In Case You Have Not Heard Yet

***An outrageous proposal is making it's way through Connecticut's legislature. It would take away the Church's ability to self-govern. We MUST stand up and fight this. It is not time to stand on the sidelines, this is a direct frontal assault on the first amendment rights of the Church. Here are the basics:

The bill would replace an existing law that defines Catholic churches and congregations as nonprofit corporations operated by a five-member board of three clergy and two laypeople. Instead, the board would be made up of seven to 13 laypeople elected by parishioners. The pastor would not be a member of the board and the bishop would serve as an ex officio nonvoting member.

"This is contrary to the apostolic nature of the Catholic Church because it disconnects parishes from their pastors and bishop," Archbishop Mansell said. "Parishes would be run by boards from which pastors and the archbishop would be effectively excluded."

Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., also delivered a harsh rebuke in a statement read at Masses in his diocese. He echoed Archbishop Mansell's words, and added, "This bill, moreover, is a thinly-veiled attempt to silence the Catholic Church on the important issues of the day, such as same-sex marriage."

There are some that think Voice of the Faithful are behind this strategy.

**Even if the Vatican isn't good at communications using new media, at least they are studying it.

**More Americans than ever claim to have no religion. Not surprising. The one thing I did find surprising is this - "Researchers found that 18 percent of Catholics consider themselves born-again or evangelical,". I find it pleasantly surprising, because I believe it means that more Catholics identify with a deep conversion experience or with the call to evanglize.

**You are now paying for research on fetal stem cells harvested from very small babies.