The following comes from a January 7 California Catholic Conference news release:
As we head into a new year, one our Holy Father has devoted to Mercy, 2016 legislative and budgetary directions will begin to become clearer in the next few weeks. New bills are just now being introduced but it’s likely the California Catholic Conference will concentrate on the following:
• Restorative Justice – We will continue our collaboration with a faith-based coalition working on prison sentencing reform. Another priority – carried over from previous years – will be to eliminate juvenile solitary confinement.
• Education – The Conference will work to further expand access to quality, affordable early childhood education for those most in need; to ensure strong preparation and support of an exceptional K-12 teaching force to serve all California’s students; and to invite the state to use creative tax credit strategies to strengthen educational resources.
• Economic Justice and Family – Taking precedence is abolishing the Maximum Family Grant Rule and continuing our efforts with the coalition that is implementing the Earned Income Tax Credit.
• Reverence for Life – Abortion supporters will continue their relentless efforts to push policy and funding boundaries in California, both legislatively and in the courts. The Conference will continue its strong defense of life in the difficult environment of California politics. Legal efforts to force Catholic health care to violate Catholic teaching are also under way in the state.
• Unfortunately, physician-assisted suicide legislation was passed and signed by the Governor last year although it will not become law until 90 days after the special session ends (which has not been determined yet.) The Bishops are committed to enhancing education efforts on dying well in addition to supporting legislation that expands palliative care.
• Environment – In the spirit of Laudato Si, the bishops will remain committed to supporting environmental stewardship legislation. This will include ecological measures which ensure accessibility to clean, fresh drinking water and that protect the Earth’s climate as a common good.
• Budget – This week, Governor Jerry Brown announced his proposed budget. He funds two major areas that he failed to find consensus for last year – transportation and Medi-Cal – and places more money into reserves than he is required to by law. The Governor’s proposal contains continued funding for immigrant and naturalization services. He funds the Earned Income Tax Credit and has proposed a cost-of-living increase for the blind, elderly and disabled. The Conference has worked many years promoting these issues.
Since 2016 is also an election year, the California Catholic Conference will examine the new edition of Faithful Citizenship and offer analysis of all initiatives that qualify for the November ballot. (There will be many!)
There appear to be ten people in Roman Colllars in the picture. Plus there are four others in the photo. I would find it helpful to have a complete ‘lineup’ of who is who in the photo.
Sister Helen Prejean. In the pant suit. Front row third from the right. At San Quentin to visit death row.
A false sense of justice, mercy, aid and encouragement for illegal aliens will be the main focus. How to build up the Mystical Body of Christ, increase vocations, and how to spiritualize our pagan society are topics which have been ignored. It seems the bishops are more interested in building up the Democrat platform than in saving souls.
These are good human efforts for the betterment of life on earth for some. Where is the spiritual effort for the of the salvation of eternal souls from sin, a deeper relationship with Jesu? Social workers can do much of this. A bishop is a high priest ordained to preach the word of God in Scripture and Tradition, sanctify souls through the sacramental life, and guide God’s people to imitate Christ in all the works of mercy and moral life. If 501c organizations wish to set forth a program which spends government money, the 501c’s should be taxed to support the program.
But this is the Conference so it’s about the legislation. They do the religious stuff in their diocese
The “religious stuff” is the essence of the Christian faith. Conferences were not developed to promote political agenda, but to organize ALL efforts of Catholic life for the conference, most particularly the salvation of souls.
Fr. Richard, I often hear that Bishops/Priests etc. should stop doing whatever it is they do and concentrate on the “salvation of souls.” Could you help those like me that often don’t see the difference or understand current definitions. If a Bishop is doing “X”, what would he be doing differently if he concentrated on the salvation of souls? If a Priest is helping his parish become more “ecological” what would he be doing differently if he stopped doing that and concentrated on the salvation of their souls?
