A new Archbishop for Detroit

 

Pope Francis appoints Tucson Bishop Weisenburger as new archbishop of Detroit

Pope Francis on Feb. 11, 2025, named Bishop Edward Weisenburger of Tucson, Arizona, as the new archbishop of Detroit. | Credit: Archdiocese of Detroit

By Daniel Payne

CNA Staff, Feb 11, 2025

Pope Francis on Tuesday appointed Tucson Bishop Edward Weisenburger as the new archbishop of Detroit, accepting the resignation of current Archbishop Allen Vigneron. 

Vigneron, who has led the Michigan archdiocese since 2009, had submitted his resignation in October 2023 upon turning 75 as required by canon law. In a Tuesday statement he “extend[ed] to Archbishop-elect Weisenburger a heartfelt welcome to his new home.” 

“I offer the assurance of our prayerful support as he comes here to take up the mission being given to him by our Holy Father Pope Francis,” Vigneron said. 

Weisenburger, meanwhile, said he was “humbled to be called to serve such a noble Church,” describing the Detroit Archdiocese as “steeped in rich history, vibrant ministries, and known for a committed clergy with a great passion for evangelization.”

“Despite the challenge of leaving my happy home in the Diocese of Tucson, I promise the good people of the Archdiocese of Detroit my all,” the archbishop-elect said. 

Weisenburger was born in Illinois on Dec. 23, 1960. He attended Conception Seminary College in Missouri and graduated in 1983, after which he studied at the American College Seminary at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, earning degrees in theology, religious studies, and moral and religious sciences. 

After being ordained to the priesthood in 1987 in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Weisenburger attended the University of St. Paul in Ottawa, Canada, graduating with a pontifical licentiate in canon law in 1992. 

He served a variety of roles in the Oklahoma City Archdiocese, including as vice chancellor and on the diocesan tribunal; he also did prison ministry for several years. He also notably served as an on-site chaplain at the site of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. 

He was appointed bishop of Salina, Kansas, by Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 6, 2012, and ordained on May 1 of that year. Pope Francis subsequently appointed him bishop of Tucson on Oct. 3, 2017, where he was installed on Nov. 29 of the same year. 

In addition to his ministries and bishoprics, the archbishop-elect has served at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the migration committee as well as the subcommittee on the Catholic Communication Campaign.

In Detroit, finding a way to reach out to the peripheries

 

New van will help Order of Malta reach Detroit's peripheries with food, kindness

Newly blessed vehicle will deliver clothing, sandwiches to the homeless, transport guests to Malta Dental and Medical Clinic

BIRMINGHAM — Three days a week, men, women and children who can’t get enough to eat make their way to the All Saints Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry on Detroit’s west side, which serves hot meals and offers groceries to those who otherwise can’t afford them.

Some of those families can’t afford medical or dental insurance, either, and many are in dire need of care — often having put off treatment for far too long.

The Malta Dental and Medical and Clinic, a free clinic that’s served low-income Detroiters’ needs since 2004, seeks to address this need, offering vital services free of charge to those without insurance.

The only problem? The soup kitchen is six miles away from the clinic, which operates out of Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan’s Center for the Works of Mercy in Detroit’s Midtown. And if you can't afford food, you likely can't afford a car, either.

To bridge that gap, the local Order of Malta is enlisting the help of a new cargo van, courtesy of Malta Mobile Ministries, which will help transport guests to and from the clinic, as well as serve a host of other needs as the order steps up its efforts to aid Detroiters.

Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron blessed the new van Aug. 14, the vigil of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, during a “Lourdes Experience” gathering of the Order of Malta at Holy Name Parish in Birmingham.

“Like Our Lady, we too have the vocation to carry Christ to other people,” Archbishop Vigneron, a member of the Order of Malta, said during a homily prior to the blessing. “(The analogy) is a little far-fetched, but the van is a little like an Ark of the Covenant. It is a way to carry the compassion of Christ to other people. And the foundation of this is faith.”

Attending the Mass and blessing were Peter Kelly, president of the Order of Malta’s American Association, and Deacon Jeffrey Trexler, the American Association’s executive director.

