseph wasn’t poor in the sense of today’s street people, nor was he wealthy like Herod the King.
Joseph was a carpenter who presumably made a good living for his family who could walk the streets with their heads held high.
On the other hand, Joseph lived the spirit of poverty inasmuch as he was open to all God called him to do, even if that call sounded like a summons to break the Law by not shunning his espoused and pregnant Mary. Joseph was open to doing something lawless because he reached out to a more divine law.
It is in the silence of our contemplation that we can gauge the strength of our spirit of poverty, our response to God’s call to us to become all God wants us to be in all areas of our lives.

THIRD ASPECT

St. Joseph was entrusted by God to care for and nurture the most priceless gift God has given to the human race: the Son of God become human.
So we too are to cherish Jesus by opening up and accepting his values, his priorities, his insights and live them even if this means a torturous journey like Joseph’s journey into Egypt. The torture of our spiritual journey will end when we return to our eternal home just as Joseph and Mary and Jesus returned to Nazareth.