Top California Catholic Conference Stories of 2018

A pastoral letter designed to raise awareness of the mental health crisis in this nation was the top story on the California Catholic Conference’s website this year.  In it, the Bishops emphasize the need to find ways to accompany those who struggle with mental health issues.

How the Church is grappling with the sexual abuse crisis gained significant interests after the Pennsylvania Attorney General released his report this fall.  Other stories include the ongoing saga over physician-assisted suicide, questions swirling around marijuana use and confusion around sex education in California schools.

Here are the top stories from 2018:

  1. Hope and Healing – “As pastors and bishops, we are deeply concerned with the heartbreaking prevalence of mental illness in our society and are taking action to address this tragic form of misery and sorrow.” 
  2. Recreational Marijuana: Pleasure, Panacea, Poison? – “The moral slope is worrisome and dangerous as society grows in its support of recreational marijuana use (about 58 percent of Americans).”
  3. Proposition 2 – No Place Like Home Act of 2018 – “A YES vote on Proposition 2 means the state could use existing county mental health funds to pay for housing for those with mental illness who are homeless.”
  4. General Election Propositions – General Election Propositions, November 06, 2018
  5. We Can Help Every Child Get a Strong Start by Exercising Their Brain – “New science from Harvard, UCLA, Columbia, and other research organizations tells us the first three years of life are when billions of neurons connect in each child’s brain — and well exercised brains in those first months and years become stronger.”
  6. Legislation Would Re-Open Sexual Abuse Claims Yet Again – “The Church in the United States has not only recognized its failure but it continues to go to great lengths to swiftly and openly address the harm caused by some of its members and see that it never happens again.”
  7. Analysis of Propositions on June Ballot Released – “Staying informed and understanding Catholic teaching when making policy decisions is critical, but it can also be time-consuming.”
  8. U.S. Bishops Grapple with Abuse Crisis at Annual Meeting – “The Bishops of the United States gathered at their Annual Meeting in Baltimore this week focused on one topic – how to hold themselves and brother Bishops accountable for the protection of minors from sexual abuse.”
  9. Confusion Continues to Reign Regarding California’s FAIR Act – “Six years after its enactment, the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act (“FAIR Act”) continues to generate considerable confusion among school officials and parents.”
  10. End-of-Life Option Act Unconstitutional – “We are encouraged by yesterday’s ruling by a Superior Court judge in Riverside County overturning the state’s assisted suicide law.  Our opposition to assisted suicide is no secret, but this legislation was also opposed by a broad coalition of doctors, nurses, seniors and the disabled community, who fought this bill for many, many reasons.”  (UPDATE: This ruling was overturned but the legal process continues.)

 

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