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Washington D.C., Nov 22, 2016 / 03:14 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Specific pro-life policies are missing from President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda for his first 100 days in office, yet pro-life groups are nevertheless hopeful about the future of his administration.

Despite the omission, Trump did include “two major pro-life issues,” said Tom McClusky, vice president of Government Affairs of March for Life Action: “nominating a Supreme Court Justice and repealing Obamacare.”

“It is troubling that other pro-life policies are absent from the Trump administration's current list of priorities in the first 100 days; however, personnel is policy,” McClusky told CNA Nov. 22.

In his view, Trump's appointments to his transition team and staff are helping create “one of the most pro-life administrations since President Reagan.”

For instance, Trump has named Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to be his attorney general and Reince Priebus to be his White House chief of staff – two figures who have drawn praise from pro-life groups like National Right to Life and the Susan B. Anthony List.

In Trump’s “Contract With the American Voter,” where he laid out his agenda for the first 100 days of his presidency, he promised action in the areas of trade, immigration, and the economy. Notably missing, however, were any specific pro-life policy proposals.

Moreover, he has not said if he will reinstate the Mexico City Policy, something that recent presidents have either overturned or reinstated in their first days in office. This policy, begun by President Reagan, bans U.S. foreign aid from going to non-governmental organizations that promote abortions.

President Clinton overturned the policy during his first days in office, President George W. Bush reinstated it right after he entered the White House, and President Obama again overturned it at the beginning of his first term.

Upholding or opposing the policy at the beginning of a president’s time in office is a predictor of how his administration will treat the abortion issue, but the policy is absent from Trump's written agenda.

Trump had promised earlier during the campaign to support pro-life legislation like a late-term abortion ban; to defund Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider; and to uphold the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funds, largely through the HHS department, from going toward most abortions. He also had created a “Pro-Life Coalition” headed by the president of the Susan B. Anthony List, Marjorie Dannenfelser.

And Trump's desire to reform or repeal the Affordable Care Act is seen by some as an important measure to fight abortion.

“Obamacare was the largest expansion of abortion since Roe and Doe – so repealing Obamacare is no small feat,” McClusky explained.

Pro-life groups had opposed the passage of the health care law in 2010 because they claimed it would fund elective abortions.

In 2014, a government investigation found that federal dollars were probably funding elective abortions. In many cases the oversight mechanisms set up to ensure that abortion coverage was paid for separately from federal subsidies were not being followed.

Also, in several states, all health plans on those exchanges included abortion coverage, violating the law that a plan free of abortion coverage be offered to those who could not pay conscientiously for coverage that included abortions.

In his 100 days agenda, Trump also claimed he would undo “every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama.”

Whether this would include the repeal of any pro-abortion executive actions – like Obama’s undoing of conscience protections for health care workers or his repeal of the Mexico City policy – is unclear.

Regarding the appointment of a Supreme Court justice, Trump has in the past promised to appoint a pro-life justice, although in the final presidential debate he would not say if he wanted the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling which decided a woman’s right to an abortion.

Yet pro-life groups remain optimistic for the near future.

On the day after the recent presidential election, Dannenfelser called Trump and his pro-life running mate Mike Pence’s victory “an historic moment for the pro-life movement.”

“We are poised to make the biggest executive, legislative, and judicial advances for the protection of unborn children and their mothers since Roe v. Wade was decided,” she said Nov. 9, noting the goals of “ending painful late-term abortions, codifying the Hyde Amendment, defunding Planned Parenthood, and appointing pro-life Supreme Court Justices.”

“Donald Trump has committed to every single one of these goals,” she said.

McClusky maintained that “It is too early to tell exactly how this will all turn out, but there is great hope amidst the pro-life community for the future. And in the meantime, we will continue to watch the other nominations closely, especially to Secretary of State and HHS.”

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Seattle, Wash., Nov 22, 2016 / 04:50 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The stories of poor people – and the need for Christians to help them – are the focus of the Washington state bishops’ newest pastoral letter.

 
“When we stop and look into the face of poverty, we recognize that ‘the poor’ are not strangers. They are our sisters and brothers, members of our human family,” the state’s bishops said in their Nov. 17 pastoral letter.

“Hunger, homelessness, illness and broken dreams shatter the bonds of community that hold us together, bonds that contribute to civic peace and stability,” the bishops added. “As people of faith, our relationship with God brings us into relationship with every other person, and the needs of others call us to share the gift of love we have received from our loving and merciful Father.”

The pastoral letter “Who is My Neighbor? The Face of Poverty in Washington State” reviews the stories of people in poverty, recounts Christian teaching on the need to help the poor, and considers the role of individuals, private institutions, and government in fighting poverty.

