How Joe Biden's Catholic faith has shaped his public life

Biden's personal story and faith offer stark moral contrast to Trump

Christopher White of the National Catholic Reporter writes about how Joe Biden's Catholic faith have shaped his public life.  Some excerpts here and then the full story at the link at the end.

As uprisings sparked by George Floyd's death erupted throughout the nation, Joe Biden turned to his Catholic faith to offer inspiration to a nation gripped by yet another killing of an unarmed Black man at the hands of a white police officer.

"I grew up with Catholic social doctrine, which taught me that faith without works is dead, and you will know us by what we do," he said in a videotaped eulogy June 9, lamenting that there is still much work to be done "to ensure that all men and women are not only created equal, but are treated equally."...

Biden credits those Catholic roots — which first took seed in parishes and parochial schools in Pennsylvania and Delaware — with teaching him the importance of the human dignity of all people, a core principle of Catholic social teaching. They also shaped his understanding of solidarity, especially with the poor and the working class, which he regularly cites when talking about job security and economic policy.

Most importantly, his is also a faith that has been tested by personal loss of an enormous magnitude and one that has come into conflict with Democratic policy positions, forcing him to change and evolve along the way to keep up with shifting uniform stances within the party.

Now, at 77, the former senator and former vice president could be on the cusp of becoming only the second Catholic president in U.S. history. He is hands down the most comfortable Democratic politician of his generation talking about the role religion has played in shaping his approach to public life. As such, John McCarthy, the deputy national political director for the Biden campaign, told NCR that "faith outreach is probably the most integrated it's ever been on a presidential campaign" for a Democratic candidate......

In 2008, on the Saturday before Election Day, Biden had a full day of stump speeches planned, but at the last minute squeezed in one more event: Mass for All Saints Day, even though by falling on a Saturday, it was not a holy day of obligation.

"I made 9 o'clock," he went on to tell crowds later that morning. "My mom is 91 years old. I'll call my mom sometime today and the first thing she'll ask is 'Joe, did you go to Mass?' "

Shaun Casey, who would later work in the Obama-Biden administration under Secretary of State John Kerry, recalls being in the crowd that morning in Evansville, Indiana. "It just came naturally to him," Casey told NCR. "He didn't study his way into the Catholic Church in graduate school. It's been a constant through his life."

National Catholic Reporter

BIDEN PRAYS FOR JOHN LEWIS

Today is the funeral service for the late Congressman John Lewis.  The great and decent leaders of our country are there to pay their final respects.  Earlier, his body was place in the Rotunda of the Capitol.  Vice President and Dr. Biden were there as well to say good-bye to this great American.  Vice President Biden approached the casket, made the sign of the cross and said a prayer.

POLISH AMERICANS FOR BIDEN NATIONAL MEETING

There will be a nationwide 'Zoom' meeting of Polish Americans for Biden on Friday, July 31st at 4pm ET/3pm CT. 

If you would like to participate, register with the link below.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The meeting will be led by Ambassador Mark Brzezinski, a first generation Polish-American.

Polish Americans for Biden Meeting Registration

BOSS TELL WORKER TO GET AN ABORTION OR LOSE HER JOB

As the Trump Administration tries to destroy every bit of worker protection and union rights, those who call themselves pro-life must grapple with the reality that women are sometimes pressured by their bosses to abort.  We will write later about the pro-life implications of paid parental leave laws, universal maternity care and other proven initiatives that reduce the numbers of abortions.  But for now, here is an article from the New York Times:  

Your Baby or Your Job?

CHRISTIAN REPUBLICANS SUPPORTING BIDEN

A group of Republicans is urging Christians and Republicans to not re-elect Trump.

In a video they have released, entitled  “Trump is Using Us,” it features six Republican voters who talk about how Trump uses and manipulates Christians.

In the minute-long video posted on the Republican Voters Against Trump YouTube channel, the group explains that the president doesn’t reflect Christianity or values based on his words and actions.

During the video, Republicans Paul and Pat vigorously criticize Trump’s visit to St. John’s Church.

Paul specifically talks about how law enforcement “bludgeoned and gassed peaceful protestors” for Trump’s “ridiculous photo op” holding a Bible in front of the church.

“The moment that he held up that Bible, he revealed this president is using us,” Pat said.

He also added that “Christians have to resist being used to justify things that Jesus would never justify.”

So far, the video has been viewed over 100,000 times.

Watch the full ad in the video below.

