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Death Penalty Resources for Communities of Faith January 16th, 2014
At the start of the New Year, we would like to remind everyone of the excellent free educational resources on the death penalty available from the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty (CMN). The ready-for-use resources on the death penalty are helpful for anyone interested in learning more about the faith response to the death penalty.
CMN materials are available on the website and are downloadable. Many of these resources are also available in Spanish.
Learn more about the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty:
The Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty (CMN) is a lay ministry of the institutional U.S. Catholic Church that educates Catholics to seek a faithful response to crime, with a focus on abolishing the death penalty in the U.S. and promoting restorative justice. CMN works as a national lay collaborative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and state Catholic conferences. CMN has since developed partnerships with Catholic lay leaders, diocesan staff and secular organizations in the movement.
More information is available elsewhere on our website.
Understanding Fracking: Catholic News Service series January 6th, 2014
Dennis Sadowski, staff writer for Catholic News Service, has completed a series of articles on hydraulic fracking from a faith-based perspective. “It was a complicated issue to examine,” he informed Catholic Rural Life. Nevertheless, Sadowski provides a clear overview of this controversial energy source while blending in environmental justice teachings of the Church.
The Oblate JPIC Office has been engaging oil and gas companies on social and environmental issues related to fracking.
Thanks to National Catholic Rural Life for this information.
Pope Francis Issues World Day of Peace Message January 6th, 2014
“Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace” is the 2014 message of Pope Francis, which is also his first for the annual World Day of Peace, Jan. 1.
In the Peace message, Pope Francis offers his best wishes for a life filled with joy and hope. “In the heart of every man and woman is the desire for a full life,” he says, “including that irrepressible longing for fraternity which draws us to fellowship with others and enables us to see them not as enemies or rivals, but as brothers and sisters to be accepted and embraced.”
Read the Pope’s Message (Open PDF)
VIVAT International Newsletter Available January 6th, 2014
Contents include:
- World Food Day
- 2014 Year of Family Farming
- Land Grabbing and Mining
- Executives at the Vatican
- Voices in Brazil
- Right to Water
- Typhoon Haiyan
- Rights of Dalits
- VIVAT Workshop West Africa
- Longing for Peace
National Migration Week: January 5-11, 2014 January 4th, 2014
Here are the Days of Action associated with National Migration Week:
- January 7: Send electronic Post Card to the House of Representatives.
- January 8: Call In Day to support reform.
- January 9: Social Media Day for immigration reform.
See below for links to help with your actions.
Materials for National Migration Week:
USCCB News Release on National Migration Week 2014 | En Español
Advocacy activities you are urged to do during the week:
- Tuesday, Jan. 7 – Send a JFI e-postcard for the national electronic advocacy day.
- Wednesday, Jan. 8 – Participate in the JFI National Call-In Day to Congress.
- Use the toll free number, 1-855-589-5698, to call your Representative and ask them to “Support a path to citizenship and oppose the SAFE Act.”
- Thursday, Jan. 9 – Post on Facebook, Tweet, and re-Tweet your support for immigrants during the JFI National Social Media Day.
National Migration Week information sheet (PDF) This includes other other advocacy activities you can do:
Find out more at the USCCB/MRS´National Migration Week homepage.
