Despite the fact that Catholics make up only about 17% of the world's religion, live shots of reporters at Vatican continue to lead our national news as the news directors decide the election of the next Pope is important to us.
At the same time the President signs the Violence Against Women Act on International Women's Day, a story in Religious News Service is populating social media, and several news services. Seems that five "key" US Catholic Bishops oppose the act because it now includes the language that clearly includes protections for lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual people - in addition to your standard, biblically acceptable "women."
Once again, the Bishops are so concerned about the "sanctity of marriage" and protecting all of the virtues we sinners want to ignore.
That language disturbs several bishops who head key committees within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that deal with, among other issues, marriage, the laity, youth and religious liberty.
“These two classifications are unnecessary to establish the just protections due to all persons. They undermine the meaning and importance of sexual difference,” the bishops said in a statement released by the USCCB on Wednesday.
“They are unjustly exploited for purposes of marriage redefinition, and marriage is the only institution that unites a man and a woman with each other and with any children born from their union,” the statement continued.
Of course, there is money involved. The Bishops are unhappy that Catholic groups who help human trafficking victims are losing government funding.
The administration instead funded other groups that, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, could provide a full range of women’s health services, including referrals for contraception or abortion, both of which the Catholic Church opposes.
The
statement was issued yesterday, after act was passed by the House and Senate.
“Now that Congress has acted to change the law, we urge future action to revisit these concerns in the months ahead,” the statement says.
The VAWA, as we all know, was caught up in GOP games and it's passing has been drawn out far too long as it is.
Now the Bishops are all SO concerned that we will go to hell. See you there fellas.