THE CONVERSATION

Many of you have heard of this conversation.  It is well worth watching.  

TRUMP ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND ABORTION

Both the abortion rights lobby and the Right-to-Life establishment are quick to ignore a cause of abortions that does not fit their agendas.  We speak of abortion caused by environmental pollution.  Much of the media as well as the two entities mentioned  would use the nice euphemism "miscarriage."  Miscarriage is the natural death of a fetus.  Abortion is when it is caused by a human act.  Were we unknowing of the impact of environmental pollution on unborn life, in ignorance we could call it as miscarriage.  Now that we know for a fact that environmental degradation destroys unborn life, it is an abortion, albeit an abortion the National Right-to-Life Committee seems not to care about.  

We will address this is more detail later, but raise one example now.  Today's New York Times carries a story about pollution from gas flaring.  It reports that new research on gas flaring suggests that the practice poses a significant risk to the unborn.

The study was published this month the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.  It found that pregnant women who lived near areas where flaring is common had 50 percent greater odds of giving birth prematurely than those who did not. These births occurred before 37 weeks of gestation, when incomplete development raises a baby’s chance of numerous disorders, even death.

Joe Biden's record on climate change and care for Creation stands in sharp contrast to Donald Trump.  And Biden's positions are on the side of preventing these abortions undesired by the mother of the child yet suffered by her anyway.  

Meet the Biden Faith Outreach Team!

TODAY at 3pm EDT/2pm CDT

MEET THE BIDEN FAITH OUTREACH TEAM VIA 'ZOOM'

Readers of this blog are invited to join a virtual event with the Biden and DNC faith outreach staff.  You'll get a chance to learn more about the team, hear their vision for their program, and learn how to get involved with their work. Upon signing up, you'll receive a Zoom link to join.  We hope you can make this important event.

Sign up here:  Biden Faith Outreach RSVP

GUEST BLOG: Why Joe Biden Is The Clear Christian Choice In 2020

*This post is written by Rev. Brandan Robertson on behalf of himself alone. The views expressed do not represent any church, seminary, or organization he is affiliated with. 

The 2020 election will be by far the most consequential election in my lifetime. As a millennial, I have watched our country transform drastically over the past nearly thirty years- from the digital revolution of the 90’s, 9/11 and the so-called “war against terror”, the financial collapse of 2008, to the election of our first black President. The past thirty years of American history have been anything but smooth and tranquil, yet the moment we’re facing as we approach November feels unlike any other that I’ve lived through. The future of the American experiment truly feels in jeopardy, and the moral heart of our country feels as if it is on life-support.

Over the past four years, the Presidency of Donald Trump has proven to be as fraught with scandal and immorality as one would expect when electing a reality-TV star to lead the most powerful nation in the world. And with every scandal, every racist tweet, every regressive executive order, our country has grown accustomed to spending exactly five minutes in outrage before moving on to the next unbelievably ignorant utterance to come out of the President’s mouth. No one can blame us for adopting this survival mechanism, but none the less, this pattern should trouble all of us deeply. If this trend continues, I fear that our national conscience will become seared beyond redemption, allowing for worst angels of our nature to flourish.

For better or for worse, the American President is not only the leader of the executive branch of government but is the figurehead of our nation. The President is, in theory, supposed to embody the best of America on the world stage, and be a figure that all of the country regardless of their political affiliation can get behind. They’re meant to be a leader that can set aside their own self-interest in order to represent the whole of the country, especially in moments of tragedy and turmoil. This role has proven to be essential in keeping the social cohesion of our country in our most fragile of moments. And the Presidency of Donald Trump has shown us what happens when a President doesn’t act in this capacity.

There are calls for race wars in our country. Martial law has been enacted on protestors in the state of Oregon. Transgender rights continue to be rolled back. A pandemic continues to ravage the most medically advanced nation on earth because our leader has yet again put profit over people. Our economy is on the verge of total collapse. Our allies around the world now see us as an enemy and our enemies now see us as an ally. It is not an overstatement to suggest that America in 2020 is beginning to look like a scene out of a dystopian fantasy novel. But friends, this is far from fantasy. This is our new reality.

As a follower of Christ, I have spent the last four years seeking to figure out just how I should be meeting this moment. What would God desire of me? Of the Christian Church collectively? By and large, the answer has been to get engaged in my community on a grassroots level, seeking to use my power, privilege, and resources to help make the lives of others better. I also have become more committed than ever to calling my faith community to organized social and political action, understanding that we have a moral and spiritual obligation to hold our elected officials accountable to doing what is right and just.