Malta Mobile Ministries is a separate nonprofit that collaborates with the Order of Malta’s three U.S. associations, said Deacon Trexler, speaking to Detroit Catholic after the blessing. The order’s Western Association began the program several years ago with a fleet of vehicles serving parishes, food pantries and bringing medical and first-aid services to disaster victims, including serving those displaced by the California wildfires.

Three years ago, the Order of Malta’s American Association, which includes Michigan, joined the program with its first van operating in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. A second van was soon added in New Jersey.

“This is our third van,” Deacon Trexler told Detroit Catholic. “Hopefully by next year, we’ll have maybe three more vans on board for different areas of the United States. We have 30 chapters (in the American Association), and they all seem to be interested in this. Hopefully in the next five years, we’ll have a fleet of 30.”

Tom Larabell, president of the Malta Dental and Medical Clinic, said the van will serve a great need in the city of Detroit, transporting low-income residents to and from the clinic, as well as serving other local ministries.

The van will also be used to deliver sandwiches, clothing and boots to the homeless living on Detroit’s streets through the Order of Malta’s “Into the Fire” ministry, which began about 10 years ago through St. Leo’s Soup Kitchen, Larabell said.

"We've got a very active chapter, so our American Association asked us if we would do this," Larabell said. "Our first thought was to pick people up who can't come to the clinic, and we have another ministry, 'Into the Fire,' where we make sandwiches and deliver them on the street, along with clothing in the wintertime."

The van has been retrofitted with shelving, clothing racks and supplies to help the ministry serve in a variety of circumstances. Larabell added the van won’t just serve those living on the streets, but anyone living in the city of Detroit who needs help.

“Recently, we went to visit the Missionaries of Charity sisters on Detroit’s southwest side, and I told the nuns we were looking for places where people hang out,” Larabell said. “We told them we have the medical and dental clinic, and that we only treat people who have no insurance and no money. One of the nuns answered and said, ‘Well, we don’t have insurance. We don’t have money.’ So we’ve even transported the nuns to their appointments.”

Larabell said the Malta Dental and Medical Clinic is working on a service schedule for the van, which has already begun to serve Detroit residents.

In addition to serving those in need, the van — emblazoned with the Order of Malta’s red shield — will help Detroiters more readily recognize the order, which serves many different ministries in the Archdiocese of Detroit, Deacon Trexler said.

“The order isn’t as familiar to people in the United States as it is in Europe,” said Deacon Trexler, who serves in the Diocese of Allentown, Pa. “In Europe, we have hospitals and multiple clinics, orphanages, nursing homes and ambulance services in communities that have nothing. So this is good PR for the order.”

Locally, in addition to the Malta Dental and Medical Clinic and the “Into the Fire” ministry, the order also operates or serves at St. Leo’s Soup Kitchen in Detroit; Angels’ Place, a home for developmentally disabled individuals in Southfield; Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, a local pro-life apostolate; Mary’s Children Family Center in Clawson, which serves those with brain injuries; and the Rose Hill Center in Holly, a comprehensive psychiatric treatment program for adults with serious mental illnesses.

The order each year also sponsors a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, bringing Detroit-area malades — the French word for sick person — to the healing shrines of Our Lady of Lourdes.

“So this van is letting people know that the order exists and we’re here to serve,” Deacon Trexler said. “It’s the charism of our order: to defend the faith and to care for those in need.”

Detroit Archbishop calls for pray, fasting and more as state passes extreme abortion proposal

 

Detroit Archbishop: Catholics must fast, give alms and do penance after Proposal 3 passage

Niraj Warikoo

Detroit Free Press

Catholic leaders in Michigan are calling upon the faithful to fast, pray, give alms and do penance starting later this month following the passage of Proposal 3, the statewide ballot proposal that will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

"We awake today to the news that Proposal 3 has passed, altering our state constitution to allow for unregulated and unsafe abortion on-demand in Michigan," Archbishop of Detroit Allen Vigneron said Wednesday in an email to local Catholics. "We are deeply saddened by this grave assault on the dignity and sanctity of unborn, innocent human life. We grieve for the many women who will continue to be harmed by abortion in our state. ... We grieve for the lives who will be lost because of this unjust and perverse law."

