Maryland Bishops Issue Joint Statement on Marriage

Maryland Bishops Issue Joint Statement on Marriage Take Action! Urge Continued Advocacy in Support of Marriage Issue: Today the Bishops of Maryland issued a joint statement urging continued advocacy in support of marriage and thanking the thousands who have spoken out to uphold marriage. Please visit the Conference's website to read the bishops' statement. The House of Delegates is expected to debate and vote on SB 116/HB 175 this week. It is important for every member of the House of Delegates to hear from the people of Maryland that we are opposed to legislation redefining marriage. Your delegate needs to hear from you and others opposed to this legislation. Marriage, recognized by societies throughout human history, originates in a simple biological fact. This unique union of one man and one woman is the only human relationship capable of creating children and nurturing them together as father and mother. Treating heterosexual and same-sex relationships differently is not unjust discrimination, and upholding the truth of marriage does not ignore the rights or the equal dignity of all human persons. Instead, stripping marriage of its unique connection to parenthood erases a child's right to a mother and father, and ignores an essential question of why government favors marriage between one man and one woman over all other relationships. Action: Please click here to send a message to your delegates. Let your delegate know that you oppose redefining marriage and SB 116/HB 175. Visit our website for more information on marriage. ***** Stay connected: Follow the MCC on Twitter or like our Facebook Page. To ensure that you continue to receive alerts, please add kdempsey@mdcathcon.org to your approved senders' list.  If you no longer wish to receive mail from us, please click here.

The Maryland Catholic Conference 10 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 410.269.1155 / 301.261.1979 410.269.1790 (fax) info@mdcathcon.org

The Great Disrupter: Man is not the "Lord of Marriage"

Laws heaped from earth to heaven and beyond will never make what is not marriage to be marriage.

We recently learned that the Department of Justice, at the direction of "higher ups", will no longer defend the constitutionality of marriage as we know it.

This colossal failure born of a profound lack of moral conviction, and the timidity which is its symptom, is merely a sign of the times.

The pride with which man speaks as if he is the "lord of marriage", however, is a hubris of a completely new species. Never before has man or woman used the law, to impose by fiat a simulation upon everyone and madly insist that all, under force of law, act, think, speak or otherwise live as if the simulation and the reality which it mimics are exactly the same thing. This is what the law and those who create it now propose to do with the particular bodily expression of love that is given only to man for woman and to woman for man for the sake of the life they form together as a covenant around this particular love only they can share and the children with which they may be blessed as cooperators with God.

But man will use the law to compel others to conform to his mad follies. And thus there are prisons and those who are thrown into them for witnessing to the immemorial truths of natural moral law and fundamental justice.

First they said human life in the womb was unconstitutional through legalized abortion. Now they declare marriage undefendable.

When will they declare you and me unconstitutional? And, when they do, will there be anyone left to stand up for us?

And I say this again: Catholics and other Christians who use the word "marriage" or "wedding" to describe what is NOT so, what is a simulation of marriage or an unnatural union, are opposers of the truth! They are opposers of Christ and His Church!

((((..))))

Click Here to Urge your Member of Congress to Uphold the Law of The Land on Marriage Urge Congress to Do What The President Will Not February 24, 2011 | | Share with Friends Dear friend, On Wednesday, in a political move designed to pander to his liberal political base, President Obama announced that his Department of Justice will not defend a court challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) -- a law that was overwhelmingly enacted by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton. The provision of the law currently under attack simply defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman for federal purposes. President Obama's Justice Department has a constitutional obligation to defend federal law, even when he disagrees with the law. The Constitution requires that President Obama "shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed." By failing to defend DOMA, he is not satisfying this constitutional requirement. What will be the next law that he chooses not to enforce or uphold? Now that President Obama has tossed aside this federal law, it is up to Congress to intervene and defend DOMA. Congress will be under political pressure from the far Left to leave the issue alone, but with inaction, Congress would join the President in his dereliction of duty. Please urge your Member of Congress to stand up for the Defense of Marriage Act by supporting a resolution that authorizes Congress to intervene in the ongoing litigation challenging DOMA. Click Here to Urge your Member of Congress to Uphold the Law of The Land on Marriage Sincerely, Tony Perkins President P.S. Please share this email with as many friends as possible.