I have also become convinced that it is my moral and spiritual duty to encourage others to vote in the 2020 election because it has never been clearer just how much damage can be done by a single ill-intentioned, unqualified individual in elected office. The majority of the Trump Administration has been filled with such people, and they have done irreparable damage to some of the most sacred institutions of our democracy in just four (long) years. Our votes matter. Elections matter. And the candidates we support matter.

As a Christian, I have been reminded that looking for candidates that believe in the universal moral ideals that Jesus embodied is actually a good thing to do, while also understanding that obviously no candidate will perfectly embody the way of Jesus. Candidates who believe that loving our neighbors is a core moral goal, that resisting evildoers while turning the other cheek is a better path forward than retribution and retaliation, that providing and caring for the poor is the obligation of every society, and that believes in creating a future of equity and justice for everyone (even those we disagree with) are precisely what we need to continue to move America in a direction of true progress.

One of the core texts that summarizes the values embodied by Jesus comes from Luke 4 where he steps into a Synagogue and reads from the prophetic words of Isaiah, declaring that these words embody his mission and calling. The words Jesus read are as follows:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
    to proclaim the year of the Lord’s liberation for all.”

(Luke 4:18-19)

If you read that text and then look at the two candidates’ platforms, Joe Biden is clearly the singular candidate that embodies these values best by far. When holding up Biden’s values and record with that of Donald Trump, there can be not even a hint of doubt over which candidate best represents the values of Jesus.

Biden’s platform and record stand for economic justice for the poor, fighting systemic racism, demanding reform for those in prison, arguing for universal healthcare even for those with pre-existing conditions, promoting the value of respectful debate in American discourse, valuing empathy and diplomacy, and protecting first amendment rights.

Trump, on the other hand, seeks to make the poor invisible, threatens his opponents with prison, is working to kill the Affordable Care Act in the midst of a global pandemic, supports memorializing racists and slave owners, praises authoritarian dictators, and continually threatens the first amendment rights of Americans.

There is no contest here. Anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ and who allows the values of Jesus to inform their own values and morals should have no question as to which candidate represents the better future for our nation. Joe Biden is not perfect, nor has he always made perfect choices in his career, but by and large, his life reflects the way and wisdom of Jesus. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has a life-long record of willful, unrepentant sin, greed, and destructive behavior that he has brought with him into the Oval Office and normalized on the world stage.

As followers of Christ, we should care about the morality of our elected officials, especially the President, not just for the benefit of our own self-interests or those of our country but for the good of the whole world. As we move towards the election in November, it is incumbent upon all of us to understand the gravity of the responsibility we hold and the moral weight of our vote. The Scriptures tell us that we will be accountable to God for “every careless word” we speak (Matthew 12:36). How much more will we be held accountable for a vote cast that promotes everything opposed to the way of Jesus?

This November, it is imperative that every follower of Christ vote. And from where I stand as a Christian, there is only one candidate that has a record and platform deserving of my sacred vote: Joe Biden.


re-posted from "Faithful Progress"

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithfulprogress/2020/07/why-joe-biden-is-the-clear-christian-choice-in-2020/?fbclid=IwAR3juavJH0j9O3X9lh71eSsLau0bSfvfLDR-cYWlm2YIPEVkdqBeLI2tDuo

CATHOLIC LEADERS BLAST TRUMP FOR USE OF DEATH PENALTY

Catholic leaders are speaking out against the federal government’s decision to begin executing federal prisoners, decrying the Trump administration’s decision to end a nearly two-decade-long moratorium on the federal death penalty.

The outcry comes as the U.S. Department of Justice carried out its second execution, killing 68-year-old Wesley Purkey by lethal injection.

Purkey’s death followed the execution of Daniel Lewis Lee.  These constitute the first uses of capital punishment by the federal government since 2003.

Catholic leaders say the federal government’s use of the death penalty, which resumed after a 2019 push by the Justice Department, is out of step with their faith.

“So much for the ‘pro-life’ administration,” the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author, wrote in a Facebook post. “The taking (of) a life is always immoral. So is the taking (of) a life to punish the taking of another life. This is why the Catechism of the Catholic Church says that the death penalty is ‘inadmissible.’ It is an assault on the dignity of the human person and on human life.”

More than 1,000 faith leaders signed a letter unveiled on Tuesday demanding the White House and Attorney General William Barr halt the practice.

