ST. CHARLES' ADVOCACY TOPICS – JUNE 30, 2009

[St. Charles Social Justice]

LOCAL
--I. A. TRAINING OPPORTUNITITES FOR VOICE

STATE
--II. A. VCC ALERT—EXECUTION OF PAUL W. POWELL SCHEDULED JULY 14

NATIONAL
--III. A. CRS, BISHOPS TO CONGRESS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, POOR

INTERNATIONAL
--IV. A. BISHOPS TO G8: FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGES IMPACTS ON POOR

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOCAL

--I. A. TRAINING OPPORTUNITITES FOR VOICE

Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) is
hosting two training sessions this summer. At each meeting you can
attend Track 1, and learn amore about VOICE, or Track 2, and learn
about playing a leadership role in this important nonpartisan effort
to address concerns about a lack of affordable housing, a lack of
dental care for the poor, and delays in processing immigration
documents.

The meetings will be held:

Tuesday, July 28th 7:15 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church
2700 South 19th Street
Arlington Va. 22204

Or

Saturday, August 1, 9:15-11:30 a.m.
St. Paul United Methodist Church
1400 G Street
Woodbridge, VA 22191

Additional information is available at VOICE’s NEW WEB PAGE
http://www.voice-iaf.org/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
STATE

--II. A. VCC ALERT—EXECUTION OF PAUL W. POWELL SCHEDULED JULY 14

The Virginia Catholic Conference (VCC) has issued an alert. On
Tuesday, July 14 the Commonwealth of Virginia is scheduled to carry
out the execution of Paul Warner Powell, who was convicted of the 1999
murder of Stacie Reed.

In Virginia, life-without-parole sentencing protects the
Commonwealth's citizens while upholding the dignity of all
individuals. The VCC asks us to stand in solidarity with the Virginia
bishops and the Papal Nuncio - who have written the governor to
request commutation - by contacting Governor Kaine and urging him to
commute Powell's sentence to life in prison.

Please click on http://capwiz.com/vacatholic/issues/alert/?alertid=13581151
to send the pre-drafted message or a modified one that suits your own
style; or call the Governor's Office at (804) 786-2211 to convey this
appeal.

Regarding the death penalty, the Catechism of the Catholic Church
states the following:

"[I]f non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's
safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means,
as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the
common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human
person. … the cases in which the execution of the offender is an
absolute necessity are very rare, if not practically non-
existent." [Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 2267].

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NATIONAL

--III. A. CRS, BISHOPS TO CONGRESS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, POOR

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops (USCCB) are asking Catholics to contact our legislators and
urge them to significantly increase the amount allocated for
international climate change adaptation programs in the American Clean
Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454). The House approved the
bill on June 26, with a 219 – 212 vote.

The legislation begins a serious and overdue effort to face up to our
moral and environmental challenges, say CRS and USCCB. They want to
ensure, however, that this legislation lowers greenhouse gases and
protects the poor and vulnerable—both at home and abroad—who
contribute least to climate change but are likely to suffer its worst
consequences.

The bill has many opportunities, but CRS and USCCB say they are deeply
disappointed that the funding resources committed to international
adaptation fall fundamentally short of what is needed initially and
that increases in resources are pushed too far off into the future.

You can learn details about their concerns and take action at http://www.crs.org
click on Act Now followed by Advocate or go to
https://secure.crs.org/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr011=osk4ev23p3.app44b&pagename=homepage&id=573.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INTERNATIONAL

--IV. A. BISHOPS TO G8: FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGES IMPACTS ON POOR

In advance of the G8, to be held in L’Aquila, Italy, from 8 to 10
July, Bishops from around the world have issued a joint letter about
Climate Change.

“Poor people have contributed the least to the economic crisis facing
our world, but their lives and livelihoods are likely to suffer the
greatest devastation because they struggle at the margins in crushing
poverty,” the heads of bishops’ conferences in countries including
Canada, England, Germany, Japan Russia, the United States, and
elsewhere wrote in a June 22 letter to the leaders of the G8 nations.

“The G8 Summit takes place in the shadow of a global economic crisis,
but its actions can help bring a light of hope to our world,” the
letter continued.

It urged the developed countries to make concrete commitments to
addressing climate change and to establish mechanisms to mitigate its
effects. “Protecting the poor and the planet are not competing causes;
they are moral priorities for all people living in this world,” the
bishops wrote.
A copy of their letter is available at http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/2009-g8-ltr.pdf.