Messages from the Pastor

February 5, 2012

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

I want again to say a word of appreciation to you for your financial support of the Cathedral. In the past two weeks I asked your special attention to your Stewardship of Finance and how you should exercise this in a way that benefits your Church. Just glancing through the commitment forms returned it’s clear that our Parish membership not only realizes how much God has blessed them, but that we care deeply for our beloved Cathedral community. Thank you for your generosity, and for being part of our family of faith!

Did you notice the special schedule-adjustment announcement made last week? Our Saturday vigil Mass has been cancelled for the first three weekends of February: carnival parades downtown make it impossible for people to come, to park and to pray in peace. So enjoy the parades if you wish, and if you usually come to our Saturday evening Mass know that you’re very welcome here on Sunday mornings! (In fact, truth be told, it’’s kind of nice having bigger crowds in church on the Lord’s Day itself!)

Unfortunately the attention of the Catholic Church in the United States over the past few weeks has not been on the harmless fun of carnival. Last month the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced that as part of its ongoing general overhaul of health insurance that employers will be forced to pay for things that are forbidden by their religion. For us Catholics, this means that health insurance plans offered by the Church to our clergy and employees, as well as to the public (often through Catholic hospitals and health care cooperatives) will have to fund abortion, sterilizations, abortifacients and other contraceptive drugs, and other procedures which are intrinsically evil. (And I have little doubt that when assisted suicide and even euthanasia – the termination of an elderly or sick person’s life against their will – become legal in this country as they have in some others, payment for these will also be added to the list of “services” to be paid for even if you can’t use or agree with them.)

It may seem that this is a health care issue, or a political issue. It is not. Rather, it is a conscience issue. As Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Houston said last week during the annual March for Life in Washington, “Never before in our US History has the Federal Government forced citizens to directly purchase what violates our beliefs. At issue here … is the survival of a cornerstone constitutionally protected freedom that ensures respect for conscience and religious liberty.” He added that Pope Benedict XVI himself has called for courage among us, “to counter a reductive secularism which would delegitimize the Church’s participation in public life and debate,” especially when we defend human life and religious freedom.

Some bishops have already expressed concern that this will mean they will no longer be able to offer health insurance to their priests and employees, effectively forcing them to purchase more expensive private insurance that at least only funds the procedures and medicines they can use. The national bishops’ conference has already announced plans to challenge in court this unconstitutional and immoral mandate of the present administration. Since the First Amendment rather clearly says that “no law … prohibiting the free exercise of religion” can be made or enforced in the USA, it would seem that this will be an ultimately successful, but expensive, legal battle. Yet the long-range consequences of increased governmental hostility toward religion in general and the Catholic Church in particular seem all too real.

What can you do, you ask? First of all, make it clear to our elected representatives and senators in Congress that health insurance reform must not force the insured to violate their consciences in selecting and paying for assistance. They have the power to change the rules for the Department of Health and Human Services; make sure they know you will never vote for people or laws that attempt to restrict the practice of your precious Catholic faith, permits such bigotry and injustice, or otherwise persecutes Christians and the Church.

Yours in Christ,
Father Paul

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