“As faith leaders from a diverse range of traditions, we call on President Trump and Attorney General Barr to stop the scheduled federal executions,” the statement reads. “As our country grapples with the COVID 19 pandemic, an economic crisis, and systemic racism in the criminal legal system, we should be focused on protecting and preserving life, not carrying out executions.”

Signatories included United Methodist Bishop Joe Wilson of Georgetown, Texas; Catholic Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky; the Rt. Rev. Martin Field, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri; and Shane Claiborne, founder of Red Letter Christians and a longtime activist against the death penalty.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, head of the Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, also publicly opposed the execution of Dustin Honken, who was convicted of killing five people and is scheduled to be executed on Friday. Tobin, who has personally ministered to Honken, said he understood the hurt Honken’s actions caused others but insisted that “killing Mr. Honken will do nothing to restore justice or heal those still burdened by these crimes.”

What’s more, the Cardinal argued that Honken’s execution would “reduce the government of the United States to the level of a murderer and serve to perpetuate a climate of violence which brutalizes our society in so many ways.”

The executions come at a time when opposition to capital punishment has climbed to some of the highest levels in decades.

A 2018 survey from the Public Religion Research Institute found that 55% of Americans preferred life in prison without parole over the death penalty for people convicted of murder, compared with 44% who preferred capital punishment. Most major religious groups — such as Black Protestants (80%), white Catholics (54%) and non-Christian religious groups (57%) — also favored life in prison, with two notable exceptions: White evangelicals (62%) and white mainline Protestants (54%) both preferred the death penalty.

The Catholic Church has long discouraged the death penalty as well, with Pope Francis approving a change to the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 2018 calling the practice “inadmissible.”

"The government isn’t being 'tough on crime' when it executes our fellow citizens," Sister Helen Prejean, a Catholic nun and longtime opponent of the death penalty, tweeted on Wednesday. "The death penalty is a sign of weakness, not strength. It shows that our society has failed to solve social problems. Capital punishment makes the U.S. a human rights pariah in the global community."

Trump’s support for the practice is in stark contrast with his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, a Catholic who is backing legislation endorsed by the Catholic Church to end the use of the death penalty at the federal level.

Trump was asked about the issue in June by the conservative Catholic television station EWTN. Show host Raymond Arroyo noted that some Catholics and evangelicals interpret Biden’s opposition to the death penalty — combined with his insistence the government act to curb climate change — as evidence the former Delaware senator is more “pro-life” than Trump.

Trump was not shy about slamming the Catholic Church's teachings even on Catholic television, saying he was strongly for the death penalty.

LAURA INGRAHAM ACCUSES BIDEN OF BANNING COMMUNION IN CANADA

Laura Ingraham, the right-wing commentator has accused Joe Biden of banning Holy Communion in Catholic churches in Toronto, Canada.  

Yeah, that takes a minute to digest.

The kernel of truth in this is that the Ontario health ministry has recommended (not mandate)  suspending "activities that increase risk of disease transmission, including...sharing or distributing materials or objects, which may include but is not limited to: books, communion, microphones, prayer mats, prayer shawls, water, etc."

The Archdiocese of Toronto has partially accepted this advice and only distributes communion in the hand.

The connection to Joe Biden is unexplained.  

Requiescat in Pace, Congressman John Lewis

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 
2 Timothy 4:7

Vice President Biden's statement:  

We are made in the image of God, and then there is John Lewis.

How could someone in flesh and blood be so courageous, so full of hope and love in the face of so much hate, violence, and vengeance? Perhaps it was the Spirit that found John as a young boy in the Deep South dreaming of preaching the social gospel; the work ethic his sharecropper parents instilled in him and that stayed with him; the convictions of nonviolent civil disobedience he mastered from Dr. King and countless fearless leaders in the movement; or the abiding connection with the constituents of Georgia’s 5th District he loyally served for decades.

Or perhaps it was that he was truly a one-of-a-kind, a moral compass who always knew where to point us and which direction to march.

It is rare to meet and befriend our heroes. John was that hero for so many people of every race and station, including us. He absorbed the force of human nature’s cruelty during the course of his life, and the only thing that could finally stop him was cancer. But he was not bitter. We spoke to him a few days ago for the final time. His voice still commanded respect and his laugh was still full of joy. Instead of answering our concerns for him, he asked about us. He asked us to stay focused on the work left undone to heal this nation. He was himself – a man at peace, of dignity, grace and character.

