Social Justice – Pennsylvania Catholic Conference https://www.pacatholic.org Pennsylvania Catholic Conference Fri, 05 Jan 2024 17:16:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.pacatholic.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/cropped-IMG_5454-1-32x32.jpg Social Justice – Pennsylvania Catholic Conference https://www.pacatholic.org 32 32 PA Sen. Maria Collett Works Across the Aisle to Get Passage of Human Trafficking Bills https://www.pacatholic.org/pa-sen-maria-collett-works-across-the-aisle-to-get-passage-of-human-trafficking-bills/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pa-sen-maria-collett-works-across-the-aisle-to-get-passage-of-human-trafficking-bills Fri, 05 Jan 2024 17:16:05 +0000 https://www.pacatholic.org/?p=12583 We talked with PA Senator Maria Collett about two bills to combat human trafficking. The PCC supports these measures.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Kt42YCggWSg8cSfu/?mibextid=WC7FNe

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/81hHpExotYkCzhXr/?mibextid=WC7FNe

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/pwQ7FQ6FNsH9toZA/?mibextid=WC7FNe

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/drx1X9Wqukp77EwZ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

 

]]> Talking With Christine Commerce from the Alliance to End Human Trafficking. https://www.pacatholic.org/talking-with-christine-commerce-from-the-alliance-to-end-human-trafficking/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=talking-with-christine-commerce-from-the-alliance-to-end-human-trafficking Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:50:47 +0000 https://www.pacatholic.org/?p=12574 As part of the PCC’s efforts on human trafficking, we’re talking with advocates and lawmakers about what is being done to address the issue. Today I’m sharing a series of sound bites from an interview I did with Christine Commerce from the Alliance to End Human Trafficking.

https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1736783868848492574?s=20

 

https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1736796871337599054?s=20

 

https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1736818153110307184?s=20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]> Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack Talks About the Efforts on Human Trafficking.  https://www.pacatholic.org/cumberland-county-district-attorney-sean-mccormack-about-the-efforts-on-human-trafficking/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cumberland-county-district-attorney-sean-mccormack-about-the-efforts-on-human-trafficking Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:25:22 +0000 https://www.pacatholic.org/?p=12567 We talk with Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack about the efforts to fight human trafficking.

https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732753579746685324?s=20

 

https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732765713054470239?s=20

 

https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732766219596435926?s=20

 

https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732775470393889221?s=20

Facebook

? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/hieNMkimGABgrjaS/?mibextid=d6eG65

 

? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/5pnu4uYDr4DXCvJc/?mibextid=d6eG65

 

? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/qH2GGUt8zv8SKdX3/?mibextid=d6eG65

 

 

 

 

]]> Maternal & Early Childhood Series: Adoption Challenges in PA https://www.pacatholic.org/maternal-early-childhood-series-adoption-challenges-in-pa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=maternal-early-childhood-series-adoption-challenges-in-pa Mon, 07 Mar 2022 16:45:12 +0000 https://www.pacatholic.org/?p=12009 The 4th installment of our series on Maternal and Early Childhood Issues looks at the role the Wolf Administration has played in curtailing Catholic adoption efforts in Pennsylvania.

https://fb.watch/bBXX1F6m97/

A woman we’ll call Kelly talked with me about her adoption a number of years ago through Catholic charities. She learned details of what happened as she got older. Kelly says it could have worked out any better.

Kelly’s story was a familiar one for decades, but one that is happening less and less in many states across the country, as officials have placed restrictions on adoption agencies that contradict their long-held beliefs.

Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf several years ago joined Democratic governors in other states to require adoption agencies to place children with same-sex parents in order to get funding. That requirement by Governor Wolf would be in direct contrast with the long-standing Catholic belief that a marriage is between a man and a woman. It is that parental combination, Catholics believe, that is the best way to raise a child.

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference appealed to the Wolf Administration for a religious exemption. It was denied in 2018, basically causing most adoption efforts by Catholic organizations in PA to grind to a halt. Similar regulations have been shutting down Catholic adoption agencies across the U.S. ever since Boston Catholic Charities did so in 2006.

The efforts by the PCC to remove this burden continued on both the state and federal level. We sent an appeal to the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington to grant us a religious exemption. We worked closely with U.S. Congressman Mike Kelly on getting federal relief. A number of state senators sent a letter to President Trump asking him to provide relief for our efforts.

