CNA Staff, Jul 30, 2020 / 06:00 am (CNA).- The U.S. bishops have urged Catholics to pray for the victims of human trafficking Thursday, as the United Nations again designated July 30 as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
“Today we t… […]
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 29, 2020 / 05:30 pm (CNA).- Black pro-life leaders spoke during an event Tuesday about the need for the pro-life movement to become more consistent and less political on the problem of racism in order to advance the cause… […]
CNA Staff, Jul 29, 2020 / 04:00 pm (CNA).-
Changes to federal fair housing rules undermine the government’s responsibility to guide efforts to overcome the legacy of racial discrimination and economic segregation, U.S. bishops said Tuesday.
“Fair housing regulations remain one of the key tools for addressing long standing inequities and historical disadvantages and must be strengthened, not weakened,” leading figures in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Charities said in a July 28 statement.
The statement responded to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s decision to replace the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule with a new rule that will have less regulation.
“HUD’s replacement of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule undermines efforts to promote fair housing and human dignity,” they said.
“Discriminatory practices such as redlining, disinvestment from communities, discriminatory practices in selling or renting homes, and racial and economic segregation have undermined fair housing for generations and continue to harm communities of color today. HUD’s new rule minimizes the affirmative responsibility to promote fair housing by removing clear guidance and effective accountability.”
Speaking for the U.S. bishops’ conference were Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chair of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; and Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, chair of the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism. Sister Donna Markham, O.P., president and CEO of Catholic Charities, USA, joined the bishops’ statement.
The rule dates back to 2015, and was enacted under the Obama administration. It aimed to encourage local communities to address deeply ingrained patterns of housing segregation that shape how Americans shop, go to school and access health care, ABC News reports. It made federal money to local communities contingent on proactive plans to reduce inequality and to provide fair housing in its rules and its decisions on granting permits.
Critics said the rule was confusing, and said it was difficult to use the computer tool to submit reports and measure progress. The Trump administration suspended the rule soon after taking office.
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson on July 23 said the previous rule was “unworkable and ultimately a waste of time for localities to comply with” and “too often resulting in funds being steered away from communities that need them most.”
He said the Trump administration programs like opportunity zones drive “billions of dollars of capital into under-served communities where affordable housing exists, but opportunity does not.”
“Programs like this shift the burden away from communities so they are not forced to comply with complicated regulations that require hundreds of pages of reporting and instead allow communities to focus more of their time working with Opportunity Zone partners to revitalize their communities so upward mobility, improved housing, and home ownership is within reach for more people,” said Carson. “Washington has no business dictating what is best to meet your local community’s unique needs.”
On Twitter, Carson characterized the Obama-era rule as “a ruse for social engineering under the guise of desegregation” that turned Housing and Urban development “into a national zoning board.”
Diane Yentel, president of the National Low Housing Coalition, rejected that claim.
“The Fair Housing Act sought to undo decades of social engineering via racist housing policies that created segregated communities,” she said, according to ABC News.
President Trump weighed in on the rule, framing affordable housing as a threat to suburban safety and housing values.
I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2020
“I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood,” the president said on Twitter July 29.
“Your housing prices will go up based on the market, and crime will go down,” he said, noting the rescinding of the Obama-era rule. “Enjoy!” he added.
Trump has previously claimed the housing policies of his political rivals will affect suburban safety. In July 16 remarks on the South Lawn of the White House, Trump accused Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden of wanting to “abolish” the suburbs and to eliminate single-family zoning, “bringing who knows into your suburbs, so your communities will be unsafe and your housing values will go down.”
The change comes amid significant difficulty for the United States in the wake of the new coronavirus epidemic.
Peaceful protests followed widespread viewing of video of the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man, while being detained by Minneapolis police. In many major U.S. cities, these protests were also accompanied by riots and civil unrest that could be the costliest in U.S. history. They caused hundreds of millions of damage and multiple deaths in Minneapolis alone.
Concerns about police brutality have prompted legislation billed as police reform in several states, as well as calls to defund the police. There are also reports of demoralization among police forces, failure to intervene in crime, and efforts of officers to seek early retirement.
In March, the U.S. bishops and Catholic Charities USA filed joint comments asking HUD to withdraw the proposed new rule on the grounds that it fails to address barriers to fair housing, reduces community engagement, weakens the definition of Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, and weakens the role of public housing authorities.