			FRC Action: 801 G Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001

Time to overwhelm the Senate!

Dear CV Friend,

Your calls and your prayers worked! Planned Parenthood is hysterical.

Moments ago the U.S. House passed the Pence Amendment 240-185 ending federal funding for Planned Parenthood through the end of the year (don't worry, a permanent end to their funding is around the corner!).

This is a giant victory. But don't celebrate yet.

Once approved, the "Continuing Resolution" will head to the Senate where the votes needed to approve the Pence language are hanging by threads.

Chip in $10 today to help us put the heat on the Senate!

The momentum is on our side. Legislators are fired up and acting with courage. The majority of Americans – Republicans and many Democrats - are with us.

But the abortion lobby is preparing to pounce on the Senate. Think about it – they have over $360 million annually at stake!

Planned Parenthood will throw every dollar they have at the Senate to save their taxpayer-funded money line. They are opening new clinics everywhere – including massive abortion supercenters in Illinois and Houston and elsewhere – knowing that taxpayers will pick up the tab.

We can stop this. We must stop this.

Whatever funds we raise will be turned into radio, Internet and a massive grassroots lobbying campaign to fight for this legislation in the Senate. Many of the "swing votes" in the Senate are up for re-election in 2012, and they know this issue could decide their future.

Please chip in $5, $10, $100, or whatever you can today.

The Senate knows this legislation must be passed quickly or the government could be shut down.

Building a Culture of Life is difficult enough; the least we can do is stop sending our money to those fighting against us.

Before you do anything, please take a few seconds and say a prayer of thankgiving for today's vote. And pray for continued success as we head to the Senate.

Sincerely,

Brian Burch, President
CatholicVote.org


P.S. Question: Who is the biggest annual donor to Planned Parenthood? Answer: WE ARE! But that could end if we act now. The House has voted to put a stop to this outrage. Now the Senate must do the same.

We need your help to fund a massive campaign to put the pressure on the Senate.

Chip in here: https://www.catholicvote.org/index.php?/site/donation/&amount=&tp=c4

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Appeal for the Preservation of the Integrity of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum

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Most Holy Father, we the undersigned:

1. Express our profound gratitude to Your Holiness for your personal liturgical example to the Universal Church. You are a true homo liturgicus whose love for the sacred liturgy is an inspiration; it teaches more clearly than words the centrality of the liturgy in the life of the Church.

2. Thank Your Holiness for your gift to the Church of your 2007 Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. Since 2007 it has brought forth many fruits, including greater unity in the Church of Christ and a widespread enrichment of the liturgical life of the Church.

3. Note with sadness the continuing and real opposition to the implementation of Summorum Pontificum in many dioceses and on the part of many members of the hierarchy, the suffering and distress this continues to cause many of Christ’s faithful and the obstacle this opposition is to an effective reconciliation within the Church.

4. Note with anxiety the apparent signs that a forthcoming Instruction on Summorum Pontificum will, in some way, take away from what you have legally established in that Motu Proprio and from its wide application in the generous spirit so eloquently explained by Your Holiness in the letter accompanying it: “Let us generously open our hearts and make room for everything that the faith itself allows.”

5. Express our grave concern that any restrictive measures would cause scandal, disunity and suffering in the Church and would frustrate the reconciliation you so earnestly desire, as well as impede further liturgical renewal and development in continuity with Tradition, which is already so great a fruit of your pontificate.

6. Express our hope, our desire and our urgent appeal that the good Your Holiness personally initiated through Summorum Pontificum not be allowed to be hindered by such restrictions.

7. Turn to you with filial trust and as obedient sons and daughters, Most Holy Father, and ask that you urgently consider our concerns and intervene if you judge it necessary.

8. Assure Your Holiness of our continuing prayers, of our deep affection and of our loyalty.

Note: Please ignore the donation page that may come up after you sign. Just close it. Your vote will have already been recorded and any donation does not come to the Motu Proprio Appeal.

(See Signatures)