[TAKE ACTION] You’re paying for harmful surgery on children?
October 23, 2017 by ·
Family Update | October 20, 2017 | Donate | View Online | Share: Forward // Facebook
Should taxpayers cover child “gender-reassignment” surgery?
This week, the State Senate Banking & Insurance Committee voted 10-5 on returning to the longstanding policy of the CHIP program to exclude coverage for sex change (“gender reassignment”) surgery and services.
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a taxpayer funded program that was set up to help children and families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but who can’t afford private coverage. Last year, Governor Tom Wolf unilaterally changed the state’s policy for CHIP to additionally cover gender reassignment surgery and related services.
Our Senators need to understand that coverage for gender reassignment surgery is bad policy:
1) It’s harming children. Many respected medical professionals acknowledge that “reassignment surgery” (“sex change” operations) has not proven effective for treating mental health conditions. This is especially true in the case of younger children who typically identify with their own sex after they go through puberty.
At 12 years old, Patrick Mitchell was diagnosed with gender dysphoria. But two years after taking estrogen hormones and growing his hair long, Patrick, now 14, changed his mind.
“Don’t mess them up,” says pediatrician John Whitehall to 60 Minutes. “We have to acknowledge there are a lot of children who are confused about their gender identity. It’s a normal phase that they would go through. It’s not uncommon. The good news is statistically, they’re going to grow out of it.”
Even the Obama administration, in June 2016, cited inconclusive clinical evidence of the supposed health benefits of gender reassignment surgery.
2) It hurts taxpayers. This life-altering surgery is also expensive for taxpayers. The cost for one gender reassignment surgery can be well over $100,000. After Governor Wolf’s executive order to change the policy, the state’s estimated cost for the 2016-2017 fiscal year was $9.1 million.
HB1388 is legislation that reauthorizes CHIP for 2018-2019 and now includes this amendmentexcluding gender reassignment surgery and services. Encourage your State Senator to support HB1388 as amended. Click here to use our Citizen Action Center now to send your State Senator an email in support of HB1388 as amended.
Additional News Highlights
Misconception of “Separation of Church & State”
- Harrisburg City Council votes down proposal. A plan to lease a portion of Harrisburg’s City Hall to Eastern University – who would invest $600,000 into the much-needed renovations – has been rejected by City Council due to unfounded concerns about the separation of church and state. “We missed an incredible opportunity that would have been a great benefit to taxpayers of Harrisburg and the continued economic development of the city,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said. “I see Eastern as a Christian university…As a Christian university, they have the ability to make hiring decisions based on certain criteria. I don’t think that’s the same thing as discrimination.” Read more.
- County appeals ruling for removal of cross in seal – Wrong to run from history, faith in God. “It’s not as if religion should be treated as poison in our society, but the judge felt that current cases forced him to rule against the seal,” says Randall Wenger. “But even current cases don’t require us to eliminate our religious history.” Read more.
Abortion is not Health Care
- Pittsburgh diocese settles suit over birth control mandate. The Pittsburgh and Erie Roman Catholic dioceses have settled lawsuits seeking to overturn an Affordable Care Act mandate that would have forced them to provide contraceptive and abortion-inducing drugs or services as part of their employee health care plans. The dioceses, along with Geneva College and more than 70 religious organizations, sued over the Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate. Read more.
- State Representative Rapp: “Wolf Pushes Planned Parenthood Abortion Agenda While Failing to Finalize State Budget” Thank you to Pennsylvania State Representative Kathy Rapp who recently wrote about Governor Wolf’s road trip for Planned Parenthood and the glaring need to end late-term & dismemberment abortion in Pennsylvania: “With a completed state budget nearly four months overdue and after missing the vast majority of state budget negotiations, Gov. Tom Wolf has embarked on a public relations tour to flaunt his support for Planned Parenthood, the world’s leading abortion provider. One of his recent stops included a visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia, where more than 20,000 babies have been aborted since 2013.” Read more.
Problems with Legalized Recreational Marijuana
- What has it done in Colorado? One of our sister organizations – the Center for Arizona Policy – has outlined some of the problems Colorado is facing after legalizing recreational marijuana in 2013. Read more.
Tuesday, November 7th – Election Day 2017
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Pennsylvania Family Institute
Call to Action: Tell Congress No Late Abortion
October 19, 2017 by ·
The House of Representatives recently passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the measure has been introduced in the Senate as S.1922. On October 17, Cardinal Dolan called on the Senate to support and request a vote on this life-saving legislation which will protect pre-born children and their mothers from the horrors of late abortion. Please join the effort to urge the Senate to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S. 1922) which reflects what a consensus of Americans believe about abortion.