John’s life reminds us that the most powerful symbol of what it means to be an American is what we do with the time we have to make real the promise of our nation – that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally. Through the beatings, the marches, the arrests, the debates on war, peace, and freedom, and the legislative fights for good jobs and health care and the fundamental right to vote, he taught us that while the journey toward equality is not easy, we must be unafraid and never cower and never, ever give up.

That is the charge a great American and humble man of God has left us. For parents trying to answer their children’s questions about what to make of the world we are in today, teach them about John Lewis. For the peaceful marchers for racial and economic justice around the world who are asking where we go from here, follow his lead. For his fellow legislators, govern by your conscience like he did, not for power or party. He was our bridge – to our history so we did not forget its pain and to our future so we never lose our hope.

To John’s son, John Miles, and to his family, friends, staff, and constituents, we send you our love and prayers. Thank you for sharing him with the nation and the world.

And to John, march on, dear friend. May God bless you. May you reunite with your beloved Lillian. And may you continue to inspire righteous good trouble down from the Heavens.

BIDEN'S FAITH APPEALS EVEN TO CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOUS VOTERS

From the Associated Press....

...Trump’s appeal to religious conservatives is a cornerstone of his political identity. But Joe Biden is a different kind of foe than Trump has faced before: one who makes faith a central part of his persona — often literally wearing it on his sleeve.

In fact, Biden’s practice of carrying a rosary that belonged to his late son Beau caught the attention of one of his Democratic presidential rivals when the two were awaiting a debate last year. Standing backstage next to Biden, Pete Buttigieg asked the lifelong Catholic about the prayer beads and fell into a conversation about loss, family and faith.

Biden “often talks about the comfort and meaning that he’s drawn from faith,” said Buttigieg, Biden’s primary rival-turned-endorser. “That’s something that will resonate with Americans a lot more than usual.” .....

...Biden’s identity as “a very devout Catholic and person of deep faith,” deputy political director John McCarthy said, is “baked into the core messaging and core functions of the campaign.”

Biden has framed his presidential bid as a fight for “the soul of the nation,” a subtle invocation of the Catholic beliefs that have guided his life. His campaign has released three digital ads focused on faith, including one crediting his religious practices with instilling a “sense of solace.”...

...“For faith and values voters,” McCarthy said, Biden’s spiritual authenticity is “the quality they’re looking for.” They might disagree on a particular issue, he added, but can connect with Biden through a shared worldview.

See the full story here: AP on Biden's faith

BIDEN ON INDUSTRIAL RECOVERY AND 'BUY AMERICAN'

Make no mistake: America has been knocked down.

The unemployment rate is higher than it was in the Great Recession. Millions have lost jobs, hours, pay, health care, or the small business they started, through no fault of their own.

Even before COVID, Donald Trump’s economic policies rewarded excessive wealth over hard work, economic concentration over workers’ rights, and provided too little help for so many Americans struggling to make ends meet. And, women, Black, Latino, and Native individuals, and immigrants have never been welcomed as full participants in the economy.

But here’s what I know: There’s no greater economic engine in the world than the hard work and ingenuity of the American people.

So when I say this is no time to just build back to the way things were before, I really mean it. We have to build back better. That’s why I just announced my plan to build an inclusive economy where every American enjoys a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead. That starts with ensuring that the future is made in all of America by all of America’s workers.

And, in the coming weeks, I’ll share more on the other parts of my plan, including how we will build a clean energy economy and a caring economy.

If you agree that we need a comprehensive manufacturing and innovation strategy that will not just bring back the jobs lost due to COVID-19 and Trump’s incompetence, but will create millions of new jobs, will you endorse my plan today as a citizen co-sponsor?

ENDORSE THE PLAN TO BUY AMERICAN
Here are just a few ways my plan will create high-quality, high-skill, manufacturing and innovation jobs, with a chance to join a union:

Buy American: I start with a pretty basic idea -- when we spend taxpayer money, we should buy American products and support American jobs. I’ll strengthen our commitment to Buy American by closing loopholes and cracking down on waivers. I’ll make a $400 billion investment to power new demand for American products, materials, and services.

Make It In America: I’ll retool and revitalize American manufacturing, especially smaller manufacturers and those owned by women and people of color, by enacting manufacturing tax credit, quadrupling support for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and creating a Treasury Department credit.

Innovate in America: I’ll make a historic, $300 billion investment in R&D, which could help create 3 million jobs in communities across the country. This investment across all 50 states will unleash high-quality job creation in urban and rural communities, with historic investments in communities of color.

