EST IVER February is National Catholic Press Month W R Bishop’s Column, page 2 Care of Creation, pages 4- 6 Legislative Update, page 14 Diocesan Statement of Finance, pages 20-21 Informing Catholics in Western South Dakota since May 1973 Healthier Soil, Healthier Cattle, 5 Diocese of Rapid City CFebruaryatholic 2017 South Dakota Volume 45 Number 10 www.rapidcitydiocese.org Ash Wednesday, Addressing problems March 1 In Lent we are called to a conversion, a renewed sense in health laws of our frailty or sinfulness, as WASHINGTON — well as profound trust in the own rights in court.” new life that flows from the Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and Cardinal Dolan and death and resurrection of Archbishop William E. Lori — Archbishop Lori recalled the Christ. This stained glass as chairmen of the U.S. Confer- Hippocratic oath’s rejection of window is from the Cathedral ence of Catholic Bishops’ abortion in the profession of of Our Lady of Perpetual Committee on Pro-Life Activi- medicine, indicating that the Act Help, Rapid City. For Lenten ties and Ad Hoc Committee for will benefit not only Catholic regulations and reconcilia- Religious Liberty, respectively — medical professionals but “the tions times see page 16. wrote to both Houses of the great majority of ob/gyns (who) Check with local parishes for United States Congress on Stations of the Cross dates remain unwilling to perform and times. (WRC photo) February 8, urging support for abortions.” the Conscience Protection Act of Finally, they explained that 2017 (H.R. 644, S. 301). conscience protection facilitates The Conscience Protection access to life-affirming health Act, they wrote, is “essential care: “When government ... legislation protecting the mandates involvement in fundamental rights of health care abortion as a condition for being Action stalled on proposed providers…to ensure that those allowed to provide life-affirming religious freedom order providing much-needed health health care services, it not only WASHINGTON (CNS) — Talk of President Donald Trump care and health coverage can undermines the widely acknowl- possibly signing an executive order on religious freedom — which drew continue to do so without being edged civil rights of health care both criticism and praise — has been replaced with discussion about forced by government to help providers but also limits access to what happened to it and what a final version, if there is one, will look destroy innocent unborn good health care for American like. A draft version of the executive order, called “Establishing a children.” women and men.” Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom,” had been “While existing federal laws widely criticized in late January by those who said it would legalize already protect conscientious The full text of their letter to discrimination and was too far-reaching. It then failed to appear on the objection to abortion in theory, Senate is posted at: president’s desk while rumors circulated that a scaled-back version this protection has not proved www.usccb.org/issues-and- might appear eventually. “We hope that President Trump and his effective in practice,” the bishops action/religious-liberty/con administration will take action soon, especially to provide relief from noted, citing recent examples in science-protection/ upload/ Mailing Label Mailing the onerous HHS mandate,” said Baltimore Archbishop William E. which the federal government Conscience-Protection-Act- Lori, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious has refused to enforce these laws. Dolan-Lori-Ltr- Liberty, referring to the mandate issued by the federal Department of “The Conscience Protection Act to-Senate-02-08-17.pdf. Health and Human Services requiring most religious employers to will address the deficiencies that For more on the bishops’ provide coverage of artificial birth control for their employees even if block effective enforcement of promotion of conscience rights they are morally opposed to it. “Now that some of the Cabinet posts existing laws,” they said, “most visit: www.usccb.org/ are being confirmed, we hope that concrete and immediate action is notably by establishing a private issues-and-action/religious- taken to protect religious freedom,” he said in a Feb. 10 email to right of action allowing victims liberty/conscience- Catholic News Service. of discrimination to defend their protection. Assisted2 WRC suicide — are weNo headedGreater Love there too? February 2017 In 1994 Oregon passed a law allowing be a person’s right to choose to end his or limited support for care that could extend ing a culture of life, we physicians to prescribe deadly drugs for her life so as to alleviate their suffering on life, while emphasizing the “cost-effective” begin to speak out some patients in order for them to take his or her own terms, enabling them to die solution of a doctor-prescribed death. This against