Bishop of Arlington Letter to Parishioners

Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington, a native of Connecticut, urges his parishioners to follow the directive of Blessed John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, and vote as a Catholic first.

My brothers and sisters in Christ,

With Election Day now a week away, I take this final opportunity to urge you all to vote in these very important national elections. As I have communicated to you in columns, letters, homilies and statements over the past months, we as Catholics are confronted with grave challenges to our beliefs as baptized and confirmed members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Indeed, we know that we face serious threats to our very ability to practice and live our faith in our communities as full citizens.

We are first Catholics, not Democrats or Republicans, and recognizing our Catholic identity and the immutable truths of our faith, we must make the best decision we can according to our consciences, properly informed by the Church’s official teaching. I know this can be difficult at times to discern, and I have sought in several ways to assist you, respectfully yet authoritatively, to make choices that do justice to the teachings of Our Lord and your status as His disciples in a darkened world. We must be strong, confident voices for truth and goodness in the public square, and this imperative includes the choices we make in electing our leaders.

The Church has made clear repeatedly our responsibility to take part in the political life of our nation: “In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. This obligation is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear Christian witness in all we do” (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, para. 13). And while, as I have noted often, there are many issues that command our attention as Catholics, some challenges are so grave as to demand our focus, our serious reflection and our responsible decisions.

In the papal encyclical Evangelium Vitae, written by Blessed John Paul II in 1995, the Holy Father affirmed the clear, age old teaching of the Church on abortion and underscored its high importance in the decisions Catholics make in the public square:

58. Among all the crimes which can be committed against life, procured abortion has characteristics making it particularly serious and deplorable. The Second Vatican Council defines abortion, together with infanticide, as an “unspeakable crime.” . . .


61. . . . Christian Tradition…is clear and unanimous, from the beginning up to our own day, in describing abortion as a particularly grave moral disorder. . . .

62. . . . Therefore, by the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors, in communion with the Bishops…I declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. This doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon the written Word of God is transmitted by the Church’s Tradition and taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium.

Abortion is no abstract topic or public policy issue without consequence in the present elections. The party platforms and political advertisements we see and hear each today confirm that the lives of the unborn, the weakest and most innocent amongst us, are still squarely in the public debate, and our votes do have consequences with respect to this “unspeakable crime,” both here at home and in nations abroad. If we do not defend life at its beginning at conception, then there is no life for us to develop and protect thereafter. It is the first right.

Finally, as I have attempted to make clear all year, the ability of the Church to live fully its mission as Christ’s Church is directly infringed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate requiring Church institutions to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs. To date, there has been no change, solution or accommodation to the policy announced in January, thereby forcing Church institutions, and indeed all Catholic business owners, to provide reproductive services that violate our conscience. The Church’s charitable, educational and healthcare ministries are and continue to be clearly threatened by this draconian requirement that assaults our First Amendment rights as free citizens. However an individual votes this November, that decision will have a specific impact on religious liberty, which is the first freedom.

As Catholics, we must recognize that the defense of religious liberty is necessary if we, as individuals and as a Church, are to preserve our ability to practice in our daily lives and in the public square all that we profess at Mass each Sunday. In the days ahead, please take a moment to visit our diocesan religious liberty webpage – www.arlingtondiocese.org/religiousliberty – where you can find all of my previous communications and other resources to help you. And, most importantly, I urge you to pray and have recourse to Our Lord and His Blessed Mother, especially under her title of “Mary, Help of Christians.”

Family Institute of Connecticut Endorsements

The FIC ACTION COMMITTEE has researched candidates and their platforms. If the candidate's platform upholds family values and acknowledges and encourages the vital role of the family in society, furthers Judeo-Christian principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, they receive the Family Institute of Connecticut's endorsement.

The following is the second round of endorsements made by the FIC Action Committee. More endorsements may be made. Many factors went into our endorsements, including candidate questionnaires, voting record, viability, and leadership on key pro-family issues. We are endorsing candidates for General Assembly in 2012. Because FIC Action Committee is a State PAC, we cannot endorse candidates for federal office.

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS LIST TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6TH!

State Senate
Chris Coutu, (R-19) Andover, Bozrah, Columbia, Franklin, Hebron, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Montville, Norwich & Sprague
Sen. Rob Kane, (R-32) Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Middlebury, Oxford, Seymour, Southbury, Thomaston, Roxbury, Watertown, Woodbury.
Malvi Lennon, (R-2) – Hartford, Bloomfield, Windsor.
Art Linares, (R-33) – Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland & Westbrook.
Sen. Joe Markley, (R-16) Cheshire, Southington, Waterbury, Wolcott.
Sen. Michael McLachlan, (R-24) Bethel, Danbury, New Fairfield, Sherman.
Cheri Ann Pelletier, (R-4) Representing Bolton, Glastonbury, Manchester & Marlborough.
Hector Reveron, (R-3) – East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington & South Windsor.
Sen. Len Suzio, (R-13) – Cheshire, Middlefield, Middletown and Meriden.
Sen. Jason Welch, (R-31) – Bristol, Harwinton, Plainville, Plymouth.
Sally White, (R-29) – Brooklyn, Canterbury, Killingly, Mansfield, Putnam, Scotland, Thompson & Windham.
Sen. Kevin Witkos, (R-8) - Avon, Barkhamsted, Canton, Colebrook, Granby, Hartland, Harwinton, New Hartford, Norfolk, Simsbury, Torrington