If you have been following this effort to introduce common-sense abortion policy reform to our nation’s laws, then you know there are many reasons why this policy should be enacted. It is not only that there is scientific evidence that children feel pain at this age and that the mother’s risk of death or serious complications increases after the mid-point of pregnancy. It is also, as Cardinal Dolan noted in his letter to Congress, that the “stories of children born earlier in pregnancy, as early as 20 weeks post-fertilization, are becoming more common.” You can read the full text of that letter here.
We would like to introduce you to one little boy who proves the Cardinal’s claim. Born at exactly 22 weeks, baby Thomas survived against many odds and is now a happy, healthy and beloved toddler. Meet Thomas by watching the video below:
Many say the likelihood of this legislation passing the Senate is as low as the chances given for Thomas’ survival. The odds didn’t stop Thomas from fighting for life and they shouldn’t stop us either. Please contact your senators now. Share Thomas’ story. Encourage everyone you know to respond to this alert. Spread the word that Americans like Thomas and you and millions of decent and humane people reject late abortion.
Thanks for standing with us. Together we will be heard!
Amy McInerny
Executive Director
Informational Contact Broadcast: Important October Update
October 16, 2017 by ·
The HHS Mandate and Federal Subsidies of Abortion Coverage Premiums under the ACA
This is great news! On Friday, October 6, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) relieved the extreme burden imposed on Americans by the HHS Contraceptive Mandate by issuing two interim final rules providing broad religious and moral exemption from the requirement that health insurance coverage include sterilization, contraception, and drugs and devices that may cause abortion. These interim final rules took immediate effect and allow for a 60-day open public comment period. Please stand by for a call to submit comments to HHS in support of this policy which, in the words of Cardinal DiNardo, “bring the federal government back into the religious freedom mainstream.” (The Hill 10/7/17) We will alert you in the coming days when it is time to act and provide you the means to do so quickly and easily.
In this memo from our policy partners at the USCCB, you can read more about the status of the Mandate as well as about an administrative bulletin from the Trump Administration which was also issued last Friday. The bulletin addresses guidance on implementing the requirements in the Affordable Care Act, (ACA), regarding segregation of abortion coverage premiums in ACA health care plans.
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act
The effort to protect children from the horrors of late-term abortion moved forward on October 3, when the House passed H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, by vote of 237-189. Focus now turns to the Senate where on October 5, Sen. Linsey Graham, (R-SC) introduced the Pain-Capable bill as S. 1922. The measure has 45 co-sponsors. We are preparing educational materials and a call to action to help you contact your senators and urge them to enact this life-saving policy into law. Expect an alert early next week.
Other Ongoing Efforts
Please also remember, mighty advocates, that our efforts to urge Congress to enact the Conscience Protection Act of 2017 continue. There is an open alert on that legislation in our Action Center. If you haven’t already reached out to your members on the need to protect pro-life health care providers, you can do so here. And, finally, we continue to raise our voices in defense of the vulnerable at the end of life as well. Please also urge Congress to say “no” to assisted suicide.
Thank you for all you do to defend life and for standing with Human Life Action. Together we will be heard!
St. Joseph the Worker Church Time Capsule
October 13, 2017 by ·
Below are pictures of the recently recovered Time Capsule from Saint Joseph the Worker Church. Monsignor McCormac’s Pastors Column (full text included below) will be published in this weekend’s Parish Bulletin.
On Monday morning, October 9th, John McGrath, developer and builder, graciously brought to the rectory the “time capsule” which was retrieved from the former St. Joseph the Worker Church building’s cornerstone. Upon opening the metal box, we found the Church Bulletin for October 27, 1957, which was the Sunday before November 1st, the day on which the cornerstone was placed in the new church building. The following article appeared in the Church Bulletin:
“Our All Saints Day Masses will be held in our own school building.
The Masses will be at 7, 8, 9 and 10. The cornerstone for the church will be
laid at 11 A.M. on All Saints Day. If the weather is bad, it would be well to wear suitable
clothing for such weather, and also footwear, as it most likely will be muddy around the
building. We ask those who can walk to church, please do so, and for those, who find it necessary to drive, please park on Vermilion Drive or Thornridge Drive.”
In addition to the Church Bulletin, we also found a one page paper which reflected the historical context of the time. Among other information, it noted the following:
“The reigning Pope at this time is Pius XII.
