Sunday, May 29, 2005

Sweet relief in the form of m-u-r-r-d-e-r!

Dear All, We have some very talented people in our Oregon Catholic family. Carl Olson, who just has written award-winning "The DaVinci Hoax" had a successful forum in Corvallis with over 125 people. Join another favorite "sister", Debra Murphy, who was chosen as a semi-finalist in the "Religious Fiction" category for her murder mystery with a Catholic spiritual theme from the 2005 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Memorial Day, give yourself a "worry break"; sweet relief in the form of murder! 05/30/05 Debra Murphy will do a short reading from The Mystery of Things and participate in a discussion on the topic of "Mystery-thrillers with spiritual and religious themes" at a "Literary Latté" hosted at the Coffee House Café in Salem, Oregon. Time: 7pm, Monday, May 30. Address: 135 Liberty St NE, Salem, OR 97301. The public is welcome. Keep informed at www.idyllspress.com Back to Reality Legislative Update from Oregon Right to Life PAC Time is running out and we need your help! HB 2020 – the Unborn Victims of Violence bill – has passed the Oregon House with bipartisan support! The bill is now in the hands of the Oregon Senate. Unfortunately, the Democrat Senate Leadership is preventing a vote on this common-sense bill. Please contact your Senator by June 8, 2005 and communicate your support for HB 2020. Ask your Senator to request committee action and encourage his or her colleagues to consent to a committee vote and a vote of the full Senate. Please also contact Senate President Peter Courtney. Sen. Courtney is the most powerful individual in the Oregon Senate. He could assist HB 2020 in receiving a vote in committee and the full Senate. Ask Sen. Courtney to use his influence as Senate President to move HB 2020 forward! The purpose of HB 2020 is very simple. If a violent crime causes an expectant mother to lose her unborn baby or if the mother’s family loses both the woman and the unborn baby, the victims and their family deserve justice. Even though two bodies washed on shore, if Laci and Conner Peterson had been killed in Oregon, Scott Peterson would have only been charged with one murder. Under current Oregon law little Conner’s life and death would not have been acknowledged. Over 70% of Oregonians support this legislation. Because Senate offices are so busy, they often do not recognize requests that run contrary to their political ideology until they have received a substantial about of communication. Every Senate office – especially the Democrat offices – needs to hear from over 100 voters in their district by June 8th. Please contact your friends, family members, church members, co-workers, anyone…and ask them to participate in this vital and worthwhile effort. You can call, email or write your Senator. To identify your Senator, visit www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/ and type in your address. You can also call the Capitol switchboard at 1.800.332.2313. Senator Peter Courtney Party: D District: 11 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1600 Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE., S-203, Salem, OR, 97301 Email: sen.petercourtney@state.or.us Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/senate/senpres CULTURE OF LIFE CALENDAR JUNE Thursday, Friday, Saturday - June 2, 3 and 4, Portland "Teaching, Faith, and Service: The Foundation of Freedom" Conference Sponsored by the University of Portland Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life and American Culture and by the University of Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture. University of Portland campus in North Portland • The presentation by the Honorable John R. Noonan, Jr., U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, "Transparency in Theology: The Necessary Condition for Catholic Teaching", June 2, 6:00-7:00 pm at the Buckley Center Auditorium is free to the public. • The presentation by Wm. David Solomon, Ph.D., "Doctors, Death and Democratic Culture", Friday, June 3, 7:30-9:00 pm at the Buckley Center Auditorium is free to the public. This deals with physician assisted suicide. • Physicians for Compassionate Care Officers and Board Members are participating in presentations: Friday, June 3, 2005, 9:00-10:15 am Bioethics Roundtable Dr. Tom Pitre, Fr. John Tuohey, Dr. Charles Benz Saturday, June 4, 2005, 10:45-noon Oregon's Experience with Physician Assisted Suicide Dr. Ken Stevens, Dr. Bill Toffler, Dr. Greg Hamilton • There is a registration charge for attendance of other presentations at the meeting. Further information about the conference is available at: http://www.up.edu/up_sub.asp?ctnt=1390&mnu=220&chl=75&lvl=1 Registration Card is available online at: • www.up.edu/pdf/FoFregistrationcard.pdf Sat., Mon., Tues. & Sun.-June 4, 6, 7 & 12th - Corvallis, Salem, Portland Dr. Brian Clowes, author and international speaker from Human Life International. Dr. Clowes' book "Call to Action, Call to Apostasy" exposes more than the dissident group Call to Action. A must for your library. • Saturday, June 4, 7pm, Corvallis • “Is Dissent Good for the Church?” • Corvallis-Benton County Public Library Meeting Room, 645 Monroe St., Corvallis • Sponsored by St. Mary's Catholic Book Club, Corvallis • This is a free event sponsored by the St. Mary's Catholic Book Club • Monday, June 6, St. Mary's Upper Social Hall, Corvallis • 9am (after daily mass) "The International Abortion Situation" • 7pm (informal discussion) "Strategies for Fighting Dissent - Bring your questions. • Tuesday, June 7, 7 pm, St. Joseph Church, Salem • "Demographic Impacts of Abortion" • This is a free event sponsored by the St. Joseph's Church Respect Life Committee NEW DATE! Sunday, June 12, 7-9pm Holy Rosary Parish, Portland • "International Abortion Situation" and work of Human Life International. • Come and meet Brian, he was a parishionner of Holy Rosary for thirteen years. Just to let you know. Senate Bill 1000, (Same-sex unions) was opposed by Archbishop Vlazny, Bishop Vasa and Bishop Steiner. Let's thank our Bishops for taking a moral stand and defending the Church's position on "same-sex unions". Their rational statement that shows true love of mankind while holding Christ's standards high is my pleasure to post. Thanks to Nina Rhea - Director of the "Marriage Team" for being on top of things as usual and sending this. States’ Bishops Assess Marriage, Civil Unions And Reciprocal Beneficiaries 04/28/2005 THE SENTINEL A letter from Oregon’s Catholic bishops During the past year the issues of marriage and same-sex unions have dominated Oregon’s political debate. The Oregon Catholic Conference, the voice of Oregon’s bishops on public policy issues, offers to the faithful and people of good will these reflections for your consideration in support of the common good for all Oregonians. In March 2004, Multnomah County began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Last November, the electorate significantly passed Measure 