State House of Representatives
Rep. Tim Ackert (R-8) – Columbia, Coventry, Vernon.
Rep. Al Adinolfi (R-103) – Cheshire, Hamden Wallingford.
Mary Alford, (R-79) – Bristol, Forestville.
Greg Bachand, (R-85) – Wallingford.
Rep. Fred Camillo, (R-151) – Greenwich.
Rep. Vincent Candelora, (R-86) – East Haven, North Branford, Wallingford.
Rep. Dan Carter, (R-2) – Bethel, Danbury, Redding
Rep. Anthony D’Amelio, (R-71) – Middlebury, Waterbury
Mike France, (R-42) – Ledyard, Preston, Montville
Rep. John Frey (R-111) – Ridgefield.
Rep. Mary Fritz (D-90) – Cheshire, Wallingford
Rep. Marilyn Guiliano, (R-23) – Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Westbrook
Richard Marzi, (D-55) – Andover, Bolton, Hebron, Marlboro.
Rep. Lawrence Miller, (R-122) – Shelton, Stratford.
Rep. Selim Noujaim, (R-74) – Waterbury.
Vincent Pacilieo (R-36) Chester, East River, Essex, Haddam.
David Rutigliano, (R-123) – Trumbull.
Rep. Rob Sampson (R-80) – Southington, Wolcott
Rep. Bill Simanski, (R-62) – Barkhamsted, East Granby, Granby, New Hartford.
Tom Sirard, (R-58) – Enfield.
Pablo Soto, (R-83) ­– Meriden.
Lezlye Zupkus, (R-89) – Prospect.

Paid for and approved by FIC Action Committee, Lawrence Taffner, Treasurer

LATEST:

Pro-Family Hot Picks! Volunteer now!

There are six races for State Senate where your volunteer time can make the difference between victory and defeat—not just for the candidate, but for whether or not we elect a pro-family majority to the State Senate that can stop Gov. Malloy’s anti-family agenda.
If you live in any of these towns or within a 20 mile radius of these towns, this is where your help is most urgently needed, especially this weekend (Nov. 3-4) and on Election Day, Nov. 6th:

Sen. Len Suzio, (R-13) – Cheshire, Middlefield, Middletown and Meriden. The re-election of Sen. Suzio is Family Institute of Connecticut PAC’s highest priority. Planned Parenthood and NARAL are paying people to go door-to-door for Sen. Suzio’s opponent. Please call the Suzio campaign at 203-440-0135 and offer to help.

Sen. Jason Welch, (R-31) – Bristol, Harwinton, Plainville, Plymouth. Sen. Welch could be a future Congressman. But first we need to get him re-elected to the State Senate, our second-highest priority in 2012. Please call Sen. Welch at 860-593-8337 and offer to help.

Cheri Ann Pelletier, (R-4) - Bolton, Glastonbury, Manchester, Marlborough. Cherie Ann is running against Sen. Steve Cassano, who voted for the transgender Bathroom Bill over the objections of his constituents and implied that they were bigots for opposing it. Please call Cherie Ann at 860-508-4170 and offer to help her.

Art Linares, (R-33) – Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland & Westbrook. Art can defeat anti-family Sen. Eileen Daily. Please contact his campaign at 203-645-9215 and offer to help.

Sally White, (R-29) – Brooklyn, Canterbury, Killingly, Mansfield, Putnam, Scotland, Thompson & Windham. We believe that pro-family candidate Sally White can beat anti-family Senate President Don Williams. Please contact her campaign at 617-974-9735.

Bonus Round:

Chris Coutu, (R-19) – If you live in the towns of Andover, Bozrah, Columbia, Franklin, Hebron, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Montville, Norwich or Sprague we need you to volunteer for Chris Coutu, who may win the seat being vacated by anti-family Sen. Edith Prague. Please call 860-373-7334 to help Chris. If you do not live in or near these towns but can volunteer, we need you for one of the other five races


FIC Action Committee does not have the financial resources of our opposition and we are not allowed to coordinate with these campaigns. The information above is based on publicly available data and our independent judgment as to where pro-family volunteers can make the most difference in this election.


Obviously, we hope our members will support all the candidates we have endorsed (and more endorsements will be made soon). But the six races above are where your volunteer help is most urgently needed. If you have any questions, please call us at 860-548-0066.

Paid for and approved by FIC Action Committee, Lawrence Taffner, Treasurer. Please click on the link below. Your donation can help pay for mailings into the key districts listed above.