“The responsibility to ensure fair housing choice is more robust than simply guarding against housing discrimination. The previous definition of AFFH was more holistic and included important elements such as overcoming patterns of segregation and fostering inclusive communities,” their March statement said.
The proposed rule, they said, wrongly reduced the definition of fair housing to ensuring that individuals and families have “the opportunity and options to live where they choose, within their means, without unlawful discrimination related to race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, of disability.”
On Wednesday the bishops and Catholic Charities USA cited the U.S. bishops’ 1975 statement “The Right to a Decent Home,” which said “an absence of racial discrimination is no longer enough. We must insist upon effective programs to remedy past injustice.”
“Let us renew this call to action to ensure all people have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing,” they added.
Denver Newsroom, Jul 29, 2020 / 11:35 am (CNA).- As numerous U.S businesses have closed because of the effects of the coronavirus, a Kentucky parish has opened a ministry to help job seekers “rethink” the job hunt during the pandemic.
“Rethinking Employment: New-Age Branding” is led by Brayton Bowen, a parishioner of Louisville’s Epiphany Parish with 20 years of experience in human resources.
He told CNA that the organization not only prepares people for work but it also offers clients emotional support, noting that self-esteem can take a hit from losing a job.
“This is a ministry to help individuals who are either unemployed or underemployed,” he said. “We are helping individuals with resume writing …. interviewing skills, and finances during unemployed periods.”
A client will first reach out to Bowen and then be connected to a specialist in the field. Because of the pandemic, the people are connected through email, telephone, or Skype. While the ministry is faith-based, clients do not need to be Catholics.
Bowen said the ministry will provide virtual workshops on employment skills with other members of the group, which is encouraged to be anonymous. He said this group setting helps individuals find opportunities for networking. The ministry will also publish notices about job fairs, personal branding tips, and other employment opportunities.
The apostolate focuses on personal branding and how to advertise oneself as competent in technology. He said a big point is developing a “virtual selfie” that helps businesses recognize the potential employee as efficient in the current age.
“The realization is that more and more of the opportunities going forward are going to be dependent upon technology. So we want people to become more comfortable using technology. We want them to market themselves so that they’re seen as technologically relevant, not necessarily super skilled, but relevant in an economy that is prompting people to work from home or work virtually,” he said.
He said that while rebranding, the organization also helps clients focus on their human dignity. He said the experience of losing a job can be strenuous and it is important for people to understand they are unique.
“They have skills, abilities, and competencies. They’re in transition for sure, but they are unique and God only made one of them and they walk and talk in the shape of the particular brand that they have,” he said.
“We really want them to understand that a job is what they do, but it’s not who they are. We really want to build their self-esteem and help them re-establish their footing.”
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 29, 2020 / 10:30 am (CNA).- The White House on Tuesday announced it will review the DACA program while not accepting any new applications by immigrants for deferred deportation.
The decision comes after the Supreme Court… […]
CNA Staff, Jul 29, 2020 / 09:00 am (CNA).- Pro-life leaders have asked the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove the abortion pill from the U.S. market, in a letter sent on Tuesday.
The letter was signed by nearly two dozen pro-life… […]
Denver Newsroom, Jul 29, 2020 / 12:29 am (CNA).- The Catholic apostolate Courage has published online the latest edition of its chaplain’s handbook to better help clergy and others ministering to people with same-sex attractions and their familie… […]
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 28, 2020 / 04:30 pm (CNA).- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has offered its support for a new school funding bill, as Catholic schools grapple with the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
… […]
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 28, 2020 / 04:00 pm (CNA).- As coronavirus vaccine prototypes move closer to testing and approval, some Catholics are debating the ethical sources behind a leading vaccine candidate.
On Monday, President Donald Trump ann… […]
Denver Newsroom, Jul 28, 2020 / 02:30 pm (CNA).- A fire tore through the parish offices of a historic Catholic church in Monroe, North Carolina early Monday morning, and though the damage is extensive, the church’s pastor is thankful that the blaze did not touch the main sanctuary or the Blessed Sacrament.
Father Benjamin Roberts told CNA he arrived at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church on Monday morning, ready to celebrate daily Mass, to find the parish office building had burned to the ground.
