In secular contexts—and even among Catholics—

it's common to assume either of two views.

For some, marriage has only ever been "transactional"—a trade-off in which women sought material security from men, who in turn sought family connections, domestic upkeep, or comfort.

Others have a more "romantic" view of marriage, in which the relationship is only built on sentimental notions of love as a feeling.

Is a third view possible?

Love Means More is in the News!

Bishop Robert Barron's approval of the initiative spurred a profile by Catholic News Agency's Kate Quiñones. The profile went in depth about the challenges that Love Means More is intended to face, the approach behind the initiative, and how it seeks to emulate Christ's own way of engaging in a disagreement.

Controversy Over IVF

After a firestorm of controversy surrounding the legality of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Alabama, the governor signed legislation granting legal immunity to clinics for damaging or destroying embryos. The destruction of embryos (i.e. the killing of innocent pre-born persons) is an ordinary part of the IVF process, and is the chief reason why it should be illegal. IVF would still be gravely wrong even in a hypothetical situation in which no embryos are destroyed, because the process also separates the unitive and procreative goods of sexual activity between a husband and wife.

The controversy was sparked by an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that upheld the wrongful death claims of plaintiff couples whose frozen embryos were accidentally destroyed at an IVF clinic. Both the plaintiffs and the clinic agreed that life begins at conception, which is also enshrined in an amendment to the Alabama constitution and the state's Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, but the clinic claimed an exception should be made for two reasons.

First, the clinic claimed that embryos should be disqualified as "persons" if they exist outside the womb, and second, it claimed that the defendants previously acknoledged the embryos as property instead of persons when they signed the IVF service contract. Significant media attention and public outcry in favor of IVF has resulted, but with little attention paid to the facts of the case or the question of when life and "personhood" begin.

National Eucharistic Congress

It's 2024, which means the National Eucharistic Congress is happening this year! The renewal of faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is underway, and you can be a part of it. 

Get your tickets now for the centerpiece of the ongoing Eucharistic Revival, happening in Indianapolis July 17-21.

For more information about the congress and how it fits into the broader revival, click here!

Legal/Policy Updates

Biden Administration – The Department of Veterans Affairs expanded access to IVF for veterans who are unmarried or in same-sex couples.

Courts – The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals allowed a 2023 Indiana ban on "gender-affirming care" (GAC) for minors to go into effect after lifting an injunction from a lower court.

The US District Court for North Dakota ruled that Christian employers cannot be forced to violate their religious beliefs by paying for GAC for minors.

A Catholic couple petitioned the Supreme Court to hear their case against the state of Indiana after it removed their female-identifying son from their home, in spite of the lack of abuse or neglect.

A pair of teachers filed suit against California's governor and attorney general, alleging that their school district's "Parental Exclusion Policy" violates their First Amendment rights. The policy prevents teachers from notifying parents of their children's adopting different names and pronouns.

Another California school district, which has an opposite policy of requiring teachers to notify parents, is currently being sued by activists to drop the requirement. A local judge temporarily allowed the policy to remain in place while litigation continues.

A women's roller derby league that allows female-identifying men to participate sued a New York county over an executive order which requires athletic groups to designate as male, female, or coed in order to use public athletic facilities.

States – Colorado became the first state to provide "transgender" housing units for prison inmates, following the settlement of a lawsuit against the state's department of corrections.

Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act (erroneously dubbed the "Don't Say Gay law") will have clearer guidelines as the result of a legal settlement. The law still bans classroom instruction on LGBT-related topics, but references in other materials will be allowed.

Idaho lawmakers introduced a bill that would block taxpayer funding from being used to cover GAC.

A parents' rights group in Illinois launched a campaign against a proposed bill in the state legislature that would change the definition of "abused child" to include those whose parents denied them access to abortion or GAC.

The governor of Virginia signed dozens of bills into law, including a prohibition on denying state marriage licenses to couples on the basis of sex. The bills was deemed as a safeguard of same-sex "marriage" in case the Supreme Court should overturn its 2015 Obergefell decision.

International – In a major reversal, the UK's National Health Service ended the prescribing of puberty blockers for all minors experiencing gender discordance, except those already on them and those in clinical trials. This is the largest step back made by any country that initially supported GAC for minors.

Leaked files from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) revealed that providers of GAC for minors had significant reservations about the effectiveness and risks of their treatments.

German researchers published a new systematic review of evidence for puberty blockers (PB) and cross-sex hormones (CSH), which found: "Current evidence does not clearly suggest that GD [Gender Dysphoria] symptoms and mental health significantly improve when PB or CSH are given to minors with GD." These findings echoed similar findings in England, Finland, and Sweden. A similar level of review of the evidence of GAC was commissioned by the American Academy of Pediatrics in August, and is expected to be completed within the next two years.

Irish citizens voted down two proposed referenda that would have significantly weakened the Irish constitution's emphasis on marriage and family.

Polls - While public support for same-sex "marriage" remains high, support slightly decreased across all adult age groups over the last year. This amplifies the findings of a November study that found a decline in support among Gen Z.