Call the Senate
A letter from Catholic Vote I just got. I pass it along without comment. It speaks for itself.
Dear Friend of CV,
Even Nancy Pelosi voted for it.
Over the weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 400-1 to provide our troops continued access to religious services — including Catholic priests — during the shutdown.
But the Senate has so far refused to act.
The vote happened after the General Counsel for the Archdiocese of the Military Services warned Friday that “if the government shutdown continues…there will be no Catholic priest[s] to celebrate Mass” at some military installations.
Because of a priest shortage among the active-duty military, the government has contracted with some priests to minister to Catholics in the military.
But under orders from President Obama, these contracted priests would be PROHIBITED from saying Mass, even if they volunteered, because of the shutdown.
To be clear, contracted Catholic priests are being treated the same as all “non-essential” government workers. Because they are contractors, they are not permitted to “go to work” until new funding is approved.
Yet, we already know the government shutdown is being selectively enforced for maximum political advantage.
President Obama has ordered fencing off open-air museums, blocked roads near Mt. Rushmore, and has locked veterans out of military cemeteries — while military golf courses are left open. Last week Obama shut down the Amber Alert website, but allowed Michelle Obama’s fitness website for kids to continue operating.
[Under pressure, the Obama administration turned the Amber Alert website back on this morning.]Over the weekend, CV sounded the alarm on the threat to Catholic members of our military. A blog post on our website was read by 100,000 people within 8 hours. As of today it has logged over a quarter million viewers.
Within 24 hours, the House of Representatives announced they would hold a vote. And on Saturday, 184 Democrats joined 214 Republicans to approve legislation allowing the contract priests to say Mass on military bases.
The Senate was also in session on Saturday but adjourned without holding a vote. That means that any contract priests who showed up to say Mass yesterday were likely prevented from entering the base.
Today the Senate will open up at 2 pm ET.
Can you take five minutes and call your two Senators? Tell them the government shutdown should NOT be used to stop priests from saying Mass on military bases!
This link has the phone numbers of all 100 Senators. Find the two from your state:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?Don’t email. Call. Let those phones ring off the hook all day.
Religious services and the Mass should not be used as pawns in a political game.
Restore the Mass on our all military bases. Now!
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