Vigneron called upon Catholics "to make reparations for the great sin of abortion in our midst."

Bishop Earl Boyea of the Lansing Diocese said in a text message: "We can rightly permit ourselves to shed a tear this morning but not lose hope."

With more than 99% of the vote counted, results show 56.7% of voters approved Proposal 3, while 43.3% opposed it.

The despondent mood among some Catholics was a marked change from June when they celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

In recent months, Catholics leaders in Michigan led a range of efforts to defeat Proposal 3, from text messages to services and prayers to door-to-door canvassing. Catholics are the largest religious group in Michigan, but many don't necessarily follow Catholic teachings and support abortion rights. Other Christian denominations and faith groups in Michigan such as Baptists, evangelicals and some Muslims also led efforts to oppose it. On Oct. 30, Protestant churches rallied against the proposal at Bloomfield Hills Baptist Church in Bloomfield Township. There were also some liberal faith leaders who came out in support of the proposal. Jewish leaders were largely supportive of it, holding a rally in June at the biggest synagogue in Michigan in support of abortion rights.

Some faith leaders framed it as a battle for the soul of the state.

More:Catholics in Michigan 'fight like heaven' against abortion ballot proposal

"Abortion is now legal in Michigan at an unprecedented level, and millions of lives are at stake," Vigneron said. "We must pray and ask God for his mercy upon us for allowing this evil to happen in our state. For this reason, I want to invite all the faithful to join me in the first two weeks of Advent, from November 27 to December 9, in doing penance, giving alms, praying, and fasting. We must use these spiritual practices to make reparations for the great sin of abortion in our midst."

Monica Migliorino Miller, a longtime anti-abortion activist in metro Detroit who is director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, said adding to her concerns is that Democrats now are in control of the state House, state Senate and governor's office for the first time in about 40 years.

"Pro-lifers may have been consoled that the Michigan state legislature would achieve a Republican majority, however slim, to blunt the attempts to broaden the killing of the unborn in our state," Miller said in a statement. "Sadly, however, those who champion the legalized killing of the innocent unborn are in power with a Democratic majority and with the re-election of Governor Whitmer."

Miller said one of the reasons her side failed is because it was outspent. More than $42 million was spent overall on both sides as of Oct. 23, with more expected to be spent afterward. Abortion-rights advocates appeared to spend more money, campaign finance records show.

"The advocates of legal abortion certainly outspent the pro-life movement in Michigan — with the majority of their money coming in from out of state to fund the barrage — the seemingly never-ending television ads, YouTube ads and ads on social media," Miller said.

Anti-abortion advocates worry that Michigan will become a magnet for women seeking abortions. Miller said she fears that "new abortion clinics will be set up all long our Ohio, Indiana border."

The passage of Proposal 3 also disappointed some in the Muslim community in Michigan. There are a range of views on abortion among Muslims, as with other religious groups.

Hassan Aoun, of Dearborn, said he was upset with Islamic clerics in metro Detroit for not speaking out against Proposal 3 and for some of them posing for photos with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at the annual Arab American Political Action Committee banquet in Dearborn several days before the election. Aoun has been among protest leaders in recent weeks opposing some books in Dearborn Public Schools they believe are too explicit for children.

Arabic-language flyers circulated online in recent weeks targeting Arab American voters with information that Democrats said was inaccurate and inflammatory. Proposal 3 was approved by voters in Dearborn 59.3% to 40.7%, which was a wider margin than statewide, where 56.7% of voters approved it.

"It's very sad," Aoun said Wednesday. "I reached out to religious leaders, but did not get a response. ... Not one religious leader came out and said, 'Hey man, we shouldn't vote for this.'"

The Michigan Muslim Community Council released a statement in August saying abortion is generally forbidden in Islam, but allowed in certain cases.

Aoun and other conservatives tried to link Proposal 3 to the issue of gender identity, saying it would lead to gender reassignment surgery in children without parental approval, though others said that was misleading. The amendment contains no explicit reference to gender-affirming care or parental consent.

