Archbishop Thompson Meets with Pope, Prays at Tombs of Apostles In
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Catholic Schools Week See our annual Catholic Schools Week Supplement, pages 1B-16B. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com January 24, 2020 Vol. LX, No. 15 75¢ Bills offer protections for pregnant women in the workplace By Victoria Arthur As a leading pro-life voice in the Catholic Church calls on 2020 to be a “Year of Service” to pregnant women, the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) is closely monitoring legislation that would promote safer working environments for employees who are expecting a child. Companion bills introduced in the Indiana House and Senate this month would prohibit an employer with 15 or more employees from discriminating against a pregnant worker. House Bill 1294 and Senate Bill 342 also would require employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” for their pregnant employees per a doctor’s recommendation—from offering them extra breaks in their work day to being exempt from heavy lifting. “Passage of this legislation would allow women to be employed without the stress and fear of working in situations that could lead to miscarriage,” said Angela Espada, executive director of the ICC, the public Pope Francis presents Archbishop Charles C. Thompson with a gift on Dec. 12 after the pontiff met in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican with policy voice of the Catholic Church in bishops from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin as part of their “ad limina” visit, a pilgrimage to Rome that all bishops from around the world are Indiana. “Additionally, minor modifications required to make every five to seven years. (Vatican Media) and freedom from discrimination could also prevent a pregnant woman from seeking an abortion because she fears losing her job.” The timing of the proposed legislation Archbishop Thompson meets with pope, coincides with a challenge recently issued by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., chairman of the U.S. Conference prays at tombs of Apostles in Rome visit of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro- Life Activities. He called upon U.S. bishops By Sean Gallager the Apostles, and they go to Rome and the bishops from Illinois, Indiana to join a nationwide effort titled “Walking to pray at the tombs of the Apostles and Wisconsin made their most recent with Moms in Need: A Year of Service” “To the threshold of the Apostles.” SS. Peter and Paul, who died as martyrs ad limina visit to Rome on Dec. 9-13. beginning in March—the 25th anniversary That is the description of a trip that in the earliest days of the Church in the For the archbishop, the past and the of St. John Paul II’s groundbreaking bishops around the world are required Eternal City. present, the original Apostles and their encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel to take to Rome every five to seven They also meet in these visits with successors today, the Church in Rome of Life”). The encyclical is arguably the best years. It is known traditionally in Latin the pope, the current successor of and the Church in central and southern known and most quoted affirmation of the as “ad limina apostolorum” or “ad St. Peter, and those who assist him at Indiana all came together in his heart Catholic Church’s moral teaching on the limina” for short. the Vatican in his ministry. and mind during the pilgrimage. sanctity of life. Bishops are today’s successors to Archbishop Charles C. Thompson See AD LIMINA, page 8A “The 25th anniversary year of See ICC, page 15A Response to Supreme Court’s upcoming Louisiana abortion case reflects sharp divides WASHINGTON (CNS)—Strong opinions on both sides of the abortion debate are front and center in the paperwork currently filed with the Supreme Court for its upcoming abortion case. The case challenges a Louisiana law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. The court also will examine a separate petition by the state that questions if the abortion providers have the legal standing to challenge the state law on behalf of their patients. The 2014 Louisiana law was upheld last year by a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The combined cases: Gee v. June Medical Services and June Medical Services v. Gee will be argued on March 4. Rebekah Gee is the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and June Medical Services is a Louisiana abortion provider. More than 70 friend-of-the-court briefs have been filed on both sides of this case with health care The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on March 4 challenging a Louisiana law professionals, researchers, lawmakers, states, and requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. (CNS photo/Joshua See ABORTION, page 15A Roberts, Reuters) Page 2A The Criterion Friday, January 24, 2020 Supreme Court to re-examine Public Schedule of mandate for religious employers Archbishop Charles C. Thompson __________ WASHINGTON (CNS)—The Little and said the