The Archbishop of Philadelphia is the Most Rev. John F. O’Hara, C.S.C.
The Auxiliary Bishops are Bishop Joseph McShea and Bishop Carroll McCormick.
The pastor of the parish is the Rev. Paul J. Cahill.
The first assistant is the Rev. Edmund J. Rafferty.
During the last year, the assisting priests on Sunday were
the Rev. Matthew Finnegan, T.O.R, and the Rev. Joseph McGee, S.M.”
Also, found in the metal box was the October 25, 1957 edition of the Catholic Standard and Times which featured the following news items on the front page:
“The Renovated Cathedral is Reopened”
“U.S. to Receive 30,000 Italians in Next 18 Mos.”
“Subscription Drive Opens this Sunday”
“Mass in Cathedral Marks 125th Year of the Seminary”
“Religious Crisis Studied by Italians”
“N.J. High Court Invalidates Ban on Sunday Sales”
Finally, in the metal box were coins and a one dollar bill. All the coins, a penny, nickel, dime, quarter and half dollar were from 1957 and the dollar bill is a “Silver Certificate, series 1935 E” with “1957” written on the bill.
Knowing how special the contents would be to the former parishioners of St. Joseph the Worker, we are pleased to include copies of the Church Bulletin and the one page paper in today’s Parish Bulletin as keepsakes. We are also posting pictures of these items along with a picture of the front page of the Catholic Standard and Times, a picture of the coins and the one dollar bill and a picture of the metal box. These items are available to be viewed at the rectory if anyone would want to see them.
Finally, on a personal note, as I was reading the Church Bulletin and the one page paper, I could not help but think of the St. Joseph the Worker parish secretary, Mrs. Rosemary Wilson, who very probably typed this information. This past April, I had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Wilson in the final days of her life. It was a singular honor to have met her, spoke with her, listened to her stories, administered the Sacraments of the Church and to honor her last request, namely to have her funeral Mass here in her parish. Mrs. Wilson entered eternal life on April 19, 2017 and on April 24th, I had the honor of celebrating her funeral Mass, commending her to the Lord in thanksgiving for the gift of her life, her love, her faith, and most especially her enduring love of her beloved St. Joseph the Worker Parish.
Non-partisan, church-friendly 2017 Voter’s Guide
October 13, 2017 by ·
PaFamilyVoter.com – 2017 Judicial Voter’s Guide
- Non-partisan and church-friendly.
- Printable guide for statewide judicial candidates.
- Questionnaire responses for several county races.
- Listing of Retention candidates by county.
Every election season, Pennsylvania Family Council offers resources to help you be an informed voter on Election Day. These resources are available free of charge thanks to the support we receive to our organization from families across Pennsylvania.
To contribute to Pennsylvania Family Council in support of these resources, you may make a secure online donation or contact our office at 717-545-0600.
Archbishop Chaput’s Web Exclusive in First Things: On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church
October 13, 2017 by ·
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Archbishop Chaput’s Column: Respect Life 2017
October 13, 2017 by ·
In his most recent column Archbishop Chaput writes, “American Catholics mark October each year as ‘Respect Life Month.’ Reverence for the sanctity of the human person starts with a defense of the unborn child. The right to life is foundational. Without it, all other rights and all other discussions of justice and human dignity are built on sand. No other issue or collection of issues can eclipse the priority of the fundamental right to life from conception to natural death.
But being ‘prolife’ involves a great deal more than working to end obvious evils like abortion and euthanasia. The poor, the infirm, the disabled and the strangers among us also have a claim on our discipleship.”
You can read the complete column by opening the attached document or visiting www.CatholicPhilly.com.
Pictures from the September 30th Healing Mass
October 11, 2017 by ·
Pictures from the Healing Mass and reception that took place on September 30th have been added to the Photo Gallery. Thank you Monsignor Michael McCormac, Eucharistic ministers who assisted the home bound parishioners, the Youth Group, and all who were in attendance and helped with the beautiful Mass and following reception.
Priesthood: Not a Job for the Past
October 9, 2017 by ·
Earlier this week, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary held its annual Golf Outing at the Philadelphia Country Club. This annual event supports the seminary and the young men who are answering God’s call. The article below contains some poignant and timely remarks delivered at the event by Eric Banecker, a transitional deacon from our Archdiocese studying for the Priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.
You can read, “Priesthood: Not a Job for the Past” here http://www.semcasual.org/priesthood-not-job-past/.
