Latest News
2007-2008
March 18, 2008 Ed Saunders submits testimony against bills proposing to expand gambling. See Testimony before Econ. Dev. Comm. and Consumer Protection Comm.
March 11, 2008 Ed Saunders submits testimony on bills concerning charitable organizations. See Charitable Immunity and Charitable Financial Reporting.
March 4, 2008 The staff of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference has filed testimony on several bills in February and March as the state legislature nears the deadline for committee action. The MCC submitted testimony on bills concerning statutes of limitation (H.1592 and Other S/L Proposals), Immigration, Abortion, Transgender "Rights", and Same-Sex Marriage.
Dec. 20, 2007 The Massachusetts Bishops issue a statement on advances in stem cell research. See Bishops' Stem Cell Statement
Oct. 23, 2007 Ed Saunders testifies against a bill proposing to reinstitute the death penalty in Massachusetts. See DP Testimony
Oct. 10, 2007 Bishop McManus issues statement regarding an upcoming conference on teen pregnancy to be held at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester at which representatives of Planned Parenthood and NARAL will speak. See Bishop McManus Statement
Sept. 21, 2007 The Massachusetts Catholic Conference submits legal comments regarding proposed amendments to state regulations concerning embryonic stem-cell research. See MCC Comments
Sept. 17, 2007 The Massachusetts Catholic Conference issues a press release responding to the announcement of Governor Patrick indicating his endorsement of expanded gambling in the Commonwealth. See MCC Response to Governor
June 12, 2007 The Massachusetts Bishops send another letter individually addressed to each legislator in advance of the June 12 Constitutional Convention, urging a vote to put the Marriage Amendment on the ballot. See Bishops Letter on June 12 Con Con
May 29, 2007 The MCC announces it is joining national campaign to eradicate poverty sponsored by Catholic Charities USA. See Press Release
May 10, 2007 Bishop McManus issues statement responding to announcement by Gov. Deval Patrick proposing to use state funds for destructive research on human embryos. See Bishop McManus Statement
May 7, 2007 The Massachusetts Bishops issue a joint letter addressed individually to all members of the Massachusetts General Court urging a vote on the Marriage Amendment. See Bishops Letter on May 9 Con Con
April 3, 2007 The Massachusetts Bishops issue a joint statement urging Governor Patrick to refrain from expanding destructive research on human embryos. See Bishops Stem Cell Statement.
Jan. 8, 2007 Bishop McManus of the Worcester Diocese issues a statement in advance of the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. See Roe Anniversary Statement.
2005-2006
Jan. 3, 2007 The MCC issues a statement congratulating legislators on the successful vote at the Jan. 2nd Con-Con to move the Marriage Amendment forward to the next term. See Press Release on Marriage Vote.
Dec. 28, 2006 The Massachusetts Bishops issue a joint statement responding to SJC ruling advising legislators of their duty to vote on initiative petitions. See Bishops' Statement.
Dec. 21, 2006 The Massachusetts Bishops send a joint letter to each state senator and state representative urging an up-or-down vote of the yeas and nays to be taken on the Marriage Amendment on Jan. 2. See Bishops' Letter.
Nov. 14, 2006 The Massachusetts Bishops issue joint statement reacting to the legislature's failure to vote on the Marriage Amendment, and Nov. 9th decision to recess until the last day of the current session, Jan. 2, 2007. See Joint Statement
Oct. 20, 2006 The Massachusetts Bishops request parishes to distribute bulletin inserts on the weekends of Oct. 21-22 and 28-29 urging Catholics to contact their legislators in advance of the Nov. 9th Con-Con to vote on the Marriage Amendment. See Bulletin Inserts
September 19-October 11 The Massachusetts Bishops issue separate letters to pastors providing guidelines on permissable parish activities with respect to election campaigns for candidates. For copies of Boston, Fall River, and Springfield letters, see Election Guidelines
June 30, 2006 The Massachusetts Bishops issued a joint statement supporting proposed extensions of criminal statutes of limitation for the prosecution of sexual abuse of children. See Criminal SOL Statement.
