Dear Parishioners,

Please get those parishioner surveys in - your New Year’s Resolution for 2012.  Our Parish Council is busy compiling and reviewing them.  We plan on a thorough report and appropriate response to each one of them.  You can still fill out your survey long hand (copies in the vestibule) or on-line at www.ctkph.org.  One interesting and timely comment received last week under “any concerns, suggestions, comments or questions about any part of our parish” was “Keep politics out!!!. . . .politics turn off people and have an extremely negative effect.”  Timely because this weekend and later this month we’re inviting your signatures on two California ballot proposals.  Both are important, related to life issues, non-partisan and very controversial.  It’s the kind of thing we get caught up in when we try to be a faith community “that hears the gospel and makes a difference”.

The two proposed propositions have to do with Death Penalty Repeal and Parental Notification for minors having abortions.  Breaking the long tradition of not taking any position on propositions before they have already qualified for the November Ballot, the California Conference of Catholic Bishops is asking for signatures as soon as possible on these two life related issues. 
           
First, the Death Penalty Repeal asks to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment without possibility of parole; that wages earned while in prison be applied to victim restitution fund and to create a $100 million dollar fund to be distributed to law enforcement agencies to help solve more homicide and rape cases.  Controversial as it is for many Catholic citizens, the Church’s official position in opposition to the Death Penalty is very clear; all of the Popes in our lifetime have favored abolishing the application of the death penalty.  Pope John Paul II stated, “It is clear that…punishment ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: In other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society.  Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent.”

Personally I favor the anti-Death Penalty initiative for two reasons: one highly non-Christian and the other thoroughly Christian and Gospel centered.  First my very unchristian approach does not want to see the killers of my loved ones, or of any one, die quickly and early with no time to consider and regret before meeting our most forgiving God and “Prodigal Father of forgiveness”. How about years of life imprisonment without possibility of parole as a first step and a this world “purgatory”.  Secondly, and in a much more Christian view, I try at least to follow the Prince of Peace who teaches that becoming instruments of violence, for whatever reason, only makes our society and ourselves more violent.  Please consider taking a few extra minutes after mass today to sign the proposal as a registered voter.
           
The Parental Notification initiative comes due a little later and we’ll be inviting your signature for that later this month.
           
To me, and feel free to disagree, the Parents Notification Measure is a real “no brainer”.  Physicians and nurses cannot prescribe an aspirin or a session in a tanning booth to minors without parental consent (not just notification).  Where there is danger of parental force, violence or abuse – a judicial bypass is provided.
Despite the “no politics” appeal, both issues are controversial and good practicing Catholics can come down on either side; but please consider your values, your views and your own judgment. 

Politics (ugh!) sorry about that!

Your Pastor ,
Brian Joyce