Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. / Credit: ACN
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CNA Staff, Jun 12, 2023 / 13:15 pm (CNA).
The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) is inviting Catholics to join together in making an act of reparation for the act of “blasphemy” scheduled to take place at Dodgers Stadium on June 16 on the day the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, alongside the USCCB, is asking parishes across the country to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 16 at Mass or during a Holy Hour with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
An act of reparation such as the bishops recommend is offered to the Lord with the intention of repairing the spiritual damage inflicted by sin.
This comes after the Los Angeles Dodgers announced they would be honoring the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” an anti-Catholic drag show that mocks the faith, with a “Community Hero Award” on the same day.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA, president of the USCCB; Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York; and Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles shared this message:
“Catholic Christians traditionally recognize June as the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. During this time, we call to mind Christ’s love for us, which is visible in a special way in the image of his pierced heart, and we pray that our own hearts might be conformed to his, calling us to love and respect all his people.”
They added: “This year, on June 16 — the day of the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — a professional baseball team has shockingly chosen to honor a group whose lewdness and vulgarity in mocking Our Lord, his Mother, and consecrated women cannot be overstated. This is not just offensive and painful to Christians everywhere; it is blasphemy.”
“It has been heartening to see so many faithful Catholics and others of goodwill stand up to say that what this group does is wrong, and it is wrong to honor them. We call on Catholics to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart on June 16, offering this prayer as an act of reparation for the blasphemies against Our Lord we see in our culture today,” the bishops concluded.
Here is the full text of the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
Lord, have mercy.
R. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
R. Christ, have mercy.
God our Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, one with eternal Word, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, infinite in majesty, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for us, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, source of justice and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, well-spring of all virtue, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, worthy of all praise, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, treasure-house of wisdom and knowledge, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom there dwells the fullness of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well pleased, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, from whose fullness we have all received, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, desire of the eternal hills, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, patient and full of mercy, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, generous to all who turn to you, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, atonement for our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with insults, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, broken for our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, obedient even to death, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, pierced by a lance, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, victim of our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, salvation of all who trust in you, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, hope of all who die in you, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, touch our hearts and make them like your own.
Let us pray.
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son
and recall the wonders of his love for us,
may be made worthy to receive
an overflowing measure of grace
from that fount of heavenly gifts.
Through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
null / Shutterstock.
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A participant in the Women’s March event Jan. 18, 2020, in San Francisco holds a “Pass the Equal Rights Amendment” sign while marching. / Credit: Sundry Photography/Shutterstock
Washington D.C., Apr 28, 2023 / 15:40 pm (CNA).
Catholic bishops praised senators who stood their ground Thursday to prevent efforts to enshrine the Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution.
Senate Republicans effectively blocked a resolution that would have eliminated the already-expired 1982 deadline for states to ratify the ERA. The Constitution requires that three-quarters of the states, or 38 states, ratify amendments for them to go into effect.
The resolution received majority support in the Senate with a 51-47 vote, but 60 votes are needed for cloture to end debate and bring the resolution to a floor vote. After failing to reach the 60-vote threshold, the motion was defeated.
The ERA would amend the U.S. Constitution to declare that equality of rights under the law cannot be denied on account of sex. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and other opponents voiced concerns that the language could be used to claim a constitutional right to an abortion or could be used to infringe on religious liberty.
“The Catholic faith teaches that women and men are created with equal dignity, and we support that being reflected in law,” Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge, who chairs the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said in a statement.
“The proposed ‘Equal Rights Amendment,’ however, would likely create a sweeping new nationwide right to abortion at any stage, at taxpayer expense, and eliminate even modest protections for women’s health and the lives of preborn children,” Burbidge added. “It could also pose grave problems for women’s privacy and athletic and other opportunities, and negatively impact religious freedom. I am grateful that the Senate did not advance this proposal that in fact expired decades ago, and I hope that Congress will focus on meaningful support for women and families in need.”
Senate Democrats held a press conference following the vote, in which they criticized Republicans for voting against cloture. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, suggested the amendment would affect the Supreme Court’s recent rulings related to abortion.
“It is 2023,” Schumer said. “Women are under assault, politically, in so many ways, whether it’s the right to choose or women’s health care or discrimination or so many other things. It’s about time America said no to all of that. It’s about time America said no to the MAGA majority on the Supreme Court, that we need protections for women.”
Only two Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted in favor of the resolution.
The battle over the ERA goes back a century, as it was originally introduced into Congress in December 1923. Congress approved the amendment in 1972, but the next step required at least 38 states to ratify it. The deadline imposed by Congress for ratification was 1979, but only 35 states had ratified it before that date. Congress extended the deadline to 1982, but no additional states ratified the proposed amendment. Although there were questions about the legality of the extension, which was approved in 1978, the matter was never resolved in the courts because not enough states had ratified it anyway.
When former President Donald Trump took office, Democratic lawmakers revived the effort to ratify the amendment. Three states — Nevada in 2017, Illinois in 2018, and Virginia in 2020 — voted to ratify the amendment even though the deadline had passed about 40 years earlier.
Although this means 38 states have ratified the amendment, six of those states have rescinded their ratifications. Five states rescinded their ratifications in the 1970s and one other state, North Dakota, did so in 2021.
The resolution before Congress would have eliminated the 1982 deadline. However, there are still unresolved legal questions concerning whether Congress would have the ability to extend or end the deadline after it expired. There are also legal questions about whether states can legally rescind their ratifications. If the ERA deadline were to be removed, it would likely open up a series of lawsuits that would need to be resolved in the Supreme Court.
© Catholic World Report