Allen Sanchez, Director of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, presents the concerns of the three Catholic Bishops of New Mexico at our New Mexico legislature in Santa Fe. The purpose of the Conference is to promote the greater good of humankind by addressing issues of moral concern and social justice as seen through the eyes of the Catholic faith. The Conference informs and educates its members and the public about those issues and encourages all to advocate for those issues and the betterment of humanity. This year is the 60-day session, beginning January 19 and ending March 20. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions, much of the session is virtual. Life, being the greatest gift from God, is top priority, as is concern for the poor. The New Mexico Bishops are aware that there are hundreds of bills of proposed legislation. The Bishops bring their voice on issues for the common good, thereby making public their opinion on some legislation. The following is the Legislative Agenda for the 2021 New Mexico Legislature:
SUPPORT HJR1, the Constitutional Amendment to use 1% of the Land Grant Permanent Fund for Early Childhood programs. Science has shown that the investment in programs for families and children from prenatal to 5 years old have extremely good benefits for the wellbeing of the children and life-long positive health outcomes. New Mexico’s youngest children continue to rank 49th-50th in overall children’s wellbeing. The status quo is not acceptable.
OPPOSE SB10, the Repeal of the Abortion Ban Statute. This legislation proposes to take off the state books a law, now suppressed by the US Supreme Court’s ruling of Roe vs. Wade, which outlawed abortion in the state of New Mexico. The removal of this Statute has two other effects about which we should be very concerned which are not suppressed by Roe vs. Wade. First, the Statute today guarantees freedom of conscience for medical providers to not be forced to participate in abortions (religious right). Second, the Statute has exceptions to the law and, when there is an abortion under an exception, all procedures are required to be performed by a physician. We hope these remain in the law.
OPPOSE HB47, the Life Options Act. This legislation can place vulnerable persons in the position of losing their life due to human error or coercion. The determination for the diagnosis of days of life remaining has a high rate of inaccuracy. In the same way that we oppose the death penalty, human error is not acceptable, thereby rendering the Act of Assisted Suicide unethical.
The NM legislature is again considering legalizing assisted suicide.
Legalizing assisted suicide:
- Gives insurance companies deadly power in an already broken-profit driven health care system,
- Opens patients up to abuse, puts those struggling with depression at risk of death in a dark moment,
- Harms suicide prevention efforts,
- And sews distrust between the doctor and patient where trust is so important.
Help your legislator understand the unintended consequences of legalizing assisted suicide. Please join Archbishop Wester and the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops to communicate your opposition to your legislators today!
To communicate your opposition click here: https://www.votervoice.net/PRAF/campaigns/80089/respond
OPPOSE the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana. The state of New Mexico is entrenched in poverty and addictions. There is great concern about persons driving under the influence and concern about adults parenting while under the influence.
SUPPORT SB66, the Small Loan Act to Cap the Annual Percentage Rate. This legislation proposes to lower the interest rate of small loans from 175% to 36%. This will have a positive impact for struggling New Mexicans trying to pay debt and will protect the public from predatory lending.
Historic Pastoral Letter Against Racism. Check out our accompanying resources!
The full body of bishops voted on and adopted, nearly unanimously, the pastoral letter Open Wide Our Hearts. The full text of the pastoral letter can be found at usccb.org/racism.
The second series exploring the Pastoral Letter Against Racism, "OPEN WIDE OUR HEARTS: THE ENDURING CALL TO LOVE" by the U.S. Catholic Bishops.
Sponsored by: Archdiocese of Santa Fe Office of Social Justice and Respect Life, African American Catholic Community of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Archdiocese of Santa Fe Ad Hoc Committee on Racism, with support from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development
CST 101 Videos from USCCB and CRS: Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers! Use for religious education, confirmation and adult education!
The video series is a joint collaboration of the USCCB and Catholic Relief Services. The videos in the series include:
Life and Dignity
Call to Family, Community and Participation
Rights and Responsibilities
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
Solidarity
Care for God’s Creation
USCCB and CRS also has useful discussion guides for each of the YouTube videos that are usable for youth and adults that can be downloaded here.
Policy & Guidelines Pertaining to Prohibited Campaign Activities in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (July 2020)
Education:
Teachers, Catechists, Youth Ministers and Social Concerns Ministers: Download a free on-line calendar of ideas on life and justice!
