A Washington Briefing for the Nation’s Catholic Community

A Washington Briefing Agenda:
Health Care Reform: What Now? “Access to affordable quality health care is a God-given right. Not a privilege or a grant of charity, nor a last resort provided by a ‘safety net.’ A right.” This is traditional Catholic teaching…or is it? NCR 9/18/09

Abortion and the Significance of the Law “I would like to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies that result in women feeling compelled to get an abortion, or at least considering getting an abortion,” the president said in a nationally televised press conference inside the White House. Is reducing the need for abortion a suitable answer? NCR 4/30/09

Tax Policy for the 21st Century Asked whether the government should “redistribute wealth by heavy taxes on the rich,” 81 percent of Republicans in the October poll said no, 75 percent of Democrats said yes, and the independent voters were evenly split, resulting in a nearly even split among all voters polled. A Catholic value or a Robin Hood myth? NCR 11/02/08

The World We Live In: National Security We must recognize that “only a just peace based on the inherent rights and dignity of every individual can truly be lasting. … Peace is unstable where citizens are denied the right to speak freely or worship as they please, choose their own leaders or assemble without fear.” But unlike ideological purists, Obama understands that “sanctions without outreach — condemnation without discussion — can carry forward only a crippling status quo. No repressive regime can move down a new path unless it has the choice of an open door.” Are we willing to risk open and honest discussion? With anyone? NCR 1/8/10

Ridding the World of Nuclear Weapons “[T]he United States will take concrete steps towards a world without nuclear weapons,” Obama said. “To put an end to Cold War thinking, we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same.” Do we really feel safer with these weapons? NCR 9/29/09

All Roads Lead to Rome: US-Vatican Relations in the 21st Century The May 27 appointment of Cuban-American theologian Miguel Díaz as ambassador to the Holy See is especially intriguing, because Díaz embodies two currents in American Catholicism heretofore not terribly visible in the Eternal City: its burgeoning Hispanic wing, and its center-left theological guild. Are we ready for a culture shift? NCR 6/08/09

Catholic Education Challenges “It can’t be business as usual. ... It’s a reinvention, a reinventing of the whole system. That’s really what it will take.” This time of reinvention is also a period of experimentation. Many models of new Catholic schools are being tried. How creative can we be? NCR 4/20/10