And this is just the start. I’ll increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, reverse Trump’s tax and trade policies that drove manufacturing into a recession, bring back supply chains for critical equipment, and more. And racial equity will be a defining priority, powering the economy through small business, and ensuring young people have a fair shot.

But we can only make this plan a reality if we fight for it, together. We need to show just how many people are ready to invest in America’s manufacturing and innovation again.

If you’re with me, will you add your name as an endorser and an official citizen co-sponsor of my plan today?

ENDORSE THE PLAN TO BUY AMERICAN
Thank you,

Joe

               

Juan Williams: Trump's base begins to crack

Noted writer Juan Williams looks at Trump falling support with white Catholics and white Protestants.  He points out he has delivered little on issues that appeal to conservative Christians.  White Christians who support Trump based on cultural grievances may stick with him, but those with Christian principles are shifting to Biden.

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/505926-juan-williams-trumps-base-begins-to-crack

BIDEN CALLS ON TURKISH GOVERNMENT NOT TO CHANGE STATUS OF HAGIA SOPHIA

Vice President Biden has issued a statement against the actions of the Turkish Government to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque.  The cultural treasure was build as a Christian cathedral.  After the fall of Constantinople, it was made a mosque and then at the end of the Ottoman Empire, it became a museum, open to all.  It retains great significance for many Christians, particularly Greek Orthodox.  Both Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew have made similar statements as Vice President Biden. 

On June 17th, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate wrote to Trump, begging him to personally put the weight of the US Government behind keeping it as a museum.  To date, Trump has made no statement on the matter. 

UNDER TRUMP, PERSECUTED CHRISTANS LEFT TO DIE

The number of Christian refugees admitted to the United States, fleeing persecution has plummeted 90%. under Trump.  Two advocacy groups associated with evangelical Protestantism are the source for these numbers -- World Relief and Open Doors USA.  More persecuted Christians were admitted in the single last year of the Obama-Biden Administration than in all of the first three years of the Trump Administration.

So far this year, Trump has only allowed 950 persecuted Christians to seek refuge in the Land of Liberty.  Churches, governors and mayors have begged for the opportunity to help refugees, pledging to care for these suffering victims.  In there homelands, many of these Christians face violence and even death because of their Christian faith.

Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, called the data in the report “shocking.” Kim also expressed disappointment in the Trump administration’s refugee settlement policy.  The United States, he said, has "long (been) a beacon of hope for those fleeing religious persecution ... We must change this policy and remain a leader for religious freedom."

Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, agreed.  “We are living in what St. John Paul II called a ‘new age of martyrdom,’ where many worldwide face persecution for their faith,” he said. “I pray our nation will reverse course and once again stand with refugees and asylum seekers, including those escaping religious persecution.”

Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention, urged his fellow Christians to “pay careful attention” to the findings of the report. He called on evangelicals to "recommit ourselves to ministering to all of those in our communities, and around the world, who are fearful for their very lives.”

ITALIAN AMERICANS FOR BIDEN TOWN HALL

JOE BIDEN IS ON MY SIDE  --  ITALIAN AMERICANS STAND WITH JOE

Joe Biden has never forgotten his family's immigrant roots.  And he understands other ethnic Americans.  Like his family, they came here in love with the American ideal even though they faced discrimination and prejudice.  

RIGHT WING LIE ABOUT JOE BIDEN

"Former vice president Joe Biden pledged on Wednesday to reinstate Obama-era policies that would require the Little Sisters of the Poor to ensure access to birth control and abortifacients for employees in violation of their religious beliefs."

The above claim was made by a right wing news site regarding Joe Biden.  It is a lie.  Let's take it apart point by point.

1. Little Sisters of the Poor were never required to do anything.  The religious order was entirely exempt.  The separately incorporated nursing homes that employ lay people of all faiths is also exempt as they have as their insurance provider Christian Brothers Services, a non-profit, Catholic insurance company.  As a religious organization, Christian Brothers Services is exempt from the contraceptive mandate.  The nursing homes were suing on the basis that at some point in the future they might dump their Catholic, non-profit health insurance company and contract with a secular, for-profit, pro-abortion company.  Now why would these nice nuns ever do that?

The issue here is that the original lawsuit was called 'Zubrick vs. Burwell', Zubrick being the Roman Catholic bishop of Pittsburgh.  The LSP Nursing Homes were a subsidiary litigant to the named litigant.  Right wing polemicists starting improperly calling the case "Little Sisters..." for propaganda reasons.  