June 28, 2006 Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Bishop George Coleman, and Bishop Robert McManus join Governor Mitt Romney in a state house press conference urging the legislature to take up the marriage amendment. See Cardinal Sean's Statement.
June 20, 2006 The Massachusetts Bishops issued a joint statement supporting an increase in the state minimum wage levels. See Minimum Wage Statement.
March-May, 2006 The Massachusetts Catholic Conference submitted testimony opposing the extension or elimination of civil statutes of limitation and the elimination of charitable immunity. See SOL Testimony March 20th, SOL Testimony May 1st and Charitable Immunity Testimony.
February 28, 2006 The four Ordinaries issued a statement announcing their decision to seek ways to avoid a state mandate requiring Catholic adoption agencies to participate in same-sex adoption. See Adoption Statement.
September 28, 2005 Each of the four Bishops has issued a message to parishioners in his diocese urging them to sign the petition of VoteOnMarriage.org to reaffirm marriage as the union between one man and one woman in Massachusetts. For copies of these statements and related materials for circulating the marriage petition in the parishes, see Parish Marriage Petition Drive Materials.
Aug. 22, 2005 On August 10, the Massachusetts Catholic Conference submitted written testimony to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary opposing a bill, S. 1073, filed by Sen. Marian Walsh (D-Boston) giving the state attorney general unconstitutionally broad powers to investigate and control financial decisions of churches and other religious organizations. See MCC testimony and other materials including editorials in the religious and secular press at Charitable Reporting.
July 27, 2005 On July 21, the Massachusetts Catholic Conference sent a letter to Gov. Romney urging him to veto the emergency contraception bill. See MCC Letter. He vetoed the bill on July 26, using arguments similar to those raised in the MCC letter. For an updated summary, see EC Bill Update.
July 7, 2005 The Catholic Bishops announce the appointment of Edward F. Saunders, Jr., Esq. as the new Executive Director of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference. See Announcement.
July 6, 2005 The Massachusetts House amends S. 2073, the "emergency contraception" bill to provide protection for privately-owned hospitals which refuse to dispense emergency contraception to rape victims when that may cause an abortion. The Senate passed the bill on June 14 without such protection, thus requiring the differences between the House and Senate versions to be worked out in conference committee. Another problematic section of the bill would authorize "over the counter" dispensing of "emergency contraceptives" by pharmacists.
June 3, 2005 The Massachusetts Senate and House overrode the veto by Governor Romney of a bill endorsing human cloning and embryo research. The bill becomes law immediately. See Final Vote Tally.
May 19, 2005 The legislature rejected four amendments to S. 2039, the bill endorsing human cloning and embryo research, submitted by Governor Romney. See summary of the debate and vote tallies at May Cloning Votes on Governor's Amendments.
April 12-13, 2005 Two joint committees at the State House in Boston heard testimony on a cluster of bills codifying or abolishing same-sex marriage (Joint Committee on the Judiciary, Apr. 12) and another bill mandating the dispensing of emergency contraceptives even when they act as abortifacients (Joint Committee on Public Health, Apr. 13). See MCC statements submitted to each committee at Marriage Testimony and EC Testimony.
March 29-31, 2005 The Worcester Telegram published an op ed on March 29 by Bishop McManus of the Worcester Diocese on the cloning issue. See McManus Cloning Op Ed. On March 30, the State Senate and on March 31, the State House of Representatives approved different versions of legislation endorsing human cloning and embryo research. See March Cloning Vote. A senate-house conference committee must work out the differences before the legislation goes to Governor Romney, who has promised to veto any measure that endorses cloning.
March 2, 2005 The Massachusetts Catholic Bishops issue a joint statement against cloning and embryo research. See Cloning Statement. Testimony for and against such research, including testimony by Maria Parker on behalf of the MCC was heard at the State House on February 16. See the Boston Pilot's Cloning Hearing Report.
January 7, 2005 Former MCC Executive Director Gerry D'Avolio receives papal award. See Papal Award.
Final Report for 2003-2004, see MCC 03-04 Priorities & Concerns
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