Roberts was shaken, but he resolved to celebrate Mass outdoors in the outdoor grotto, as scheduled.
“I told people: I don’t have much information, and I’d appreciate it if you’d not ask me anything [yet] because I don’t have a lot of information, and my staff doesn’t have any more information than I do. But I need the consolation of the Eucharist,” he said.
In preaching the homily, Roberts said he sought to remind his parishioners that although the old church building was damaged, God is still present in the community of His people.
Roberts said investigators have told him that the cause of the July 28 fire is still “undetermined,” and though investigations strongly suspect that it was an accident, and not arson, they have not yet reached a conclusion, he said. No one was hurt.
“I was relieved to hear that there was no evidence of arson or anything else. We hadn’t had any threats, but there have been so many [arsons] throughout the country and throughout the world, so that was a grave concern for me,” Roberts told CNA, referring to attacks against Catholic churches and statues in recent weeks.
“But once I heard that, I was relieved on a certain level.”
The final picture shows the remains of these two chalices after today’s fire. As I said to my Bishop when he visited me today, “My priesthood is more than a chalice.” @CatholicNewsCLT @jdflynn pic.twitter.com/bO19btUAAA
— Fr Benjamin Roberts, DMin (@fr_benjamin) July 28, 2020
The early 90s-era building that holds the parish offices— normally used by Roberts, his secretary, and administrative assistant— were completely destroyed, and along with them many of the parish records.
Roberts is still assessing where the parish personnel will be able to work while the offices are repaired, but he said the campus has enough space to accommodate them temporarily elsewhere.
The priest said there was also some damage done to the original church, which was built in 1945 and is attached to the parish offices. The main stained glass window in the chapel above the altar was destroyed.
The original sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes was one of the oldest Catholic churches in the county.
Today— at least before the pandemic— that smaller sanctuary was used as a daily Mass chapel, with the main sanctuary located across the street. The original rectory, which dates to 1947 and is used for extra office space and storage, suffered minor damage.
Because of coronavirus restrictions, Roberts had already been celebrating all daily and Sunday Masses outdoors, in the parish’s grotto, which did not suffer any damage.
Providentially, Roberts said, the Blessed Sacrament was not in the chapel tabernacle at the time of the fire. The priest had moved it to the main church building, which also was untouched.
“There is some considerable damage, but hopefully all of it repairable,” he said, adding that an engineer is expected to examine the building on Wednesday.
He said the parish is working with the Diocese of Charlotte’s properties office and insurance company to assess the damage. The bishop and vicar general have visited the church to lend their support, he said.
Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte was actually pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes until his appointment to lead the diocese in 2003, Roberts said, so the offices that burned had once been his.
The fire knocked out phone and internet access at the church, Father Roberts said. Since the parish lacks a website, Roberts has been communicating with his flock via Facebook since the fire, attempting to address rumors about the fire’s cause and to reassure parishioners that the damage can be addressed.
“Lots of support, lots of promises of prayers from our parishioners, and from people all over,” he said.
“One of the first questions people were asking was: Is Father okay?” he said, adding that he does not actually live on the parish campus, so the early morning fire did not threaten his safety.
The main sanctuary had been renovated extensively in the past several years, Roberts said, so he is glad that there was no damage there.
Among the items destroyed in the fire were two ornate chalices, both with special significance for Roberts— one of them he had been given upon his ordination, and the other he had bought in Spain when he finished part of the Camino de Santiago.
Still, Roberts said when he found the ruined chalices, he felt an unusual sense of peace, as he realized that his priesthood was worth far more than these sacramental items.
“There’s been this unexplainable sense of peace today…recognizing the presence of the Lord and wanting to take the next step and the step after that. It’s a wonderfully supportive community here.”
The North Carolina fire, though likely not arson, comes after a spate of intentional fires against church properties across the country and the world.
The Catholic community at Queen of Peace Parish in Ocala, Florida is rebuilding after the church was set on fire earlier this month and a Florida man was charged with arson.
A man on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia attempted on Sunday to set fire to a crucifix outside a Catholic church, while parishioners worshiped inside the building.
A church volunteer has admitted to starting a fire at Nantes Cathedral in France on July 18, and has been charged with arson.
Another possible arson occurred in California, where a fire ravaged the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel church in Los Angeles in the predawn hours of Saturday, July 11. That fire is now being investigated for foul play.
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