The U.S. Catholic bishops have launched a pastoral strategy addressing critical life, marriage and religious liberty concerns. The five-part strategy or call to prayer was approved by the bishops in November and is set to begin after Christmas. The overall focus is to invite Catholics to pray for rebuilding a culture favorable to life\u00a0and marriage and for increased protections of religious liberty.<\/p>\n
Campaign components include monthly Eucharistic holy hours in cathedrals and parishes, daily family rosary, special Prayers of the Faithful at all Masses, fasting and abstinence on Fridays, and the second observance of a Fortnight for Freedom.<\/p>\n
The call to prayer is prompted by the rapid social movements and policy changes currently underway, such as the mandate by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that coerces employers, including heads of religious agencies, to pay for sterilizations, abortion-inducing drugs and contraceptives, as well as increased efforts to redefine marriage.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pastoral strategy is essentially a call and encouragement to prayer and sacrifice\u2014it\u2019s meant to be simple,\u201d said Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the bishops\u2019 Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. \u201cIt\u2019s not meant to be another program but rather part of a movement for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty, which engages the New Evangelization and can be incorporated into the Year of Faith. Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty are not only foundational to Catholic social teaching but also fundamental to the good of society,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Details of the strategy follow:<\/p>\n
1.Starting with the Sunday after Christmas (Feast of the Holy Family) and continuing on or near the last Sunday of every month through Christ the King Sunday, November 2013, cathedrals and parishes are encouraged to hold a\u00a0Eucharistic Holy Hour for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty<\/strong>.<\/p>\n2.Families and individuals are encouraged to pray\u00a0a daily Rosary<\/strong>, especially for the preservation of Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty in the nation.<\/p>\n3.At Sunday and daily Masses, it is encouraged that the\u00a0Prayers of the Faithful\u00a0<\/strong>include specific intentions for respect for all human life from conception to natural death, the strengthening of marriage and family life, and the preservation of religious libertyat all levels of government, both at home and abroad.<\/p>\n4.Abstinence<\/strong>\u00a0from meat and\u00a0fasting<\/strong>\u00a0on Fridays are encouraged for the intention of the protection of Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty, recognizing the importance of spiritual and bodily sacrifice in the life of the Church.<\/p>\n5.The celebration of a second\u00a0Fortnight for Freedom<\/strong>\u00a0at the end of June and the beginning of July 2013 is being planned. This Fortnight would emphasize faith and marriage in a particular way in the face of the potential Supreme Court rulings during this time.\u00a0The Fortnight would also emphasize the need for conscience protection in light of the August 1, 2013 deadline for religious organizations to comply with the HHS mandate, as well as religious freedom concerns in other areas, such as immigration, adoption, and humanitarian services.<\/p>\nA website with resources from the USCCB is available at:\u00a0www.usccb.org\/life-marriage-liberty<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t throw away those foam fingers yet. \u00a0From the USCCB website:\u00a0 The U.S. Catholic bishops have launched a pastoral strategy addressing critical life, marriage and religious liberty concerns. The five-part strategy or call to prayer was approved by the bishops in November and is set to begin after Christmas. The overall focus is to invite […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,40,45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bishops","category-prayer","category-ripped-from-the-headlines"],"yoast_head":"\n
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