Welcome to the Catholic Public Affairs Action page. You can now get updated information on critical legislative matters under review at the State House, in Congress, or in municipalities. More importantly, this site will give you the opportunity to speak out and express your concerns to your representative through interactive links to elected officials. You should come back and check for new and updated information often since the site will be renewed whenever the situation so warrants.

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Thank you for visiting our site and for your interest in learning more and speaking out on issues of concern to all citizens of Maine.

PUBLIC HEARING ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL

NEW DATE & LOCATION

Augusta Civic Center
April 22 at 9 a.m.

Members of the Judiciary Committee will hear testimony both against and in support of LD #1020, “An Act to End Marriage Discrimination in Civil Marriage and Affirm Religious Freedom," on April 22 at 9 a.m. at the Augusta Civic Center. The date and location were changed in anticipation of a large crowd.

Bishop Richard Malone will be among those testifying and urging legislators to VOTE NO. We need all Catholics, who are available, to come and support our Bishop in his efforts to STOP the passage of this bill and preserve marriage.

There will be a bus leaving from Portland (Marginal Way at 7:15 a.m.). Cost is $15.00 per person. If you are interested in reserving a seat on the bus, please contact Cathedral parishioner Carolyn Gilman at 207-894-5063 or email cgilman@maine.rr.com.

If you want to help preserve Traditional Marriage in Maine, please be sure to attend!

Please, also, Contact your Lawmakers! / Click Here

Act now to make your position known on the Same-Sex Marriage Bill!

Your call or E mail to your Representative and Senator NOW will make all the difference. This is an extremely important issue that will have lasting negative consequences for families and society unless we stand up for the protection of marriage before it is too late.

Go to www.mainemarriageinitiative.com today and use the convenient format for identifying and notifying your elected officials.

Bishops "Gravely Concerned" over Threat to Conscience Rights of Health Care Providers

Deirdre McQuade, spokesperson on abortion and related issues at the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops, commented today on reports that the Obama administration is moving to rescind a federal regulation that implements longstanding federal statutes protecting conscience rights in the health care profession.

“We are gravely concerned over today’s news that the Obama administration may rescind the current federal regulation protecting the conscience rights of health care providers,” McQuade said. “Efforts to nullify or weaken any conscience protection will undermine our national heritage of diversity and religious freedom, reduce patients’ access to life-affirming health care, and endanger the national consensus required to enact much-needed health care reform.”

“The Administration says it will open a new 30-day comment period so Americans may voice their concerns. We encourage participation in this process by all committed to the sanctity of human life, the freedom of conscience, and the ethical integrity of our healing professions,” she added.

The USCCB issued a statement last August welcoming the proposed regulation when it was first released for public comment by the Bush administration (www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2008/08-118.shtml).

Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chair of the bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities, also wrote to Congress urging respect for conscience protection measures (www.usccb.org/prolife/rigali-conscience071808.pdf).

Formal comments on the proposal were later submitted by the USCCB Office of General Counsel(www.usccb.org/ogc/ruleind.shtml), and the Conference welcomed issuance of the final rule in December (www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2008/08-203.shtml).

Fight FOCA

We are facing the most serious threat to pro-life policies ever -- the "Freedom of Choice Act" or FOCA. This bill would create a right to abortion the government could not limit and would bring about a national abortion policy far worse than the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. For the first time, abortion would become an entitlement the government must fund and promote. [More]

Campaign For Human Development Guidelines Amended

Bishop Richard Malone recently announced that he has approved amendments to the eligibility criteria for local funding from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). The diocesan CCHD Committee recommended that the eligibility criteria be applied to the entire organization and not only to the specific projects requesting funds. [More]