St. Vincent Catholic Charities, along with Chad and Melissa Buck, parents of five children with special needs, won a major victory for the adoption agency and the families and children it serves. In Buck v. Gordon, St. Vincent joined the Bucks and Shamber Flore, a former foster child, in fighting the Attorney General of Michigan’s attempt…Read More
President Donald Trump and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin have challenged world leaders to protect unborn human life. Both leaders spoke at the United Nations in New York, as the body met for the 74th session of its General Assembly. On Tuesday, President Trump stated that “like many nations here today, we in America…Read More
The Virginia Catholic Conference has spoken in support of public accountability in the administration of the death penalty, while calling for an end to its use. In a statement given in response to questions about a lawsuit demanding that the public be able to view the entirety of the execution process in capital cases, the conference…Read More
The Catholic Medical Association, along with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Health Association, are voicing support for a bill pending in Congress to fund training, research, and education on palliative care. Palliative care involves medical care and pain management for the symptoms of those suffering from a serious illness, and refraining…Read More
New poll results show that a large majority of Americans believe that healthcare professionals should not be forced to provide procedures that violate their moral beliefs. The results of two polls, released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on Sept. 18, show widespread support for conscience protections in the healthcare industry, and for…Read More
Attorney General Mike Hunter has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, urging the justices to overturn a Montana Supreme Court decision that required the state to exclude religious school options for parents participating in a state tax credit scholarship program. Montana’s program, enacted by its legislature in 2015, gave a tax credit to…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt named M. John Kane IV, of Pawhuska, to the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday, filling the first of two vacancies on the nine-member court. Kane, 57, a registered Republican, has been a district judge in Osage County since 2005. He does not have to be confirmed by either house of the State…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt named M. John Kane IV, of Pawhuska, to the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday, filling the first of two vacancies on the nine-member court. Kane, 57, a registered Republican, has been a district judge in Osage County since 2005. He does not have to be confirmed by either house of the State…Read More
The Oklahoma County District Court has denied a motion to pause a law banning a common abortion procedure during the second trimester. According to the Associated Press, Judge Cindy Truong declined to issue a temporary injunction that would have stopped the bill from going into effect while the case progresses. Officials have agreed to wait…Read More
The Oklahoma County District Court has denied a motion to pause a law banning a common abortion procedure during the second trimester. According to the Associated Press, Judge Cindy Truong declined to issue a temporary injunction that would have stopped the bill from going into effect while the case progresses. Officials have agreed to wait…Read More
Yet another scientific survey of Oklahoma voters has found strong support for parental choice in education. The survey, conducted by Cor Strategies, asked: “School choice gives parents the right to use the tax dollars designated for their child’s education to send their child to the public or private school which best meets their needs. Generally…Read More
Prior to Roe v Wade, perhaps the most popular argument for legalising abortion was that women’s safety demanded avoiding the dreaded “back alley abortion”. In untrained hands, the unregulated procedure was just too dangerous for women. Now, as non-surgical, chemical abortion becomes more common, abortion rights activists hunger for a future where women and girls…Read More
As the Trump administration reportedly considers further cuts to U.S. refugee admissions, the leader of the U.S. bishops’ migration committee has stated his opposition to any such plan. Any “further reductions in the number of refugees” accepted into the U.S. “would be wholly counter to our values as a nation of immigrants,” Bishop Joe Vasquez…Read More
Yet another scientific survey of Oklahoma voters has found strong support for parental choice in education. The survey, conducted by Cor Strategies, asked: “School choice gives parents the right to use the tax dollars designated for their child’s education to send their child to the public or private school which best meets their needs. Generally…Read More
The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday in favor of two Christian artists who argue that they should not be forced to create custom artwork for same-sex weddings in opposition to their religious beliefs. “The rights of free speech and free exercise, so precious to this nation since its founding, are not limited to soft murmurings…Read More
California legislators passed a bill last Friday that would require all state universities to offer medication abortions, despite the objections of pro-life leaders. In a Sept. 16 statement, Andrew Rivas, executive director of the California Catholic Conference, encouraged California Governor Gavin Newsom to oppose the bill. “We urge him to veto this unprecedented and unnecessary…Read More
A florist in Washington state sued for declining to serve a same-sex wedding is once again appealing her case to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a statement issued Sept. 11, lawyers from the Alliance Defending Freedom said that Barronelle Stutzman’s case must be considered by the court for a second time. Stutzman’s appeal comes after the Washington…Read More
President Donald Trump scored a major legal victory on immigration on Wednesday as the Supreme Court gave him the go-ahead to proceed with a new policy barring asylum for migrants who pass through another country en route to the U.S. The high court order allows the policy, which is expected to drastically reduce asylum granted…Read More
A Catholic group is suing the Trump administration over the restriction of protections granted to asylum seekers in the U.S. The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), Democracy Forward, and Proskauer Rose LLP filed a lawsuit Sept. 6 arguing that the Trump administration’s new policies violate the statutory rights of asylum seekers and were issued…Read More
Five months after first attempting to force a vote on legislation to protect babies who survive botched abortions, pro-life Members in the House are still at a standstill. “This is not even a pro-life or a pro-choice issue. This is an issue of someone’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Rep. Ann…Read More
A Colorado man with cancer along with his doctor have filed a suit last month against a health system run by the Catholic Church. The suit alleges that hospital policy barring doctors from participating in assisted suicide violates state law. Cornelius “Neil” Mahoney, 64, was told July 16 that his cancer was incurable and he…Read More
What social institutions have the most immediate and strongest impact on a child’s development and well-being? According to researchers for the Pew Charitable Trust’s Economic Mobility Project, it’s the child’s family circumstances, with schools ranking as the second-most important factor. In the U.S., family circumstances and schools are closely linked, because most cities and counties…Read More
A federal judge temporarily blocked Missouri’s ban on abortion on or beyond the eighth week of pregnancy that was to take effect Aug. 28. U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs delayed implementation of the law in a ruling Aug. 27 while a legal challenge to it continues. The decision comes in a lawsuit filed by the…Read More
Euthanasia is a way of treating the human person as an object; while it may appear to give freedom, it is really a rejection of hope, Pope Francis told an oncology association Sept. 2. “The practice of euthanasia, which has already been legalized in several countries, only apparently aims to encourage personal freedom,” he said…Read More
Last week, a Missouri judge ruling against a state pro-life law which was drafted to withstand judicial review. The decision calls into question whether any legislation is possible on abortion in the first two trimesters of pregnancy, and whether a new Supreme Court decision on the issue is now inevitable. A growing number of state…Read More