By Barb Arland-Fye
Editorial
Pope Francis, still convalescing from serious illness, spoke from the heart in a homily delivered during the Mass for the Jubilee of the Sick and Health Care Workers on April 6 in St. Peter’s Basilica. He was not present to give that homily but made a surprise appearance at the end of Mass that uplifted the gathering. His homily, equally uplifting, serves as a call to action — not just for the ill and for healthcare givers — but for all of us as we enter Holy Week, recalling Our Lord’s self-sacrificing love for humankind.
“In his faithful love, the Lord invites us in turn to become ‘angels’ for one another, messengers of his presence,” Pope Francis wrote in his homily. We are to “enrich [our] lives with the sense of humanity we experience when, beyond appearances, only the things that matter remain: the small and great signs of love” (America, 4-6-25, https://tinyurl.com/mrytfj8n).
How are we becoming messengers of Christ’s presence in this tumultuous time in our communities, state, nation and the world? How are we contributing to communication, to dialogue that is inviting and not alienating or antagonistic? How are we serving as role models to our children and youths in our interactions with others whom we know, don’t know or don’t want to know? When do we reach out to someone who needs a pep talk, who struggles with poverty, illness or who has offended us?
Are we calling out our elected and appointed leaders when we believe their actions are unjust or harmful to the most vulnerable — the unborn, the poor, the ill, the prisoner, the parolee, the immigrant and the elderly?
On April 5, Congress narrowly approved a reconciliation package that would provide multitrillion-dollar tax breaks and spending cuts. How should we respond to legislation that threatens the wellbeing of children, adults and families struggling to make ends meet?
In an action alert prior to passage of the reconciliation package, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said the package includes “tax policies and other economic policies that affect everyone, including families. Deep cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, SNAP, and other important social safety net programs as Members of Congress debate how to pay for the package.”
Let us exercise our advocacy muscles as the bill’s framework moves to the U.S. House; the House and Senate also need to resolve differences in their bills (Associated Press, 4-6-25). The bishops encourage us to contact our representatives (congress.gov) and ask them to “oppose cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, keeping in mind how budget and tax decisions will impact families, especially the most vulnerable families.” Protecting these essential safety net programs should be a priority.
The bishops warn, “Changes to these programs that result in the loss of access to life-affirming healthcare and proper nutrition, including for millions of children, are unacceptable. Legislators must avoid creating a situation in which cuts to programs for the poor will be made to seem inevitable and necessary, whether in the short- or longer-term, in order to make tax cuts possible” (https://tinyurl.com/r9wy6h6k).
At the state level, the Iowa Catholic Conference has posted action alerts regarding legislation that affects the most vulnerable in our state:
- “The human smuggling” bill (HF 572), now eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate. The ICC, the public policy voice of Iowa’s bishops, opposes the bill because it “could be interpreted by overzealous law enforcement to criminalize providing basic charity to immigrants.” Register your opposition at (https://tinyurl.com/55fkwmrd)
- SF 473, which provides conscience protections for prospective foster care and adoptive parents. The bill would “ensure that potential foster care/adoptive parents are not excluded because of their moral or religious beliefs by the state Health and Human Services Department or their contractors.” The bill would not change Iowa’s law, which requires placements to be made in the best interest of the child.
- The “Baby Olivia” bill (HF 391/SF 175), would require schools to show a video on fetal development. The ICC said the bill “will help students better understand the miracle of life and how it develops in the womb.”
We become messengers of Christ’s presence when we grow together and cultivate hope, in gratitude, Pope Francis says, for the “love that God first poured into our hearts.”
Barb Arland-Fye, Editor
arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org