More:Faith and politics intermingle on the campaign trail in Michigan

Moving forward, Vigneron said Catholic leaders will continue their efforts to help women who are pregnant with resources to help them have children.

He said the Archdiocese of Detroit will continue working with Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, its charitable arm; the archdiocese’s Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship Department,; Project Rachel; and Walking with Moms in Need, a ministry that helps provide assistance to pregnant and parenting moms.

Pregnancy centers supported by Catholics and others have drawn criticism from liberals. In September, Whitmer vetoed some budget items that included $1.5 million for pregnancy resource centers supported by conservatives who promote alternatives to abortion. 

Abortion was the big winner in the elections; Catholic leaders vow to keep fighting

 

UPDATE: Catholic leaders vow to continue fight after state abortion measures pass

A Michigan billboard against Proposal 3, a ballot measure to codify a right to an abortion, is seen along I-75 outside of Detroit Nov. 6, 2022. Voters approved the measure in the Nov. 8 midterm election. (CNS photo/Evelyn Hockstein, Reuters)

By: Carol Zimmermann

Date: November 9, 2022

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Although Catholic leaders and state Catholic conferences had pushed for the defeat of ballot measures protecting legal abortion and urged voters to pass measures restricting abortions, state voters ultimately went the other way Nov. 8.

Voters in California, Vermont and Michigan approved abortion protections, while Kentucky and Montana voters rejected abortion restrictions.

These ballot measures were the first time voters faced the opportunity to weigh in on abortion laws since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in June that overturned Roe v. Wade, its 1973 case legalizing abortion nationwide.

Catholic bishops in states where these votes took place expressed disappointment and renewed their commitment to keep up the fight to end abortion and to provide support to women and families in need.

“Abortion is now legal in Michigan at an unprecedented level, and millions of lives are at stake,” wrote Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron in a letter to Catholics posted on the archdiocesan website Nov. 9.

“We awake today to the news that Proposal 3 has passed, altering our state constitution to allow for unregulated and unsafe abortion on demand in Michigan,” he wrote, saying that people of faith are “deeply saddened by this grave assault on the dignity and sanctity of unborn, innocent human life.”

The archbishop called the measure an “unjust and perverse law” and pointed out that in the last several months pro-life advocates in the state had “worked tirelessly to spread the truth about Proposal 3, imploring voters to make an informed decision at the ballot box.”

“I offer my deepfelt gratitude to all who prayed, spread awareness, voted and otherwise worked against this proposal,” he said, “and I share in their sorrow at the outcome.”

He asked Catholics to join him in prayer about this issue and to renew their “commitment to accompanying women and families in need, with greater resolve than ever,” pledging to ” continue our efforts to build a culture of life in which abortion is unthinkable, all families receive the support they need, and the dignity of all people is recognized.”

In October, the Michigan Catholic Conference released a letter to Catholics in the state urging them to reject Proposal 3 and describing the measure as “the most extreme proposal concerning abortion this state or country has ever seen.”

The measure, also known as the Reproductive Freedom for All Amendment, modifies the state’s constitution to remove restrictions on abortion in the state and eliminate other pro-life laws.

“As citizens and pastors in Michigan, we call your attention to an immense threat to the dignity of human life on this November’s ballot,” the bishops wrote, pleading with Catholics to vote against it.

The California Catholic Conference had similarly urged Catholics to vote against that state’s abortion measure called Proposition 1.

On its website, the Catholic conference — which is the public policy arm of the state’s bishops — said the measure “would enshrine the explicit right to abortion in our state constitution, setting a nationwide precedent. It is the most egregious expansion of abortion this country has ever seen.”

It also said the measure was the first time in California when “voters are being asked to vote for unrestricted late-term abortion, ending any real chance for California to protect unborn life in future laws.”

In Vermont, voters passed Article 22, also called the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, to protect “personal reproductive autonomy” for people of any age.

The measure came to the state’s voters after state legislators passed a law in 2019 guaranteeing “reproductive rights.” After the Dobbs decision, the measure’s supporters said the constitutional amendment was needed to provide more protections for abortion.

In September, Bishop Christopher J. Coyne of Burlington, Vermont, wrote to Catholics in the state urging them to vote against the abortion measure and instead to promote laws and policies that “directly confront the reasons why people choose to have an abortion.”