this serious their own lives. Since then, Montana with “dignity.” They see this as a form of was reality for Stephanie Packer, a Califor- challenge and deadly (1995), Washington (2008), Vermont compassion and choice. nia wife and mother of four who was diag- issue now, in our (2013), California (2015), Colorado (2016) “The idea that assisting a suicide shows nosed with a terminal form of scleroderma. parishes, in our families and Washington, DC (2016) have all compassion and eliminates suffering is Her insurance company refused to cover the and in our communities. Bishop passed laws or court rulings allowing equally misguided. It eliminates the person, cost of her medical treatment. When asked We do not want our Robert Gruss doctor-prescribed suicide. and results in suffering for those left behind if her insurance company would cover the state to be the next one doctor-prescribed suicide drugs, the com- to support a This movement continues across our — grieving families and friends, and other Diocese of land. Much of the momentum began from vulnerable people who may be influenced pany told her, “Yes, we do provide that to culture of death in al- Rapid City the story of a 29-year-old cancer patient by this event to see death as an escape. The our patients, and you would only have to lowing suicide for its from California named Brittany Maynard. sufferings caused by chronic or terminal pay $1.20 for the medication.” citizens. Resources can She announced in the fall of 2014 that she illness are often severe. They cry out for our A society that devalues some people’s be found at www.usccb.org/ToLiveEach did not want to face the expected suffering compassion, a word whose root meaning is lives, by hastening and facilitating their Day. associated with her brain cancer and there- to “suffer with” another person. True com- deaths, will ultimately lose respect for their In conclusion, from an article which fore would move to Oregon so she could passion alleviates suffering while maintain- other rights and freedoms. The government, appeared in Crisis Magazine by Maria take her life using its assisted suicide law. ing solidarity with those who suffer. It does by rescinding legal protection for the lives Cintorino: Her story became a media sensation and not put lethal drugs in their hands and of one group of people, implicitly commu- “Genuine death with dignity, dying she then became a spokesperson for the abandon them to their suicidal impulses, or nicates the message that some may be better naturally, is courageous for it dares to live group called Compassion & Choices. to the self-serving motives of others who off dead. Assisted suicide is also a recipe for despite suffering. It affirms the dignity of Compassion & Choices, formerly known as may want them dead. It helps vulnerable abuse of elderly and disabled persons the human person as grounded in the image the Hemlock Society, is the primary organ- people with their problems instead of treat- because it can put lethal drugs within reach and likeness of God and recognizes that the ization leading the drive for cultural accept- ing them as the problem. Taking life in the of abusers. No oversight and no witnesses beauty of life entails both the moments of ance and legalization of assisted suicide. name of compassion also invites a slippery are required once the lethal drugs leave the joy and health as well as the sorrows and This organization is well funded through slope toward ending the lives of people with pharmacy. There is also no requirement to sufferings which are part of life. Dying with the efforts of a large fundraising staff, non-terminal conditions.” (USCCB, To notify a family member or emergency con- true dignity means accepting and embrac- raising money and awareness through Live Each Day with Dignity: A Statement on tact for a person taking their own life. ing the suffering of a terminal illness and wealthy and committed donors like George Physician-Assisted Suicide) Imagine the trauma the family would face the death which ensues, no matter how pro- Soros. In the case of doctor-assisted suicide, the in such a situation. longed the process may be. True death with Are we headed there too? Last Decem- “dignity” of the terminally ill is ultimately There are many other reasons why dignity does not “opt” out of life — it fear- ber an article in the Rapid City Journal stripped away because the dignity of the doctor-prescribed suicide is not good for lessly charges on as it recognizes the revealed that in November 2018 the people sick person is placed purely on a subjective this country, the State of South Dakota and immense power of redemptive suffering and of the State of South Dakota could find a level. This can easily lead down a slippery for families — too many to lay out in this affirms the value of each human being who ballot measure on doctor-prescribed suicide slope when subjectivity determines the article.