Inside the Capitol

Cycles of abuse, addiction, poor health outcomes, academic under achievement and crime seem impossible to end. All too often, at the heart of these issues is the breakdown of the family. While there is no single cause nor solution, we know that these outcomes exacerbate the breakdown of the family, and when families are economically stable many of these issues can begin to heal.

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The desire for parenthood is natural and good. Yet, infertility is a cross borne by approximately 9% of men and 11% of women, and the pain it inflicts prompts many couples to explore assisted reproductive technologies (ART). The Church in her wisdom teaches that there are ethical bounds to the conception of a child that must be safeguarded, and the scientific ability to create a child through various technological means does not make it just for the parents, child, or society.

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The proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Minnesota Constitution, more appropriately called the Erosion of Rights Amendment, would diminish hard-earned rights and protections of women and could eliminate conscience rights and religious liberty of all Minnesotans.

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It is no secret the 2023 legislative session set back Minnesota’s pro-life movement, especially regarding the protection of women and girls’ health and safety. But there is no time for lamentations. Instead, we must move forward in a united and collaborative way to create a state where every preborn child is welcomed in life and respected by law.

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To natural death. It’s a phrase we Catholics need to reflect and act on, not just during Respect Life Month in October but always. We’ve seen the horrible laws passed in St. Paul this year concerning the beginning of life. Attacks on the vulnerable at the end of life will now be in focus.

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In political, social and economic life, there is no “neutral” ground. Good and evil are competing for control of the same institutions (political bodies, corporations, education, the arts and entertainment) because those institutions matter. We live our lives within them, and they shape the world around us.  They can help bring us closer to God or pull us away from him.

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The desire to be a parent is natural to our being and runs so deep that bearing the cross of infertility can leave couples with a devastating longing. This devastation is a reality for about nine percent of men and 11 percent of women. Amid this painful longing, too often couples seeking answers and options are placed on the assisted reproduction track—a dangerous and expensive endeavor that generates many ethical dilemmas—with the promise that the couple can create (or even design) a child.

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Catholic social teaching espouses a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable. In the public policy context, this means that policies should first be evaluated based on how they will affect those most in distress (Mt 25). It also means that addressing the needs of the poor and vulnerable should be one of the most important priorities in the legislative process, at whatever level of government.

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