He said there are “many problematic implications of this proposed addition to Vermont’s constitution. The most problematic, however, may be the explicit intent of our state’s lawmakers by this amendment to create the strongest legal precedent for keeping abortion on demand for any stage of pregnancy, even late-term pregnancies, for any reason.”

In other state ballot measures, Kentucky voters rejected a constitutional amendment that said there was no right to abortion in the state, while Montana voters rejected a measure to approve the Born Alive Infants Protection Act requiring doctors to try to save the life of infants “born alive at any state of development.”

In Montana, in urging voters to support the measure, the state’s Catholic conference issued a statement in September saying it was “the epitome of commonsense legislation” and was needed to “safeguard those infants who, through no fault of their own, are born into some of the most difficult and challenging circumstances imaginable.”

The bishops said the measure reiterated a similar law passed by Congress in 2002 and would go a step further, noting that the previous law did not “provide specific measures for enforcing protection of these helpless infants and failed to specify that a born-alive infant is entitled to medically appropriate care and treatment.”

Kentucky’s Catholic bishops, who urged voters to vote yes on Amendment 2, said in a Nov. 9 statement that they were disappointed by the measure’s rejection by state voters but stressed that “this is not the end of the debate or of the need to work diligently to increase respect for the dignity of each and every human life.”

“We pray that the defeat of the amendment will not lead the courts to assume the role of determining public policy on abortion. The General Assembly is the proper venue to settle such deeply divisive issues,” the bishops added in the statement posted on the website of the Kentucky Catholic Conference.

They said that while the measure’s defeat “is cause for sadness,” they also saw the vote as a “call to redouble our efforts at ensuring that every Kentuckian has the support they need to thrive.”

The prelates pledged to renew their commitment “to work with legislators to pass laws that protect the unborn, support women and families, and respect human life and dignity in all stages of life.”

The vote tallies on the abortion measures reported by The New York Times Nov. 10 showed 52.4% of Kentucky voters rejected a constitutional amendment against abortion, and in Kansas, 52.6% voted against the Born Alive Infants Protection Act.

In Vermont, 77.2% voted in favor of the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, while in Michigan, 56.7 % of voters approved a proposal to create a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom. And in California, 64.9% of voters approved of amending the state’s constitution to protect reproductive freedom.

Abortion also was a major issue in voting for candidates. The Washington Post reported that network exit polls said almost three in 10 voters across the country said abortion was the most important issue in their vote and that about four in 10 voters nationwide said they were angry with the Dobbs decision.

The day after the midterm elections, Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, accused Democrats of using fearmongering as a “key messaging tactic,” saying that “misinformation about pro-life protective legislation and falsehoods about the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs fueled pro-abortion campaigns.”

She also said that pro-life candidates still “made numerous gains and it appears that the United States House of Representatives will have a majority of pro-life members.”

From Deacon's Bench: Archdiocese of Detroit says time to end the dispensation and come home to Mass

 

DETROIT ARCHBISHOP ANNOUNCES END OF DISPENSATION, URGES FLOCK TO ‘COME HOME TO HOPE’ IN MARCH

Citing the “essential and central nature of the Eucharistic Sacrifice” in the life of the Church, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron on Feb. 9 announced the general dispensation from Sunday Mass for Catholics in the Archdiocese of Detroit will expire on March 13.

However, while the general dispensation — which relieves all Catholics in the archdiocese from their moral obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days — is expiring, the archbishop said he will continue to grant “particular dispensations” to those in need, including those who are at high risk of COVID-19.

Others who may continue to be excused from their Sunday obligation include:

• Those who are ill or whose health would be significantly compromised were they to contract a communicable illness;
• Those who care for the sick, homebound or infirmed or someone in a high-risk category;
• Pregnant women;
• Those age 65 or older;
• Those who cannot attend Mass for other reasons (such as a lack of transportation or being turned away because of capacity limits); and
• Those who have “significant fear or anxiety of becoming ill by being at Mass.”

