CMSM Items of Note: Justice & Peace Edition

January 25, 2024

January is, for many of us, the dead of winter, and the recent storms across much of the United States have driven home the point with icy clarity. But despite this, the work of creating a more just society carries on, especially in policy and protest: the 51st Annual March for Life, policies proposals to support pregnancy centers, improvements to the Child Tax Credit, and threats to religious liberty are some of the ongoing policy and advocacy work being carried forward. Let us pray these efforts succeed, each one small step closer to realizing the Kingdom of God.

Member Content

CMSM is pleased to announce a compilation of JPIC resources available for JPIC coordinators or leaders of communities in the new Member Content area of our website. If you are interested in gaining access to these resources, please email David Rohrer Budiash for instructions on how to sign up.

Policy Notes

USCCB/Catholic Charities Letter to Congress Supports Improving the Child Tax Credit

The letter, dated January 9, urges Congress to strengthen the Child Tax Credit in any upcoming tax package. The chairs of four committees at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as well as Catholic Charities USA emphasize the importance of prioritizing the well-being of families. They acknowledge that the current structure of the Child Tax Credit excludes many children in low-income families and propose specific principles for improvement. These principles include making the credit fully refundable, continuing to include mixed-status families, retroactively applying the credit for the year before birth, avoiding negative impacts on family formation, and ensuring the cost doesn't burden the most disadvantaged. The letter expresses gratitude for the bipartisan commitment to improving the Child Tax Credit and emphasizes its importance in any forthcoming tax policy package.

Read more here.

USCCB Pro-Life Activities Committee Writes in Support of "Pregnancy Center Support Act"

The act, introduced by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, encourages individuals and businesses to offer financial assistance to pregnancy support centers via a tax credit for donations. Bishop Burbidge, chair of the Pro-Life Activities Committee, wrote that the act encourages "radical solidarity" with mothers in need.

Read the letter here.

News

51st Annual March for Life

The 51st annual March for Life in Washington, DC, themed “With Every Woman, For Every Child,” took place on January 19. Following the Supreme Court's June 2022 decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, the authority over abortion regulation returned to the states, leading to a shift in the U.S. abortion landscape. Some states passed pro-life legislation, while others posed risks to the unborn. The March focused this year on support of mothers, termed "radical solidarity" by the USCCB.

In a related move, Bishop Michael Burbidge, the chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities released a letter on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, acknowledging the progress that has been made and recommitting to further support mothers in need: "we recognize that often the most immediate way to protect babies and mothers from abortion is to thoroughly surround mothers in need with loving support, “walking with” them in their journey of motherhood. Each of us is called to radical solidarity with women facing an unexpected or challenging pregnancy. Each of us is called to help mothers in our own community secure material, emotional, and spiritual support for embracing the gift of life. Likewise, we must also support policies that assist women and their children and help families to flourish."