Bob One, denying the false claim of climate change will not send you to Hell, denying the existence of Hell itself will…
” Could you help those like me that often don’t see the difference or understand current definitions.” Perhaps Bob One you should read the Baltimore Catechism it might help
Much of what a pastor does involves administration of earthly affairs because we are an established and institutional church with buildings. The false premise of “stopping” one thing to do another sets up a false argument. Above all a priest/bishop is ordained to teach the faith, to guide, and to sanctify. The laity are those called to bring Christ more into the world. The priests can urge them to engage the world with Christ, but our work is to develop Christ in them so they can do so according to God’s plan.
If we had a king, should the bishops advise the king on these issues?
Don;t the souls of the politicians matter?
Most certainly that polticos live out the scripture and tradition of the Church in their own lives and promote it for others to live according to Christ’s plan. This is the work of religion where the bishops speak to the politicians about the hierarchy of values of human life and sexuality and marriage, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and euthanasia first and then urge the politicos to follow Jesus in the other aspects of life so people may be free, have opportunities to work and attain dignity in their lives.
Father Perozich, I agree with you that human life issues are paramount but the other issues are important, too. Like the works of mercy, you do them all.
Fr. Richard Perozich, every state has a Catholic Conference. They are the public policy arm of the Catholic Church. There are moral issues that the bishops want to speak to the legislators about and these conferences provide an organized way for the bishops, on behalf of the Catholic Church, to address them. Salvation of souls is not separated from this.
So yes, the religious stuff is the Catholic faith but part of that is trying to create or maintain a political environment where we can practice the faith and where people are supported in living just lives that give honor and glory to God.
“There are moral issues that the bishops want to speak to the legislators about and these conferences provide an organized way for the bishops, on behalf of the Catholic Church, to address them.”
Then WHERE on earth is the much needed *united photo op of bishops*, defending this issue. DO NOT LEAVE THE DIFFICULT SHARE OF THE GOSPEL FOR ONLY DAVID DALEIDEN TO BEAR!
https://www.lifesitenews.com/petitions/i-stand-with-david-daleiden/signed
PETITION: Drop all charges against David Daleiden
Fr Richard Perozich, what you say that a bishop is supposed to do, he does by ordaining priests. The bishops have more responsibilities than that. In addition to preaching the Word and seeing to the Sacramental life in the diocese, he is also a pastor (Shepherd) to non-Catholics and other Churches and other Christians and to the community. He has duties to the institutional Church, as well.
As we all do.
I know, as a lay person, it is impossible to do everything. And there are some days when the Lord gives you a job or an illness or a trial that you don’t get anything done.
The bishops might have considered the issue of spreading the Faith considering the loss of many Hispanics to the Pentecostals and deepening the faith in the faithful who attend Mass to combat what seems to this reader to be a general decline in fidelity to Church teaching. But that involves the kind of self-scrutiny not necessary when considering the current list of priorities.
They may indeed be trying to do that by sacrificing the truth and discipline of the church, its sacraments and moral guidance to try to appeal to those who have rejected it because of the difficulty living it. The evangelicals bring decent attire to worship, a limited bible knowledge, but lack the grace of the sacraments, deny the Eucharist, allow multiple marriages. My last parish was heavily Hispanic with lots of catechesis. We gained more than we lost.
Very good news, Fr. Perozich. A needed hopeful sign after what I’ve seen.
Here is a priest who talks sense, and does so sensibly. He is a gift. He should set an example to posters who use many, many more words but say much less. And in a hysterical and condemnatory tone, to boot.
With the exception of the pro-life item, every item on the California bishop’s list above aligns with the pro-death Democrat Party.
What exactly is “restorative justice”? It’s an argument against prison time. It’s Communistic. The commies would like to abolish all prisons.
Search “Bernie Sanders would like to abolish private prisons in America” with the end goal being to release prisoners in all jails and prisons, not just the private ones.
Robert, “restorative justice” is a process, very successful when done correctly, that reduces confrontations, get people talking rather that fighting, stabbing and shooting each other. It is not Communistic. How do you get to that idea? You have been listening to Rush again, haven’t you? Admit it! :)
Bob One,
Restorative justice was discounted years ago as a fraud. There is no substantive data which supports the concept. I recently retired as a law enforcement officer and know of what I speak. You clearly do not. My suggestion to you, having read your posts for some time, is that you should do more listening and learning, and less talking.
