US Catholic Bishops Co-Sponsor "Covered the Uninsured Week"

[frazzledspice]

Just when I was feeling that the Catholic hierarchy was getting tunnel vision and thinking that abortion was the only important life issue facing Americans this November, I saw this bit of good news:

http://www.nccbuscc.org/sdwp/nationa...ninsured.htm#1

For the second year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has decided to co-sponsor "Cover the Uninsured Week." The purpose of this effort is to focus the attention of the nation on the more than 43 million Americans who lack any form of health insurance. The USCCB has joined with our ecumenical and interfaith partners in educating the public and policymakers about the need for affordable and accessible health care for all. The leadership of this project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, includes The Catholic Health Association of the U.S., major health organizations, and business and labor groups.

I am glad to see that, despite the Kerry/communion brouhaha, that the bishops remember Cardinal Bernardin's seamless garment philosophy on pro-life issues.

[frazzledspice]

God bless 'em--they're for gun control, too.

Handgun control. We support the development of a coherent national handgun control policy that includes: a several day cooling-off period between the sale and possession; a ban on "Saturday Night Specials"; the registration of handguns; the licensing of handgun owners; and more effective controls regulating the manufacture, sale and importation of handguns. We recognize, however, that these individual steps will not completely eliminate the abuse of handguns. We believe that only prohibition of the importation, manufacture, sale, possession and use of handguns (with reasonable exceptions made for the police military, security guards and pistol clubs where guns would be kept on the premises under secure conditions) will provide a comprehensive response to handgun violence.

http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/c.../gunsample.htm

Today one of my friends told me that the Archbishop of Boston had likened feminists to terrorists, causing a huge clamor and commotion (I haven't found this on the web.) But just as I was losing faith...I find the bishops are taking all these positive positions.

[jgibson2[$]]

Frazz,
If you'd been reading ANYTHING in the Catholic press, you'd have been aware of this all along. It's not new.

[frazzledspice]

Of course I know it's not new, but there has been so little emphasis on the fact most of the Church's positions are more in line with liberal rather than extreme right wing philosophy that it's good to see, first of all, that there's a "cover the uninsured" week, and, secondly, that the bishops are among its cosponsors.

[jgibson2[$]]

Frazz,
What you're seeing is FINALLY a minimum of balance in the reporting. The Catholic press has been reporting this stuff all along. The bishops have been doing it all along. The secular press has been ignoring it in favor of things that sell newspapers.

[Redlass]

Speaking of press balance, I found it interesting that on the Sunday front page of our local paper was an article saying that our diocese's bishop has said that he is leaving it up to politician's to determine for themselves whether they should take communion. (Our governor is also a Roman Catholic who is pro-choice.) There was a wonderful quote where he said that all Catholics should approach communion very seriously and that Roman Catholics are adults who shouldn't be treated like children.

[jgibson2[$]]

Bridgette,
I think it's great that your local paper is covering this fairly. Your bishop is in line with the Vatican, by the way. ONE cardinal made the statement that he thought prominent people, like politicians, should be refused Communion and it got reported as a Vatican position.