Welcoming Our New Chairman |
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We are happy to welcome Bishop Robert Barron as the new chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth! Bishop Barron heads the diocese of Winona-Rochester and also runs the Word on Fire ministry.
We are also grateful to Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone for his courageous leadership during his recently completed term as chairman.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power |
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The podcast finally sets its sights on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, now that season 1 is complete. Given the parent company that produced the show, the story intersected with scripture and tradition to a surprising extent.
In the previous episode, we looked at the connection between friendship and fatherhood with CanaVox's Lucas Fennell.
Find previous episodes of the podcast here and share it with your friends!
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The New York Times published a longform look at the potential harms of so-called "Gender-Affirming Care", especially with regard to puberty-blocking hormones. The article's largely level-headed approach is a refreshing change of pace in the discussion surrounding gender ideology, and may signal mainstream openness to the truth.
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Resisting the "Respect for Marriage" Act |
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In advance of the Senate's vote on the misnamed "Respect for Marriage Act", USCCB bishop chairmen, including our new committee chairman Bishop Robert Barron, issued a letter to Congress imploring them to reverse course. The Senate subsequently passed the bill with amendments, necessitating another vote in the House of Representatives before approval by President Biden, which is expected before the end of the congressional term. |
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White House – The Biden Administration used the murders of 32 transgender-identifying individuals in 2022 to further advance the cause of gender ideology. Instead of merely condemning violence (which should be condemned), the statement implied that people who identify as transgender are disproportionately targeted. It neglected to mention, however, that the overall murder rate in the U.S. is around 6 per 100,000. Given that the population of individuals who identify as something other than their biological sex is approximately 5.3 million, that puts the "transgender murder rate" much lower than the average, at around 1 per 100,000. The statistics would indicate that identifying as transgender actually lowers an individual's murder risk.
Victories for Freedom of Conscience – On Nov. 11th, a U.S. District Court in Texas ruled that HHS incorrectly interpreted Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act to force healthcare providers to perform medical procedures attempting to alter a patient’s biological sex, even if the procedure violates the care provider’s medical judgment or religious beliefs. On Nov. 25th, the deadline passed for the Biden administration to appeal a ruling by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld similar conscience protections in its ruling in August. Since the administration refrained from appealing, that ruling is now final.
Detransitioner Lawsuit – On Nov. 9th, Chloe Cole, a young woman who previously identified as a male, announced her intention to sue after the harm done by the medical professionals who treated her with puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgery.
Medical Approval – On Nov. 4 th, the state of Florida continued its effort to restrict "Gender-Affirming Care" for minors, receiving the approval of two separate medical boards. The proposed rules then entered a public comment period, which ends Dec. 5 th.
States Protecting Minors – Republican lawmakers in Ohio modified a bill to protect minors from "Gender-Affirming Care" after it came under fire from activists. The updated bill provides some exceptions to what had initially been an outright ban. On Nov. 9 th, Tennessee lawmakers introduced a bill which would similarly ban "Gender-Affirming Care" for minors, but with significantly less backlash.
Court Battle – On Nov. 18 th, the state of Alabama argued before the U.S. 11 th Circuit Court of Appeals to reinstate its law banning "Gender-Affirming Care", after the law was largely blocked by a lower court.
Income for Identity – The city of San Francisco launched a program to provide $1,200 per month in income to 55 residents, so long as they identified as transgender.
International – South Korea's supreme court ruled in favor of a transgender-identifying single parent attempting to change his legally recognized sex. Tokyo began issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples. India's supreme court agreed to hear a case with the potential to legally recognize same-sex "marriage".
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