WASHINGTON - On Tuesday, the chairman of the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Appropriations released the text of several appropriations bills which, like their House counterparts, currently exclude several longstanding, bipartisan provisions like the 46-year-old Hyde Amendment and the Weldon Amendment. Eliminating these provisions would force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions and would have the effect of forcing health care providers and professionals to perform and refer for abortion against their deeply-held beliefs, as well as forcing employers and insurers to cover and pay for abortion.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued the following statement:

On May 21, 2021, Pope Francis surprised the Church by announcing that the Synod of Bishops postponed due to the pandemic will be preceded by a synodal process that includes "listening to all of the baptized" in every local diocese before the bishops gather again in 2023.

In comments made to Vatican Media, Cardinal Mario Grech, head of the Vatican's office of the Synod of Bishops, said the change "from an event into a process" was chosen because "the time was ripe for a wider participation of the people of God in a decision-making process that affects the whole church and everyone in the church. 

"The Second Vatican Council teaches that the people of God participate in the prophetic office of Christ," says Cardinal Grech. "Therefore, we must listen to the people of God, and this means going out to the local churches."

Dear Diocese of Sacramento Catholic School Families,

Last Friday, October 1st, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a forthcoming mandate that will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for in-person learning at the state’s public and private schools. The Governor's Student Vaccine Mandate Fact Sheet states the following: “Based on current projections for full approval for ages 12+, we anticipate the requirement would apply to grades 7-12 starting on July 1, 2022.”