Anyone who exhibits flu-like symptoms or believes they might be asymptomatically carrying COVID-19 or another communicable illness also are asked not to attend Mass “as an act of justice and charity” toward others, Archbishop Vigneron said in a letter to the faithful.

“In allowing the general dispensation to expire, we welcome back to Mass all Catholics who have already been engaged in other activities that would present a similar or greater risk of exposure, such as eating out at restaurants, traveling, partaking in non-essential shopping, and widening one’s circle of contacts,” the archbishop wrote. “These individuals should also prepare to return to Mass in recognition of its preeminence in our lives as Catholics.”

You can read the full text of the archbishop’s letter here. 

He notes at the conclusion:

The health and safety of our communities is and always will be paramount as we continue to closely monitor local conditions. For that reason, I am continuing the liturgical directive that all the faithful present at Mass, with the exception of small children, wear a mask or face-covering. If this proves impossible for you or a family member, please speak with your priest. Additionally, our churches will remain limited to no more than 50 percent of available capacity for the near future, and many other existing protocols will remain in place. The Archdiocese is committed to assisting pastors to adjust Mass schedules or offer additional public Masses, insofar as possible, to make it easier for as many of the faithful as possible to attend Mass while still practicing social distancing during the approaching Lent and Easter seasons.

At the beginning of this pandemic, I entrusted the Archdiocese of Detroit to Our Lady of Lourdes, patroness for those who suffer illness, asking that, through her intercession, God would grant healing and protection to the people of southeast Michigan and beyond. I ask you, brothers and sisters, to join me in offering prayers of thanksgiving to Our Blessed Mother for her intercession so far and to pray for her continued accompaniment. With her help, let us persevere in hope to face the challenges of this virus and continue to give witness to our confidence in the good news of the Lord’s victory over suffering and death.

US Bishops NOW agree that Joe Biden's Catholic disobedience is a problem

 

Working group formed to deal with conflicts between Biden policies, church teaching

President-elect Joe Biden receives a national security briefing in Wilmington, Del., Nov. 17, 2020. Biden is the second Catholic to be elected president of the United States. The news media Nov. 7 declared Biden and his vice presidential running mate, Kamala Harris, winners of the Nov. 3 election. (CNS photo/Tom Brenner, Reuters)

By: Mark Pattison

Date: November 17, 2020

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit will head up a special working group of the U.S. bishops to address issues surrounding the election of a Catholic president and policies that may come about that would be in conflict with Catholic teaching and the bishops’ priorities.

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops, announced the establishment of this working group at the end of the public portion of the bishops’ Nov. 16-17 meeting, held this year completely online.

Archbishop Vigneron is vice president of the USCCB. Other members of the working group will be USCCB committee chairmen in a number of areas where disagreement is expected between the church and President-elect Joe Biden.

“We are facing a unique moment in the history of our country” with the election of only the second Catholic as president, Archbishop Gomez said. “This presents certain opportunities but also certain challenges.”

While “the president-elect has given us reason to believe his faith commitments will lead to certain policies that we favor,” Archbishop Gomez said, listing immigration, aid to refugees and the poor, racial justice, capital punishment and climate change among them, there also is the expectation that “he will support policies that are against some fundamental values we hold dear as Catholics,” the archbishop said. “This includes repeal of the Hyde Amendment and his support for Roe v. Wade.”

The 1973 Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision allowed legal abortion virtually on demand throughout the United States. The Hyde Amendment forbids the use of federal funds to be used for abortions, with exceptions in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother.

The USCCB’s quadrennial statement “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” Archbishop Gomez said, has “a preeminent priority of elimination of abortion.”

He also listed “unequal treatment of Catholic schools,” the Equality Act and the “restoration of the HHS mandate.”

In 2011, under the Obama administration, coverage of contraceptives was added by the federal Department of Health and Human Services to a list of preventive services covered by the Affordable Care Act that employers would cover in their employee health plans without requiring a copay.

“These policies pose a serious threat to the common good whenever any politician supports them. We have long opposed these policies strongly and we will continue to do so,” Archbishop Gomez said.

“When politicians who profess the Catholic faith support them there are … problems,” Archbishop Gomez added. “And one of the things it creates confusion among the faithful about what the church actually teaches on these questions.”