2. Abortifacients are specifically excluded from the mandate.  No employer is required to include any abortion causing drug.  

3. The accommodation offered by the Obama Administration was more generous that what Catholic dioceses had agreed to when states passed similar legislation.  

Bottom line, this is phony issue which Catholics should feel free to ignore. 

JOE BIDEN AND THE RABBI

Rabbi Michael Beals and Vice President Joe Biden

Today we are going interfaith and honoring our Jewish older brothers and sisters with this story by Rabbi Michael Beals.

The story I’m about to share with you about Joe Biden is special -- in fact, I’m fairly certain I’m the only living person left who actually witnessed it firsthand.

It was about 16 years ago, and I was a young rabbi, brand-new to Delaware, on my way to lead a shiva minyan -- a worship service following a death of a Jewish person. I was from California. Back then, I didn’t know Claymont, Delaware from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

A quick bit of background: When someone passes away in the Jewish faith, we observe seven days of mourning, called shiva. We gather a group of ten Jewish adults together -- a minyan -- to say the Mourners’ Kaddish. It usually happens in a person’s home -- somewhere intimate.

In this case, the deceased individual -- her name was Mrs. Greenhouse, of blessed memory -- had not been a person of means. She had lived in rent-controlled senior housing in a tall high-rise building off of Namaans Road. Her apartment had been too small to fit everyone into, so we conducted our worship service in the building’s communal laundry room, in the basement of the high-rise.

We assembled the ten elders together, and it was in this most humble of places that I began to lead the kaddish. Toward the end of the service, a door at the back of the laundry room opened, and who walks in but Senator Joe Biden, his head lowered, all by himself.

I nearly dropped my prayer book in shock.

Senator Biden stood quietly in the back of the room for the duration of the service.

At the close of the kaddish, I walked over to him and asked the same question that must have been on everyone else’s mind: “Senator Biden -- what are you doing here?”

And he said to me: “Listen, back in 1972, when I first ran for Senate, Mrs. Greenhouse gave $18 to my first campaign. Because that’s what she could afford. And every six years, when I’d run for reelection, she’d give another $18. She did it her whole life. I’m here to show my respect and gratitude.”

Now, the number 18 is significant in the Jewish faith -- its numbers spell out the Hebrew word chai, as in “to life, to life, l’chayim!” But it’s also a humble amount. Joe Biden knew that. And he respected that.

There were no news outlets at our service that day -- no Jewish reporters or important dignitaries. Just a few elderly mourners in a basement laundry room.

Joe Biden didn’t come to that service for political gain. He came to that service because he has character. He came to that service because he’s a mensch.

And if we need anything right now when it comes to the leadership of our country -- we need a mensch.

I know this is such a simple, small story. But I tell it to as many people as will listen to me.

Because I think that, in their heart of hearts, when people are trying to think about the decision they’ll make this year -- this is the kind of story that matters.

Joe Biden is a mensch. We need a mensch.

Thanks for reading.

-- Rabbi Michael Beals of Delaware

JOE BIDEN: VALUES TAUGHT BY FAMILY

CHRIST AND HIS EXECUTIONERS

CHRIST AND HIS EXECUTIONERS

In defiance of the Bishop of the Diocese of Lansing and  of Fr. Steve Mattson, the Pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, and trespassing on private property, these members of the "Michigan Militia" decided to hold a photo-op at this church, claiming they were protecting it from "BLM".   It seems photo-op stunts in front of churches is a thing with those insensitive to racial bigotry and injustice.  

The Pastor's statement on this is below.  It is very well said.  This blog believes this photo should be captioned "Christ and His executioners" and circulated widely.  

Archbishop of Miami on Racism

Archbishop Thomas Wenski preached this homily during a Mass for Unity Against Racism, celebrated July 5, 2020, at Holy Redeemer Church in Miami.

This Fourth of July Weekend is a “graced” opportunity to highlight the Church’s social teachings – an opportunity given current events we should not allow to pass. The 4th of July celebrates America’s Independence after a war in which white and black Americans fought and died. Yet, as Frederick Douglas said in the 1850’s: “What is the 4th of July to the American slave? I am not included under the pale of this glorious celebration. The 4th of July is yours not mine.” However, after the Civil War and with Emancipation, he embraced the celebration – and in the states of the former Confederacy free blacks made the 4th of July a celebration of Black Freedom. But Jim Crow would soon enough tamp down those kinds of celebrations.