36, supported by the Conference, limiting marriage only to a union of one man and one woman. Following the Oregon Supreme Court’s April 14 opinion that the county acted without authority and the marriage licenses are void, the Oregon Legislature is debating the issues of same-sex civil unions and reciprocal beneficiaries. Reflection on the issues of homosexuality and marriage places this debate in context. While there is a distinction between homosexual inclination and activity, each person is a loved child of God with inherent human dignity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church declares that persons with a homosexual inclination “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” (#2358) Any hostile or violent words or acts directed at our sisters and brothers are offensive, immoral and must not be tolerated. Addressing the marriage issue in November 2003, the U.S. Catholic bishops approved Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions. The statement concludes: “Marriage is a basic human and social institution. Though it is regulated by civil laws and church laws, it did not originate from either church or state, but from God. Therefore, neither church nor state can alter the basic meaning and structure of marriage. “Marriage, whose nature and purposes are established by God, can only be the union of a man and a woman and must remain such in law. In a manner unlike any other relationship, marriage makes a unique and irreplaceable contribution to the common good of society, especially through the procreation and education of children. “The union of husband and wife becomes, over a lifetime, a great good for themselves, their family, communities, and society. Marriage is a gift to be cherished and protected.” The U.S. bishops’ statement followed the Vatican’s June 2003 document approved by Pope John Paul II: “Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons.” That document clearly proclaimed support for marriage’s protected status in society’s laws: “The common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society.” Because marriage is the foundation of the human family, society attaches special protections and benefits for the married couple and their children. It is in society’s own self-interest and self-propagation to do so. It is not discriminatory for society to reserve the full array of marriage benefits to a married man, woman and their children. To legalize civil unions (wherein same-sex couples receive all the benefits of marriage under another name) is to adopt a public policy that, in effect, states that marriage and same-sex civil unions, although called by different names, are essentially the same and equal. They are not. Society must always be mindful that the law is a teacher of us all, including very young and impressionable minds who are growing into their sexual awareness and identity. Youth learn society’s conduct and expectations from family, community, faith and law. The policy of same-sex civil unions establishes a confusing legal and educational message for young people. Approval of same-sex civil unions makes a statement to impressionable youth: society offers the same benefits for marriage between one man and one woman and same-sex civil unions. Therefore society says you are free to choose either marriage or same-sex civil unions because they are equal in the eyes of the law. With the passage of a law legalizing same-sex civil unions, marriage will no longer hold a special place in society’s laws for the exclusive benefit of man, woman and the procreation, rearing and education of children. Marriage between one man and one woman, then, will no longer be held up as society’s preferred institution to conceive and raise children. Marriage, in effect, becomes a weakened social institution to the detriment of the stability of the family and the inherent consequences to children. Through same-sex civil unions with marriage-like benefits and through the practices of artificial insemination and surrogate motherhood, society sanctions and encourages expanded experimentation on the birth of children who deliberately will be conceived and born without the benefit of having both mother and father. Children are God’s precious gift to humanity, given to us through the mutual love of woman and man. Society’s approval of a generally accepted and expanded experimentation on the birth of children without both mother and father surely cannot be in the best interests of children or society. Accordingly, the Oregon Catholic Conference cannot support same-sex civil unions as supportive of the common good for all and must oppose legislative attempts to adopt such public policy in Oregon. In recognition of the fact that there are many people who live together for friendship, companionship and mutual economic support, the concept of reciprocal beneficiaries, with benefits such as survivorship rights, has been advanced. Since reciprocal beneficiaries are dependent on two adults, for example a mother and daughter, being mutually supportive of each other, many people, particularly elderly parents and people with disabilities, would benefit from such a public policy. In general, the Oregon Catholic Conference could support a reciprocal beneficiaries public policy as advancing the common good for a significant number of adults in society. The issues presented to the people of Oregon during this last year’s activities, policy developments and debate about the law on marriage are foundational to society and profound in their impact on the lives of all Oregonians. We pray that the public debate be conducted with civility and charity for all involved. We ask God’s continued blessings on the people of Oregon and its public officials so that wise public policy advancing the common good for all will be the fruits of this public discussion. We pray for God’s blessings on you and your families. Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Rev. John G. Vlazny Archbishop of Portland, President Most Rev. Robert F. Vasa Bishop of Baker, Vice President Most Rev. Kenneth Steiner Auxiliary Bishop of Portland, Board Member Here is contact information for the Bishops. To say "thank you". Archbishop Vlazny - 503.234.5334 /2838 E. Burnside, Portland 97214 Bishop Vasa - 541.388.4004/PO Box 5999, Bend 97708 Bishop Steiner - 503.647. 2131/St. Edward Parish, PO Box 507, North Plains 97133 The term cardo means a "hinge", that on which a thing turns, its principal point; the cardinal virtues- Prudence, Justice, Bravery, Temperace, may be said to be a scientifically arranged group, helpful for those who are struggling for a well-ordered world & conduct in a disordered world, which is not prudent, just, brave, temperate. Thank you Lord, for these Shepherds who demonstrated principals You gave Your Church to make our path to Heaven clearer. God Bless you all, Carolyn "Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions." G.K. Chesterton VOCAL Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97383