Editorials

Democrats in the House of Repre­sentatives last week continued their assault on life in the womb by advancing a new spending bill for the Depart­ment of Health and Human Ser­vices without the Hyde Amendment, and other longstanding, bipartisan provisions including the Weldon Amendment. Eliminating these provisions would force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions and force health care providers and professionals to perform and refer for abortion against their deeply held religious beliefs, as well as force employers and insurers to cover and pay for abortion.

As the grandfather of six — Grace Elizabeth, Mitchell Allan, Jacob Andrew, Ryan William, Julia Rose and Luke Andrew — I am looking forward to the Catholic Church’s first celebration of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on Sunday, July 25, the closest Sunday to the feast day (July 26) of Ss. Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.

Last month at their spring meeting, the U.S. bishops voted decisively to approve the drafting of a teaching document on the Eucharist that in a proposed outline includes a subsection on Eucharistic consistency. The bishops’ doctrine committee, said it would include a “special call for those Catholics who are cultural, political, or parochial leaders to witness to the faith” and uphold Church teaching in public life.

In the days leading up to Religious Freedom Week June 22–29, the U.S. Supreme Court made the celebration of the week even more important. With its unanimous 9–0 decision in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, it defended our religious freedom. In 2018, Philadelphia ceased placing children with foster parents that partner with Catholic Social Services demanding that the agency change its religious practices (the belief in traditional marriage as between one man and one woman) or close their much-needed ministry.

This issue features The Beacon’s annual salute to graduates of our Catholic elementary and high schools. If you read the valedictorians’ addresses, a common theme is the freedom that these young men and women have to praise God for all of their and their classmates’ accomplishments and how much being disciples of Jesus has meant in their lives because of their Catholic education.