Friday, June 27, 2014

Five Things to Remember on June 27

1. U.S. citizens of all faiths await the Supreme Court decision June 30 on Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties. The for-profit companies oppose being forced by the government to provide insurance coverage for drugs and devices that violate their religious convictions on respect for human life. It's a religious liberty issue.

2. The bishops of Iowa on June 26 called for humanitarian treatment of the unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexican border to escape violence in their home countries. The bishops noted that Catholic Charities organizations are responding as best they can to this crisis and urged the government to do the same.

3. The Vatican released the Synod working document "The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization" June 26. The wide range of issues include, among many concerns, the pastoral approach to dealing with divorced and remarried Catholics, baptism of children of homosexual couples, streamlining annulments and spousal abuse. The complete text of the synod working document in English will be posted at: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/index.htm
 
The complete text in Spanish will be posted at: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/index_sp.htm

4. On Sunday, June 29th, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, twenty-seven metropolitan archbishops from around the world, who were installed during the course of the past year, will receive the pallium - the white woollen garment that is the traditional and peculiar sign of the metropolitan office. Twenty-four of them will receive the garment at a special liturgy at the Vatican, while three shall receive their pallia separately. Among those to receive the pallium at the Vatican is Archbishop Stephen Blair of Hartford, Connecticut.

5. God loves you.

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