May 2019
May 2019
Continuing the U.S. Bishops' work of promoting and defending marriage.
Made for Love Podcast
Last month's "Made for Love" topics were:

Catholic families are not immune from tragedy. Made for Love addresses the heartbreaking reality of suicide. The episode features Chris Miller, Tommy Tighe, and Sister Colleen Ann Nagle, FSE. 

There are quotes galore on the joys of friends, and what they bring to our lives. They are “the family we choose for ourselves,” for example. How can a Catholic better learn and live the virtues required to be a good friend? How can married couples cultivate friendships, both as individuals and as a couple? This episode features Bishop Caggiano of Bridgeport, Fr. Paul Scalia, Dr. John Cuddeback, James and Danielle Dill, and Mary Warren.

In May, Made for Love will have two episodes exploring the experiences and challenges of being an adult child of divorce.
Bishop Olmsted at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast
The National Catholic Prayer Breakfast was held in Washington, D.C. on April 23, 2019. Bishop Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix spoke on the need for Catholics to continue to preach the good news of God's plan for marriage and the family.

He spoke about gender ideology, among other topics, noting, "Any rejection of bodiliness will immediately target two beautiful but demanding and sometimes inconvenient realities: marriage and the child."

The USCCB Opposes the Equality Act
On March 13 th , Democrats in both houses of Congress reintroduced the “ Equality Act .” This legislation would redefine “sex” in federal law to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” and insert it throughout nondiscrimination and civil rights laws. This is a priority of the Democrats and, for the first time after years of introductions, is likely to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives; but it poses many problems, especially for women and girls, healthcare providers, and religious charities, which were elaborated upon in a letter sent by USCCB chairmen on March 20 th .

The bishops wrote, in part:

“Rather than offering meaningful protections for individuals, however, the Equality Act would impose sweeping regulations to the detriment of society as a whole.” Here is the media release about the USCCB's opposition . 
USCCB Action Center
All the USCCB's action alerts for legislative priorities are available at one website. There you can contact your representatives and make your voice heard. Check it out!
Legal/ Policy Updates
U.S. Supreme Court – On April 22, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear three long-awaited cases to determine whether the word “sex” in Title VII employment anti-discrimination law includes “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” The cases will be decided next term.

Equality Act – The House of Representatives is moving full steam ahead with its “ Equality Act ” (H.R. 5) to insert “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” into all manner of public life via federal nondiscrimination laws, while shrinking long-standing religious protections. Two hearings on the bill were held last month, in the Judiciary Committee on April 2 and in the Education & Labor subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services on April 9 .

Military Update – On April 12, with the Supreme Court having earlier cleared away lower courts’ injunctions pending further appeals, the US military’s renewed prohibition on service outside of birth sex went into effect , at least temporarily.

Adoption and Foster Care – St. Vincent Catholic Charities in Michigan sued state and federal governments on April 15 to save its foster care and adoption services after the new governor abandoned a state law protecting faith-based providers and began to work against them. In Philadelphia on April 22, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3 rd Circuit ruled against Catholic Social Services whose foster care work the city has effectively shut down for not working with same-sex couples. 

Made for Love | USCCB | (202) 541-3000 | defenseofmarriage@usccb.org| www.marriageuniqueforareason.org