“Poverty has a face, and it also has a voice. But that voice often does not penetrate the wall of fear, misconception and prejudice that can separate people who are poor from those of us who have what we need,” the bishops said. “The voice of poverty can be drowned out or ignored in the halls of government, where other legitimate demands for resources also resound.”

The Washington state bishops recounted the story of Linda, from the Diocese of Yakima, who is out of work and raising a family. She also suffers stage four cancer and has limited health care access.

“But Linda is a fighter who has overcome drug addiction and homelessness, and now she’s helping raise her grandchildren,” the bishops’ letter said.

And Karla left her abusive husband with her toddler-aged daughter, now 11. She is raising four children in all, but they are homeless and often sleep in their car.

“She used to sell her blood to buy food; and once, when one of the children was sick, she had no money for medicine and stole some Tylenol,” the letter said. “As a result, Karla has a police record and worries that no one will hire her and wonders what kind of a future her children will have.”

Sophia, an immigrant farmworker, relied on home remedies and over-the-counter drugs to treat a serious illness that hospitalized her. With no insurance, she faces a $14,000 medical bill she could not pay.

Jonathan, from the Archdiocese of Seattle, grew up in a middle-class home, had a good job and an education. He suffered from depression and began to abuse drugs and alcohol. He lost his job of 11 years, became sober, but then lost his housing after he began to use drugs again. His family disowned him and he found himself homeless.

“I couldn’t understand how someone who came from where I came from could be homeless,” he told the bishops.

For the Washington bishops, these stories require reflection and action.

“Our listening sessions convinced us that the plight of those living in poverty in our state is reaching crisis proportions. At the same time, we grew in awareness that providing just a little help can make a big difference,” they said.

“We heard in the voices of people who are poor both a plea for mercy and a desire to participate fully in the life of their communities,” their letter continued. “Reflecting on what we heard, we recognize the urgent need for action to alleviate the suffering that has become epidemic in every city, town and community in our state.”

“In our conversations, we learned the sad truth that many simply accept insecurity and suffering as an inevitable condition of daily life,” the bishops continued. Many of those who suffer sever poverty also strongly desire to help others experiencing similar problems.

“If we believe the faith we profess, how are we to respond to so many of our neighbors who do not share the benefits of our state’s economic wealth?” the bishops asked.

They noted the various complex social and economic factors affecting people in poverty. To address hunger, homelessness, and chronic unemployment, they said, Catholics must form their consciences well and then “take direct action that demonstrates concern for our sisters and brothers.”

“Jesus assures the least among us, whom he counts among those who are blessed, that the kingdom of God is theirs. And he assures us, as he assured the rich official, that when we share with them, we will have treasure in heaven,” the bishops continued.

Christ calls people into a relationship with their neighbor, which is “a much greater challenge” than simply solving a problem.

“The dignity of human life, the common good and solidarity are more than mere words and phrases. They are the foundation stones of our values and actions as faithful Catholic citizens,” the bishops continued. “When we acknowledge the inherent dignity of the human person, we definitively answer the question ‘Who is my neighbor?’ with one word: Everyone.”

Actions for the common good must recognize everyone’s right to life, to work, to basic health services, and to basic education.
 
“Solidarity with our neighbor begins with listening and leads to action,” they said. “Acting as sisters and brothers to those who are poor and marginalized, we journey with them as they seek solutions to their problems, address their challenges and take their rightful place in our communities.”

Scripture and Catholic social teaching, which affirms public officials’ authority in pursuing the common good, can help guide advocacy, the bishops said.

“Some things are best addressed by individuals, families, churches and charities; but when problems such as homelessness, hunger, drug addiction and mental illness are common to every community, it is a just and reasonable expectation that society will act cooperatively to address these problems,” the bishops continued.

Their listening sessions repeatedly heard of the need to ensure basic health care access, as well as the need for decent wages and educational opportunity.

These needs require initiative from public entities, the bishops said,

They voiced gratitude for services and programs to help those living in poverty, but they lamented that these are among the first to face budget cuts in times of revenue shortfall.

For Catholics, justice means “a special concern for people who are poor” and for the imperative to secure economic justice.

The bishops have created study materials for parishes and individual Catholics to help them confront poverty in Washington state and to explore “ways we can act as a community of faith to alleviate suffering and advocate for change.”

“Pray for those living in poverty. Pray for the individuals and organizations who reach out in charity to the hungry, the homeless and all who lack basic necessities and are denied full participation in society,” their letter encouraged Catholics. “Pray for those who advocate to break the cycle of poverty. Pray for our public officials, who bear the daunting task of establishing true economic justice for the citizens of our state.”