The Office of Social Justice and Respect Life has assembled an on-line calendar called Days of Life, Dignity, Justice and Peace. It has a month by month summary for our current school year of important dates related to Catholic social teaching including many different life and dignity, peace and justice issues. It also has live links to resources that can be used in a school curriculum, religious education programs, RCIA, Confirmation and social concerns ministries all year! Download here.
Provides written and visual materials on church programs for peace and justice.
Presents programs/workshops on Catholic social teaching at the deanery level.
Coordinates JustFaith , a parish-based, in-depth adult formation process to introduce and deepen Catholics’ engagement in the social mission of the Church.
Makes resources available to clergy, parish Social Concerns Committees and other interested persons.
Provides Catholic Social Ministry Training and on-going support for parish based Social Concerns/Parish Social Ministry Committees.
Directs Catholic Campaign for Human Development Internship.
Collaborates with the archdiocesan director for Catholic Relief Services (CRS)on education about world wide relief efforts and solidarity, and encourages participation in CRS Rice Bowl during Lent.
CRS promotes human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies and serves Catholics in the United States as they live their faith in solidarity with their brothers and sisters around the world.
Administers the CRS Rice Bowl Small Grant Fund for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Each Lent, 75% of the Rice Bowl collection goes to CRS overseas development and hunger relief work. The remaining 25% of the Lenten Rice Bowl collection goes into the Local Archdiocesan Rice Bowl fund, to be used to support hunger and poverty alleviation programs in our Archdiocese. Completed applications (submitted by email only) are due this year by November 15. Application can be downloaded here.
Cooperates with the legislative advocacy work of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Cooperates with the National legislative work of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Department of Justice Peace and Human Development and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Pro-Life Secretariat
Policy for Political Campaign Activities (July 2020)
Coordinates Respect Life activities in the Archdiocese
Promotes the "consistent ethic of life" from "womb’ to "tomb"
Promotes the Elizabeth Ministry
Supports "Project Rachel," a post-abortion healing ministry of the Catholic Church.
Directs the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) (anti-poverty program of the American Catholic Bishops).
Administers Local and National CCHD Grants for community and economic development. Contact Anne Avellone for grant inquiries.
Provides resource materials to parishes, leadership training and support for social justice groups and activities.
Supports the ministry of the African American Catholic Community (AACC) whose mission in the context of our multi-cultural church is to support and reinforce the African American Catholic family and individuals. The AACC invites, challenges and develops an appreciation of the African American culture through liturgical, social, spiritual and educational programs. Members of the AACC pray that the African American culture will enhance the universality of the Church and the cause of evangelization. Begun in 1992, the AACC evangelizes and builds the church through prayer, education and service to the community.
The African American Catholic Community (AACC) also sponsors the Fr. Rollins Lambert Scholarship for African American students attending Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. For more information, call Brenda Dabney (505) 836-3627.
Sponsors a variety of faith witness activities and events including:
The annual Sanctity of Life Awareness & Unity Mass
The annual African American Catholic Community Martin Luther King Mass and speaker
JustFAITH facilitator training
The annual Journey to Justice Retreat Day for JustFAITH participants
Fair Trade training
For I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Food: Catholic Reflections on Food, Farmers & Farm workers
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops-Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development
YouTube Videos on DoctorAssisted Suicide: Four short (2-4 minutes) real life stories.
Assisted Suicide Videos
Luke’s Story: Every Suicide is Tragic You don’t discourage suicide by assisting suicide. Every suicide is tragic—whether you’re old or young, healthy or sick, your lifeis worth living,” says Luke Maxwell, 19, who survived an attempt to take hisown life.
John’s Story: Beyond Independence Born without arms, John Foppe speaks to a way of life beyondindependence, namely interdependence: Together we are more. Assisted suicide sells everyone short, so in times of illness or disability, heencourages us to “step into life!”
Jeanette’s Story: 15 Years Later When Jeanette Hall had less than a year to live, she asked her doctor for the pills to commit suicide. Dr. Kenneth Stevens got to knowher better, inspiring her to have treatment instead. Now 15 years later,Jeanette says: “It’s great to be alive!”
Maggie’s Story Maggie Karner, 51-year-old mother of three, has terminal braincancer and opposes assisted suicide. She shares how her dad, whenbedridden at the end of his life as a quadriplegic, taught her to face life& her final days with true grace and dignity.
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