We’re hoping that a recent Supreme Court ruling involving foster care services by Catholic Charities in Philadelphia. Fulton vs. the City of Philadelphia started when the city said it would no longer contract with Catholic Social Services because CSS would not certify same-sex couples to be foster parents In response, two foster mothers—Sharonell Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch—and the CSS sued the city, arguing that severing the contract violated their religious freedom. Fulton and Simms-Busch, the mothers who are plaintiffs, claim it was their Catholic faith that inspired them to be foster mothers.After losing in two lower courts, they petitioned the Supreme Court, which first agreed to hear the case in February 2020.

Over a year later  the Court ruled that the city’s refusal due to the agency’s same-sex couple policy violated the Free Exercise Clause. Great news and a big win for religious liberty.

The PCC is hoping the principal will carry over into adoptions, but the damage may have already been done.

In 2019 the Diocese of Greensburg closed its adoption and foster care program after 65 years because of the decision by the Wolf Administration. Adoptions were halted by Catholic agencies in other parts of the state.  Will the adoption work done by these organizations ever return to what it once was? We can only hope and pray.

]]> Human Trafficking Series, Part 4–What Are Lawmakers Doing? https://www.pacatholic.org/human-trafficking-series-part-4-what-have-lawmakers-done/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=human-trafficking-series-part-4-what-have-lawmakers-done Fri, 10 Sep 2021 14:42:36 +0000 https://www.pacatholic.org/?p=11669 The 4th and final part of our series on human trafficking explains what lawmakers and the PCC have been doing to help solve the problem.

https://fb.watch/7X9-8f1Bdi/

]]> PCC Podcast, Thursday 8-5-21 https://www.pacatholic.org/pcc-podcast-thursday-8-5-21/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pcc-podcast-thursday-8-5-21 Thu, 05 Aug 2021 19:49:09 +0000 https://www.pacatholic.org/?p=11599 Today’s PCC Podcast features a review of yesterday’s PA House Committee meeting on the bill to prevent biological males from participating as females in sports across our state. We also have the first two installments of “Capitol Insight. “
https://fb.watch/7b_n1kgQBS/

 

]]> This Week at the PA Capitol https://www.pacatholic.org/this-week-at-the-pa-capitol-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=this-week-at-the-pa-capitol-3 Fri, 28 May 2021 12:44:36 +0000 https://www.pacatholic.org/?p=11403 Both the House and Senate were in session this week in Harrisburg. The PA Catholic Conference saw a number of bills passed that we support. That included–in the House– a package of 8 bills to combat human trafficking and a bill to assure that clergy members would not be prevented from visiting long-term care facilities during any future government emergencies.  There were also 3 pro-life bills that passed the House Health Committee.

Here are the postings that we made this week as these events occurred.

BEST PART OF THE WEEK HERE!!

 

 

 

 

]]> PA House Judiciary Committee Passes Human Trafficking bills https://www.pacatholic.org/pa-house-judiciary-committee-passes-human-trafficking-bills/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pa-house-judiciary-committee-passes-human-trafficking-bills Wed, 21 Apr 2021 16:27:54 +0000 https://www.pacatholic.org/?p=11323 The PA House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday passed 8 bills designed to combat human trafficking. Here are highlights as we shared them on Twitter. The PCC has long supported such legislation.

 

 

 

 

 

]]> Please watch!! ABC 27 talks of PA woman’s efforts to strengthen penalties for those who encourage others to commit suicide; PCC has worked on this bill as well https://www.pacatholic.org/please-watch-abc-27-talks-of-pa-womans-efforts-to-strengthen-penalties-for-those-who-encourage-others-to-commit-suicide-pcc-has-worked-on-this-bill-as-well/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=please-watch-abc-27-talks-of-pa-womans-efforts-to-strengthen-penalties-for-those-who-encourage-others-to-commit-suicide-pcc-has-worked-on-this-bill-as-well Fri, 05 Mar 2021 15:55:06 +0000 https://www.pacatholic.org/?p=11278 https://www.abc27.com/investigators/shawns-law-york-county-mom-fights-for-tougher-penalties-against-those-who-encourage-others-to-take-their-own-life/?fbclid=IwAR2vuraueQvuG0cAOXMuLd8uw9zWUIqA4Kbvm61m3x4aE_UIOM1ewT_WBfU

]]> PCC 2020 REVIEW–Social Issues https://www.pacatholic.org/pcc-2020-review-social-issues/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pcc-2020-review-social-issues Wed, 06 Jan 2021 15:42:11 +0000 https://www.pacatholic.org/?p=11205 https://www.facebook.com/200466826663482/posts/3695679180475545/

]]>