“It is our hope that through prayer we will be inspired by God to act in solidarity with our neighbors who do not share fully in the blessings of life,” the Washington bishops said.

Their letter closed with a prayer asking that God “open our eyes to see those living in poverty as you see them.”

“Embolden us through your Holy Spirit to seek genuine encounters with our neighbors in need. Inspire us to act as a community of faith to alleviate poverty and advocate for change that strengthens the human family.”

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IMAGE: CNS photo/Carlo Allegri, Reuters

By Rhina Guidos

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- Like many others, the U.S. Catholic bishops are trying to figure out how to deal with a president-elect who's different from anyone they've dealt with in the past and one involved in one of the most rancorous elections in modern times.

As a candidate, Republican Donald Trump, said some things that proved hurtful and worrisome to groups of Latino and black Catholics, but also gave hope to Catholics concerned about religious freedom and abortion.

At the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore in mid-November, church leaders tried to urge calm, caution and promote unity following an election season fueled by vitriol, name-calling and fear.

"The dust hasn't settled on the election yet," said Bishop Christopher J. Coyne of Burlington, Vermont, during a Nov. 14 news conference, adding that as a group of bishops, "we've just begun a conversation about how we're going to move forward."

This election, Bishop Coyne said, "it's so beyond the pale of what we've faced before."

"We knew the lay of the land when we approached a Democratic presidency or a Republican presidency, you'd go into Congress and approach them in (certain) ways," he said. "This election has thrown all that out the window."

"I think we need to talk about how we as bishops maintain the good news, maintain the things that we stand for as Catholics, seeking always the common good, in ways that serve the best way forward for all of us," he said.

At the fall general meeting, bishops were peppered with questions about how they'll work with or approach a Trump administration that made promises to anti-abortion Catholic constituencies yet insulted ethnic groups and threatened mass deportations, which some bishops have publicly opposed.

In a Nov. 15 news conference, Jesuit Father Thomas Reese asked Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, who had just been elected president of the conference, whether, as USCCB president, he saw opportunities for dealing with a new Trump administration on pro-life issues and religious freedom issues, such as the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act.

"I have to admit at this point I'm not sure where the new administration is coming from," he said."My hope would be that we can sit down with the administration or meet with them in some fashion, perhaps even in terms of Congress, relative to some pro-life things. I would certainly think some aspects of the Affordable Care Act would be great if we could sit down and see them worked out, relative to, let's say, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and analogous things."

The Little Sisters of the Poor have been in the forefront of several Catholic entities fighting a mandate that would require them as employers to cover contraceptives in their employee health plans over their moral objections to such coverage.

Cardinal DiNardo added: "We would like to see the Hyde Amendment extended, as it has always been every year and not with the difficulties that were apparently attached earlier this year to its passage ... appointments of judges are important." The Hyde Amendment prevents federal funds from being used to pay for abortion except in cases of rape or to save the life of the mother.

The day before, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta, addressing a question about Trump's campaign promise to repeal the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits certain tax-exempt organizations from endorsing and opposing political candidates, said there was an important distinction to make.

"There's a big difference between political promises and political action," he said. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."

What concerns him most, said Archbishop Gregory, is finding a peaceful way forward, not just for Catholics divided over the elections, but for the nation.

"One of the things we're grappling with now is not just bringing Catholics together, but bringing America together," he said. "We, in the life of the church, are united by our faith, by our religious conviction in liturgical life. This past election was so unusual in its hostility that it lay the foundation for this kind of unusual reaction."

In any election, he said, there are winners and losers, but when the climate has been so inflamed, there were bound to be protests, no matter who won "because of the animus that marked the entire election," he said.

"I would hope that we, as Catholics, no matter who you voted for, or (where you) are in the political spectrum, would be able to come together in Eucharist and say, 'There is one Lord, there is one Eucharist, there is one church, and it's big enough to embrace all of us,'" said Archbishop Gregory. "I am more worried about the nature of our society that seems to have taken in such violence and venom. ... If we're going to survive as a nation, we have to treat one another much more civilly."

He also issued a reminder that no political party or political candidate embraces the full range of human life issues that the Catholic Church teaches.

"I've looked and I can't find any," he said. "There has been no political platform that has been proposed that coincides perfectly with Catholic Social Teaching on the dignity of human life ... That's why it was so difficult for people to vote ... (there was) some dimension of human dignity and the respect of life on one political party, and another part on another. But there no one cohesive expression of Catholic Social Teaching can be identified with any political party."

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Follow Guidos on Twitter: @CNS_Rhina.

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