And so, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would describe the Declaration of Independence as a “promissory note of liberty and justice for all," a note stamped with the words “insufficient funds." But Dr. King’s Civil Rights movement touched the conscience of America and ended “Jim Crow." However, the killing of George Floyd has pulled off the scab on a still festering wound in our nation, the wound of racism. The continued unrest in our cities since the killing of George Floyd reminds us that this “promissory note” is not yet fully redeemed.

Yes, the body politic still bears the festering wounds of racism, the original sin of our founding. Dr. King in his last book, published before his assassination, famously asked: “Where do we go from here: chaos or community?” Today, on the 244th anniversary of its Independence, America faces a triple crisis: a global pandemic, an economic catastrophe, and ongoing social unrest in many of our cities.

Despite our nation’s partisan divisions, we will have to come together on common ground to address this triple crisis. Chaos is not an option if we are to address this triple crisis as well advancing needed reforms in the area of immigration, health care, education, social and economic inequality as well as fixing what is broken in our system of justice that is still far from being “color blind."

America will only be strong when all our institutions promote the common good and work for the advantage of everyone. America will only be at its best when the rights of the weak and vulnerable are protected and not viewed as expendable.

That’s why on this Independence Day weekend, we gather to pray for justice, to stand as a community of faith for unity against racism because chaos is not an option if we seek to hasten that day “when people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

AA (alcoholics anonymous), has a saying: Denial is not just a river in Egypt. Rather, it is an obstacle that the alcoholic must stay aware of if he is to maintain sobriety because extreme denial is often a characteristic of those struggling with the disease of alcoholism. Well, America for far too long has been in denial, often “extreme denial” about racism.

We cannot deny the sin of racism or the seriousness of its consequences not only in minds and attitudes of individual people but also in the social structures and legal framework of the societies people build. We are to love our neighbor – and even our enemies. Such love is not just an empty or shallow sentimentality. True love must always be “love in truth." Enabling denial is not to love in truth. If you ever had to deal with someone struggling with addiction, you know you do them no favors if you enable their denial. Denial about his addiction only creates more chaos in the life of an alcoholic; denial about the sin of racism creates chaos in our society; it is an obstacle that must be overcome if we bend the arc towards justice and build communities of peace and hope.

Jesus in the Gospel reading today tells us: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me and you will find rest...My yoke is easy and my burden light." The Scripture commentators remind us that those who listened to Jesus understood the image here. Farmers would yoke together a stronger, more experienced ox, with a younger and inexperienced one – so that the stronger would teach the weaker. Jesus invites us to "yoke" ourselves to him for he understands the weakness of our fallen human nature. His yoke is lighter – not because he demands less of us but because he bears more of the load for us. In that sense, being a Christian is not a burden – as some would believe – but a gift. A gift that brings us joy even in adversity.

Racism is a sin. It says so in the catechism – which also lists a whole lot of other sins. Some people don’t want to hear about the sin of racism – just as there are other people that don’t want to hear about sins of fornication, or sodomy, or theft or even gossip. But, you know, Jesus loves sinners, all of us. This parish is called Holy Redeemer because Jesus died on the cross to redeem us from our sins.

Yes, Jesus loves sinners – but not with a sentimental or saccharine kind of love that would enable denial; but with a love that is love in truth, a love that love is stronger than sin. Love names the sin not to damn the sinner but to call the sinner to conversion of heart and mind. For the love that opened its arms on a cross of wood is love that believes that the sinner can be redeemed.

This why we must not despair of America. We love America – but let’s love her “in truth” and not just with a sentimental love – a kind of love that would enable denial and foment unrest and chaos instead of community and the “rest," the redemption, that Jesus promises if we love in truth.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., like the Old Testament prophets, refused to remain silent in the face of evil. And, he understood that evil would not be conquered by more evil. Returning evil for evil cannot make the world better. “An eye for an eye” ethic would leave everybody blind. He opposed the evils of segregation and racial prejudice through non-violent action. With courage and great sacrifice, he helped make America better. This Baptist preacher with courageous words and deeds touched the conscience of America and in ending “Jim Crow” he ultimately made America stronger. His example and his faith should inspire and guide us today as we face new challenges and new evils. We can never allow ourselves to give in, or to give up

But even as we acknowledge how far yet we must go before the promissory note of liberty and justice for all is fully redeemed, Americans of all races should take holy pride in how far we have come. As one preacher said, We ain’t what we oughta be and we ain’t what we’re gonna be; but thank God almighty, we ain’t what we used to be.