government did not follow January 25 – February 2, 2019 Sisters of the Poor are once again going to proper administrative procedures. the Supreme Court. The second case will examine if the Little The order of women religious, who Sisters of the Poor had the standing to appeal January 25 – 4 p.m. January 30 – 10 a.m. care for the elderly poor, have been down the 3rd Circuit ruling since a separate court Mass and annual benefit dinner at Leadership Team meeting at this road before, twice defending their order had already allowed them to refuse St. Catherine Academy in New Haven, Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara right to not comply with the government’s to provide contraceptive, abortifacient and Ky. Catholic Center health law requiring employers to sterilization coverage in their health plans. provide contraceptive, abortifacient and “It is disappointing to think that as we January 28 – 1 p.m. February 1 – 1:30 p.m. sterilization coverage in their health plans. enter a new decade we must still defend Council of Priests meeting at Baptism at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Now the court is about to look at the our ministry in court,” said Mother Loraine Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Church, Carmel, Ind (Diocese of Affordable Health Care’s mandate from Marie Maguire of the Little Sisters of the Catholic Center, Indianapolis Lafayette) a different angle, examining if the Trump Poor. “We are grateful the Supreme Court administration can legally allow religious has decided to weigh in, and hopeful that January 29 – 10 a.m. February 2 – 10:30 a.m. employers to opt out of the mandate. the justices will reinforce their previous Mass for Catholic Schools Week at Mass at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral In 2013, religious groups and houses decision,” she said in a statement. SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, of worship were granted a religious Mark Rienzi, president of Becket, a Indianapolis February 2 – 2 p.m. exemption by the Supreme Court from the nonprofit religious liberty law firm that Annual Scout Awards Ceremony at government’s mandate in the Affordable Care represents the sisters, agreed, saying: “It SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral Act to include coverage of contraceptives, is time for the Supreme Court to finally (Schedule subject to change.) sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs in put this issue to rest.” their employee health plan. The oral arguments, which will be Three years later, religious nonprofit heard by the court later this spring, are groups challenged the requirement they the combined cases of Little Sisters of comply with the mandate, and the court the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home Bishop Strickland says he asked sent the cases back to the lower courts with v. Pennsylvania and Trump v. Pennsylvania. instructions for the federal government The U.S. Conference of Catholic Pope Francis about McCarrick report and the challengers to try to work out a Bishops (USCCB) filed a friend-of-the- solution agreeable to both sides. court brief on Nov. 1, siding with the VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Bishop continued, it would be that Archbishop In 2017, religious groups were given Little Sisters of the Poor and stressing that Joseph E. Strickland of Tyler, Texas, Viganò called for Pope Francis to further protection from the mandate through the court needs to set the record straight said he asked Pope Francis about the resign. “I never intended to embrace an executive order issued by President particularly with its interpretation of RFRA. Vatican investigation into Theodore that, because that’s a major thing to say. Donald J. Trump requiring the U.S. RFRA—which says, “Governments E. McCarrick and “I certainly didn’t want to validate Department of Health and Human Services should not substantially burden religious the release of a that,” Bishop Strickland said, “but I to write a comprehensive exemption to exercise without compelling justification”— promised report said these allegations about McCarrick benefit religious ministries, including the was passed by Congress in 1993 and signed on how the former need to be investigated, and they have Little Sisters of the Poor, from the mandate. into law by President Bill Clinton. cardinal managed been, and the report, according to Pope The U.S. Department Health and Human The USCCB brief said there was a to rise through the Francis yesterday,” will be published. Services (HHS) provided this exemption compelling need to review this case Church ranks. “I’m a Catholic bishop. Of course, I in 2018, but several states challenged it, not only because the 3rd Circuit Court The bishop, who support the vicar of Christ,” he said. including California, Pennsylvania and New decision conflicts with other Supreme was making his The summer of 2018 had been Jersey, saying HHS didn’t have the power to Court rulings on this topic in Hobby “ad limina” visit difficult for Catholics, beginning give this exemption.