Gravey, you may be right, but here is another view/report:
https://rjoyoakland.org/restorative-justice/
How can it hurt to try to reduce violence or the number of people in jail?
RJOY is just one of many Oakland based community organizations. Most CBO’s are leftist front groups following the money. The juvenile justice system is fertile grounds, as the feds and state pump vast amounts of grant money into programs claiming to provide services. It is disguised welfare and these CBO’s are nothing more than money launderers. They are self-serving and do very little for the children and families they purport to serve.
Bob One gets his information on Rush from Media Matters…..
Canisius, I had never heard of Media Matters before. Thanks for mentioning it. I have put it in my bookmarks. I thought it was as far to the left as MSNBC compared to Fox News which is to the extreme right. So, the truth must be somewhere in between the two extremes. Somehow we need to get the people in both parties to start talking to each other to get things done for our nation. We can’t just talk past each other.
Wrong Bob One, the Truth is self evident only liberals like you cannot see that…Understand I do not want to talk to Leftist, I want to utterly defeat them.. you guys on the Left love to repeat “get things done” that mean more taxes and regulations, more taking of peoples money to feed the Leviathan government that cannot stop….You see I believe in undoing things like shutting down entire government departments forever, putting as many bureaucrats on the unemployment line as possible,, the massive reduction of government and massive increase in Liberty…
Robert, please read the following: https://www.vox.com/2015/9/10/9299851/bernie-sanders-private-prisons.
Sanders is not calling for the abolition of prisons. He is calling for closing private jails, reducing the number of people who go to jail. We have more people in our jails than any other country in the world. The majority are Black and Hispanic because of the difference in how they are handled in the justice system. Many thousands are in jail for years for minor offenses, especially if they are minorities.
Pope Benedict XVI +Summorum Pontificum = The real meaning of an attempt at restorative/reparative justice. There was NEVER a photo op session with Sister Prejean and a group of overly beaming bishops after Summorum Pontificum attempted to remove all of the shackles on the fullness of truth. There are many Catholic universities/schools still imprisoned by secular teachings. Charity should begin at home with the unshackling of “all ” of the Magisterial teachings.
Liberals want to put more criminals back on the streets where they will continue to commit more crimes. California already has a revolving door justice system and crime is way up in most California cities. Where I live, it’s up about 32%. Meanwhile, these same pro-criminal liberals are now trying to make it more difficult for law abiding citizens to own firearms to defend themselves.
Bob One ,, Sanders is an outright Marxist… nothing he says should be considered good, right or just…..
Canisius, Sanders is not an outright Marxist, but a democratic socialist. Those two are different even though the Marxist preferred socialism. There is much that he says with which to disagree, but I don’t think most people would disagree with some of the points he makes: a civilized country ensures basic health care for everyone, the majority of the wealth should reside with the middle class, not the oligarchical top 1/2 of one percent, that education should be free at public schools, that discrimination against classes of people should not exist, that religious freedom should abound, etc., etc. A lot of people, of course, just don’t want to pay for it.
As I thought to be so, thank you, Bob One, from taking time out from your volunteer work with the Marxist Socialist Bernie Sanders, to answer Canisius and “set-the-record-straight” on “Anti-Oligarchical”, “Anti-1%” Bern.
By the way, his net worth is conservatively over a 1/2 million dollars (his real net invested worth is a closely guarded secret: it is probably much more): so doesn’t that also make him one of our Favored Mercedes Marxists? Forward, Comrade Bob!
Our Favored Mercedes Marxist and Allied Alinsky-ite, Hillary, has done much better with “her” money: Hillary Clinton is worth $31 million+.
Isnt it great working in government? It’s so rewarding!.
