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Legislative Testimony

A letter written to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities on March 5, 2019 in regards to House Bill 104, “An Act to lift the cap on kids” &

Senate Bill 37, “An Act relative to the well-being and care of a child”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

Diverse Faith Leaders and Religious Nonprofits Renew Call to Repeal the “Parking Lot Tax”

March 4, 2019

WASHINGTON–Ecumenical and interfaith leaders renewed their call to urge Congress to repeal a change to the Internal Revenue Code that will imminently tax nonprofit organizations—including houses of worship—for the cost of parking and transit benefits they provide to their employees.  Section 512(a)(7) has been commonly referred to as the “parking lot tax”.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

Catholic Bishops’ Pro-Life Chairman Says Senate Rejection of Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act should horrify and anger the American people

February 27, 2019

WASHINGTON–Monday night, the Senate failed to advance the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act—legislation that prohibits infanticide by ensuring that a child born alive following an abortion would receive the same degree of care to preserve her life and health as would be given to any other child born alive at the same gestational age.  The Senate rejected a motion to advance the bill on a vote of 53 to 44 with 3 not voting.  In the Senate, 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster and pass a bill.

The Boston Pilot

Pope: No more excuses; time for 'all-out battle' against crime of abuse

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The time has come for an "all-out battle" against the abuse of minors, erasing this abominable crime from the face of the earth, Pope Francis said, closing a global four-day summit on child protection in the Catholic Church.

For quite some time, the world has been aware of the "serious scandal" the abuse of minors by clergy has brought to the church and public opinion, both because of the dramatic suffering it has caused victims and because of the "unjustifiable negligence" and "cover-up" by leaders in the church, he told people gathered in St. Peter's Square.

The Boston Pilot

Summit affirms need to hold bishops accountable, U.S. cardinal says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican summit on child protection and the clerical sexual abuse crisis affirmed the U.S. bishops' strong belief that bishops and cardinals who abuse children or cover up abuse must be held accountable, said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston.

The cardinal attended the Feb. 21-24 summit as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Boston Pilot

Measures to help protect minors are imminent, summit moderator says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While the four-day Vatican summit on the protection of minors has ended, the work to ensure that laws and concrete actions are in place is just beginning, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi.

During a press briefing Feb. 24, Father Lombardi, who served as moderator of the Feb. 21-24 summit, said Pope Francis will soon publish a new set of laws and guidelines concerning child protection for Vatican City State.

The measures, he said, will be issued "motu proprio," on the pope's own accord, and will be "presented and published in the near future."

The Boston Pilot

Harming a child must be "line in the sand" for removal, Cardinal says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- For the Catholic Church, there is a "line in the sand," which can never be crossed, and that is to not allow anyone who harms or would harm a child to exercise public ministry, said Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston.

In fact, removing someone from public ministry for abuse should be seen not so much as a punitive act as much as it is an urgent pastoral and "prudential" measure to keep young people safe, added Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta.

Catholic News Service

Cardinal: Can the church step up, lead way in protecting children?

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Only together, by humbly sharing their experiences, encouragement and corrective advice, can the bishops and leaders in the Catholic Church work to prevent the abuse of minors and help bring healing to survivors, said the head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India.

Church leaders also must cooperate fully with local authorities because the sexual abuse of minors is also "criminal behavior," not just a violation of divine and church law, said Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, India.

National Public Radio

'A Life Destroyed': Survivors And Pope Address Clergy Sex Abuse At Vatican Summit

Thursday at the Vatican, Pope Francis stood before some 200 participants in an unprecedented summit on preventing clergy sex abuse and said Catholics are seeking not simply "condemnations" but "concrete, effective measures."

But a crisis that has crossed borders and generations, lacerating the church and shaking the pope's credibility, is standing in the way as he seeks to forge a path ahead.

The Boston Pilot

Cardinal Cupich asks for new structure to ensure Bishops' accountability

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic Church needs "new legal structures of accountability" for bishops accused of sexual abuse or of negligence in handling abuse allegations, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago told the Vatican summit on safeguarding.

Addressing Pope Francis and some 190 presidents of bishops' conferences, heads of Eastern Catholic churches, religious superiors and officials of the Roman Curia Feb. 22, Cardinal Cupich provided details of what some people have described as a "metropolitan model" of accountability, although he insisted the model would involve laypeople.

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