The HHS mandate included an exception for houses of worship and offered an accommodation for religious employers whereby they could ask a third party to cover contraceptives.

In separate cases, the family-owned Hobby Lobby Chain and the Little Sisters of the Poor won the right from the Supreme Court to be exempt from the mandate.

But the Little Sisters were still in litigation over it for years. A Trump administration policy exempted them from the mandate. It was challenged again in the courts, and in July of this year, the Supreme Court again ruled in favor of the religious order.

Also serving on the working group announced by Archbishop Gomez will be the chairmen of the USCCB committees on doctrine and on communications.

Archbishop Gomez reminded his fellow bishops that after President Donald Trump was elected four years ago, there were “critical issues” that needed to be addressed. “Then as now, the committee existed to address those issues and the goal was to emphasize our priorities and enhance collaboration.”

“Thank you, brothers for raising these concerns,” Archbishop Gomez said to the committee chairs who had initially raised these concerns to him, “and please stay tuned as this develops further.” The U.S. bishops were to enter into an executive session following the close of the public portion of the meeting.

A bold move in Detroit; reclaiming Sunday for the Lord

Sundays are changing for the better

Teresa Tomeo May 30, 2019

CNS

In my most recent book, “Beyond Sunday: Becoming a 24/7 Catholic” (OSV, $14.95), I take a look at the need for Catholics to embrace what they hear and whom they actually receive at Mass every week so that we can apply it to our everyday lives. What does our faith really mean to us if we merely are checking off a box, then going back to work or school without any noticeable change or impact?

In order to go beyond Sunday, we first have to reclaim the Lord’s Day and understand why God instructs us to take it so seriously. To discover this further, I was encouraged to see my archbishop, Allen Vigneron of the Archdiocese of Detroit, build on his powerful pastoral letter, “Unleash the Gospel.” This letter encourages Catholics to put their faith into strong practice, with a new understanding of Sunday leading the way.

In the Archdiocese of Detroit, this starts with the big leap — no pun intended — of Catholic schools and parishes eliminating Sunday sporting events. This major shift is outlined in his latest reflection of “Unleash the Gospel” that emphasizes the importance of the Third Commandment. The archbishop talks about a culture of busyness noticed not only by clergy, but by parents, who express how challenging it is to have their Sundays filled with running children from one activity to the next instead of with prayer and family time.

Prior to the release of “Unleash the Gospel” in 2017, the archdiocese held a major synod to reflect on input from local parishioners, pastors, various Church leaders and school administrators. “After prayerful consultation with the presbyterate of Detroit and responding to what I believe is the call of the Holy Spirit through Synod 16, we in the Archdiocese of Detroit will cease sporting events on Sunday. This means that competitive athletic programs in the grade school and high school levels are called to no longer play games or conduct practices on the Lord’s Day. In the months ahead, we will offer a number of resources to assist families in their own practice of keeping holy the Lord’s Day,” the archbishop stated.

In addition to sharing ideas on how families can reclaim Sundays, the archdiocese has been working with principals, coaches and school administrators to put the new, no-sports Sunday into practice starting this August. Sunday sports have become ingrained in parish life, but athletic directors and a diversified task force — including the Catholic Youth Organization and the Catholic High School League — were notified of the pending policy change in June 2017.

Hopefully this change will be good not only for athletic families at the local parish level, but for all Catholics. We may start thinking twice before spending our Sundays swallowed up in the culture of busyness at the mall, on our phones or in front of the TV. This message is not only about putting sports aside; it is about uncovering the true meaning of the Lord’s Day. As a result, as Archbishop Vigneron stresses, our Sundays will never be the same.

Sunday is a fitting day to grow in our faith. Catechesis for young people and adults is not out of place on this day. It also is a day to witness to our faith. That first Pentecost saw the apostles boldly proclaiming Jesus as Lord. As we seek to live a new Pentecost, we should be witnesses to God’s mercy, particularly on the Lord’s Day. This means we should look for opportunities to share our faith with others on this day. We do this in our words of kindness, by sharing our faith with others and through works of charity, especially to the less fortunate.