Any Bernie Sanders supporter should be forced to live in Cuba or North Korea for one year to see what the workers paradise is really like…
Bob One,, he is an outright Marxist,, I know you believe government should be the center of our lives and everything in the end should go to it. You see I believe government needs to get my permission to do what it wants.. that the bureaucrats needs to get my approval, and then beg for forgiveness when it uses its power in an illegal way…..You on the other hand believe that wealth should be confiscated from those who earned and given it to the mendicant and the lazy who consume but do not produce. You keep you repeating democrat talking points 1 percent etc etc….discrimination should exist yes against certain people gays for example undermine the culture and the society with their promotion of sexual perversion
Canisius, I really believe the best government is the one that governs least. The problem is that the world gets more complex every day and the “least” gets more complicated. I think that we have a serious problem when 62 people have more wealth than the bottom one half of the population of the world. Those people can afford to pay living wages and still make huge profits. Wages on the whole have not gone up, for most people, very much since the mid-eighties. People who work two jobs to pay their $2,000 monthly rent are not mendicants and lazy.
Here you go again with your obsession with other people wealth and property….the Left wants to make everyone “equal” by making everyone equally poor and dependent on government….Pretty soon Bob One this once great republic will be a totalitarian state….just what you guys on the Left have always wanted…. may it lead to rightwing uprising and the mass incarceration of the ruling class and their media allies …
Bob One, while you doff your cap with the little red star for Bernie Sanders’ campaign, you may want to seriously consider Sanders’ proposed tax-increase plan: he plans to raise taxes to a top [confiscatory] rate @ 52%, remove $13.6 trillion out of the private economy and put it into the hands of the Great State (who of course will Spend It All Wisely For Us—after they get their “fair-share”, of course), and even the Congressional Budget Office says Bern’s plan will reduce GDP 9.5%.
If you care about the 99%, the CBO says it will eliminate 6 million full-time jobs. Eliminate, Bob One. That’s: 6,000,000. Jobs. These are the policies you support, Red-Star-Rising Bob?
Umm! Did you forget to mention solar power???
Robert – ‘Restorative Justice is a very nice sounding concept that like so many ‘happy’ words has been hijacked by radicals to promote partisan extremist agendas.
The question whether and which Crimes deserve punishment, isolation from potential future victims – or Rehabilitation and return to society – is a truly vexing one.
One reason the Church opposes the Death Penalty in Most cases is the potential for repentance and forgiveness over time, which nobody wants to deny.
However – as Applied, ‘restorative justice’ usually means no consequences for bad acts – and is destroying School Systems like in Oakland, where Teachers Fear to tread and some pay a ‘gang tax’ just to work.
Good ideas do not always translate – unless…
What the bishops mean by restorative justice:
https://www.restorejustice.com/index.php/restorative-justice
Everyone gets all worked up when the Bishops don’t do enough to influence our governments to do things in a moral way or when they vote for immoral laws. Then, when the Bishops organize and set priorities for which laws and policies they want to influence they are taken out to the woodshed. When the set priorities for governmental issues, they are not abandoning their other jobs. They can do them all. I find that the air is pretty thin where the mightier-than-you hang out!
Bob One, let’s talk “moral way” about Sanders’ Red-Star-Rising tax plan a bit more.
Now I know this loss-of-jobs issue is all immaterial, Bob One, since you and P Francis seem not to be concerned about markets and people’s capacity to shield their wealth-creation functions, consider how US corps have been fleeing the US, due to our world’s highest corp tax rate in the world (according to the independent group Tax Foundation.org; it is 39.1%). Pfizer, GE, Walgreen’s, and too many to count, have taken not just their corporate administration, but their production centers out of the country: and by the way, when they go to places like Canada, Ireland, or The Netherlands, we also give them a credit for foreign taxes paid…
…And the jobs of the “99%” go with them. If we really care about that, that is.
By the way, Hillary Clinton’s tax plan is about the same as Berning-Man.
So, Red-Star Bob, please consider the moral responsibility that you bear for all the lives that will be destroyed as a result of your support of evil and immoral tax policy and its proponents.
Bishops? What Bishops? I only see wolves in sheeps clothing.