Sep 30, 2022
Vetoes doula and perinatal support
Sacramento, Calif. (Sept. 29, 2022) – On Tuesday, during a press conference and with his signature, Governor Newsom invested in a massive $200 million expansion of abortion services in California to ‘ensure all women in our state are paid their due and treated equally in all spheres of life.’
The following statement is from California Catholic Conference Executive Director Kathleen Domingo in response to Governor Newsom’s claims of prioritizing women with his historic expansion of abortion in the state:
“The abortion bills signed by Gov. Newsom include new abortion infrastructure, allowing nurse practitioners to perform abortions without physician oversight, forcing employers to pay for abortions outside of insurance coverage, and expediting board certification for abortion workers. The funding also includes $20 million from AB 1918 to pay for the scholarships and loan repayments of doctors who study abortion and $20 million from SB 1142 to pay for the travel, lodging, gas money, and doula support of women from out of state seeking an abortion.
“Yet, the governor vetoed doula support and comprehensive perinatal support for California’s mothers through Medi-Cal and investment in the rapidly dwindling mental health workforce -citing the cost (AB 2199, AB 1930, AB 2222). Earlier this year, the legislature removed copays and deductibles for abortions (SB 245). Yet, the most economically vulnerable women and children on Medi-Cal must still pay subscriber fees for prenatal and postpartum care and pediatric visits.
“The governor and this legislature have clearly prioritized abortion over the health and wellbeing of California mothers and children. This is not reproductive equity. Improving women’s health and reproductive care would see investment in maternity care, preventive care, and prioritizing the needs of all women in California.
“Tragically, the legislature prejudices the choice of abortion over women who choose motherhood by supporting and subsidizing only one option. This is not giving women and families equitable reproductive health options ‘in all spheres of life.’ California’s mothers and families deserve better.
“Proposition 1 will only take this further. By enshrining a right to unrestricted abortion, California goes far beyond Roe or current law. Rights have corresponding duties, and by eliminating viability limits and allowing unrestricted late-term abortion, Prop 1 will require an obligation of the state to provide abortion funding over and above what is already committed. This egregious prioritization of abortion over the needs of mothers and children needs to be reversed.”
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Sep 19, 2022
Abortion-Only Website Tantamount to Coercion
In response to the State of California’s release of its new “reproductive healthcare” website, California Catholic Conference Executive Director Kathleen Domingo released the following statement:
“Yesterday, in a dismissive statement, the state of California released its new taxpayer-funded abortion website that is tantamount to coercion for California women. Touted as providing access to “reproductive care,” the new website only provides information on abortion, neglecting the millions of California women needing access to supportive care for cancer screening, fertility issues, prenatal care, childbirth, and a myriad of other healthcare concerns.
“When California families are struggling to pay for gas, afford rent, and put food on the table, promoting the violence of abortion solves none of the urgent problems countless families are facing. As Pope Francis said, “it is not ‘progressive’ to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life.”
Read the Full Statement Here: https://bit.ly/3RZwx7C
Sep 15, 2022
Download Statement English | Spanish | Vietnamese
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On December 6, 2021, the Diocese of San José, following the call of Pope Francis to be a “listening Church,” I called on our diocese to begin a yearlong process of prayer, listening, and discernment in preparation for our first Diocesan Synod to be held on January 27 – 29, 2023. I invited us all – laity, religious, and clergy – to call upon the Holy Spirit to prepare ourselves for a process of listening, discernment, and pastoral planning. Implementing a new pastoral plan will prepare us for our 50th Jubilee of the Diocese of San José in 2031, which happily coincides with the 500th anniversary of Mary’s appearance and message to St. Juan Diego in 1531. We will look to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Star of the New Evangelization, as our guide as we seek to evangelize anew Silicon Valley.
This post-pandemic time is a time of tremendous opportunity. This is a time to renew our faith in Christ and to strike out “into the deep water” (Luke 5:4) with trust that the Lord is with us in the boat, the Church, battered as it may be by many headwinds, yet continuing toward the destiny to which he calls us, the fullness of the Kingdom of God.
The upcoming Diocesan Synod 2023 mirrors what Pope Francis has done for the global Church through the Universal Synod, but with a local focus. The synodal process involves encountering each other, listening to one another, and discerning where and how the Holy Spirit calls us to proclaim and live the Gospel. Pope Francis has spoken of the “infinite creativity” of the Holy Spirit (Evangelii Gaudium, 278) and the need for us not to sit “on the sidelines of this march of living hope” and let things pass us by. Instead, we should be engaged actively in life and the world. Our mission as a Church in this world demands new initiatives and creativity in teaching the truth and living the faith.
Therefore, with the Diocesan Synod 2023, we seek to renew the Diocese of San José in depth (spiritually for laity, religious, clergy) and in width (organizationally for parishes, schools, chancery) to fulfill the mission of renewing all things in Christ. I have appointed a Synod Steering Committee of laity and clergy to help plan and implement the synod process.
Taking into consideration the feedback from the diocesan report on the universal synod, the Synod Steering Committee recommendations, and initial consultations with priests, deacons, and diocesan leaders this spring and summer, we will use the four marks of the Church to guide our consultations with our parish and school communities in the upcoming months: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.
- One: To embrace and tangibly demonstrate the unity of our Church across the Diocese
- Holy: To inspire and form the Catholics in truly becoming disciples of Jesus Christ
- Catholic: To increase the faithful’s encounter of Santa Clara County’s unique diversity and to leverage such diversity (ethnic, age, social-economic, etc.) to enrich our local Church
- Apostolic: To become outward-looking in order to evangelize individuals, families, and our culture
In our synod process, we will listen to the wisdom and insights of the faithful throughout the diocese to surface various creative ideas and discern pastoral needs and priorities in our diocese for the coming years. I invite you to learn more about the process and how you can participate by visiting the Diocesan Synod 2023 webpage.
Our Lady’s appearance to St. Juan Diego set in motion an unimaginable, unforeseen, dynamic evangelization of the Americas where the response to the Gospel message had previously been rather limited. Through Mary’s presence, words, and intercession, the Gospel message spread deeply and broadly. We pray that Our Lady of Guadalupe will guide us in our diocesan synod.
I asked that all Catholics in the diocese join me in praying for the success of our diocesan synod and for the growth and deepening of the Catholic faith in our diocese. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, let us ask the Lord to guide us and accompany us, to give us renewed strength and determination in facing the challenges ahead as we proclaim and live the Gospel.
Most Rev. Oscar Cantú
Bishop of San José
