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Catholics gather at capitol in springfield to meet lawmakers, express concerns

By the Most Rev. Edward K. Braxton, Ph.D., S.T.D.

On March 4, 2009, nearly 5,000 Catholics from the State of Illinois filled the historic rotunda of the Capitol in Springfield for a unique, day-long event, “Catholics at the Capitol.” Many priests, parish and school leaders, and representatives from different agencies from the Diocese of Belleville poured out of busses and carpools and participated with hundreds of adults, as well as students from many of our elementary schools and all three of our Catholic high schools. The Respect Life Office, together with generous support of Mr. Joseph Hubbard, Coordinator of Catholic Urban Programs, organized a large group of participants representing a variety of concerns of Catholics in southern Illinois. While there have been Catholic School Days, Catholic Charities Days, Belleville Council of Catholic Women’s Days, and other similarly focused days, this was the first time that Catholics from the state gathered to make their voices heard by the legislators on a broad range of issues, including Health Care, Social Services, Peace and Justice, Family Life, Immigration, Catholic Education, and the dignity of human life.

The event was organized by the Catholic Conference of Illinois, the public policy arm of the Church in Illinois, which is governed by the six bishops of the Province of Chicago. All of the bishops: (His Eminence, Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago; Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford; Bishop Daniel Jenky, CSS, of Peoria; Bishop George Lucas of Springfield; Bishop Edward Braxton of Belleville; and Bishop Peter Sartain of Joliet) participated in the entire day’s activities. These included private meetings between the bishops and Gov. Patrick Quinn, and between the Bishops and various members of the Illinois Congress.

The day began early with Mass and Communion for the leadership of the Catholic Conference in a make-shift chapel in the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel. This was a reminder to all that the Gospel of Christ was the ultimate reason for their presence at the State Capitol. In the Hall of Flags, Mr. Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Conference, gave a brief overview of the scope of the Church’s presence in the Land of Lincoln. There are more than 3.9 million Catholics living in 1,014 parishes, led by 19 bishops (including the active and retired auxiliary bishops of Chicago). The Catholic faithful are ministered to by 2,790 priests, 4,076 religious sisters, 464 brothers, and 1,090 permanent deacons. Currently, there are 436 Catholic elementary schools, 73 high schools, and 12 colleges serving over 246,000 students each year.

There are also 46 Catholic hospitals providing expert medical care to 8.5 million people. There are over 100 facilities and organizations serving the elderly and people with special needs, as well as 230 Catholic Charities’ programs caring for over 1 million families and individuals. Much of this work is accomplished by the more that 100,000 people who work in Catholic institutions throughout the state. Most of those present were hearing these impressive numbers for the first time. They were a tangible reminder that no individual Catholic, parish, or diocese is doing the work of Christ alone. All are a part of the largest private educational, healthcare, and social service outreach in the state.

The ultimate goal of “Catholics at the Capitol” was to urge elected representatives to take action for or against a number of bills. A high point of the day was an energetic rally under the Capitol dome in which thousands of students, teachers, parents, priests, and their bishops participated. At this rally a number of Catholic legislators expressed public support for increasing the Education Expense Tax Credit from $500 to $1,000 (Senate Bill 183 and House Bill 643). These bills support the right of parents, as primary educators of their children, to choose the school best suited to the needs of their children, without the penalty of paying twice. Illinois Catholic elementary schools are at the point of crisis. Each year tuition goes up in order to increase salaries, benefits and pay for government mandates. When low and middle-income families can no longer afford to pursue faith-based education the Catholic school system shrinks. Absorbing these students into public schools is a great cost to the state. Increasing the tax credit will assist families in pursuing their choice to use Catholic schools. Ultimately it will save the state a considerable amount of money (a minimum of $6,000 per student).

After the rally the participants went off into small groups to visit as many of their elected representatives as possible to make the case for expanding education expense tax credit in person. They also lobbied on a variety of other issues, striving to make sure that our Catholic faith has a positive impact for the common good on our increasingly secular culture. Some Belleville Catholics were able to meet directly with their legislative representatives and discuss two or three of the issues. Others left statements containing the Church’s position on the issues at their offices. They also prayed for the gift of wisdom for themselves, their legislators, and the citizens of Illinois.

Meanwhile, the bishops participated in private meetings with senators, representatives, and Gov. Quinn. They stressed that they were not simply representing themselves but millions of Catholics in the state. In these meetings the bishops spoke strongly in favor of increasing the tuition tax credit. They also supported budgeting funds for community organizations and parishes to provide English classes to immigrants. However, they gave particular attention to House Bill 2354, the Reproductive Health Access Act. Should this Bill reach the floor of the Senate and become law it would represent a radical departure from current Illinois law. It would force healthcare workers to participate in morally objectionable procedures such as abortion for fear of losing their employment. This Bill would prohibit all regulation of abortion or emergency contraception and provides public funding of abortion through Medicaid. The Bill contradicts the existing Health Care Right of Conscience Act by requiring all healthcare workers whose conscience dictates that they not participate in abortion to notify their patient or employer in writing of their religious beliefs and conscience objection. Even after this notification, however, this Bill requires healthcare workers to assist patients in a timely manner in obtaining the very services to which they have moral objections. Such a mandate violates long-standing laws that respect personal conscience and individual moral beliefs. Some of the legislators to whom the bishops spoke suggested that House Bill 2354 might die in the House committee and never reach the Senate floor. The bishops expressed their hope that this Bill would indeed die. Otherwise, Illinois might have its own Freedom of Choice Act.

The Illinois bishops, led by the cardinal, expressed support of House Bill 262, Abolish the Death Penalty (the safety of others can be accomplished through alternatives to the death penalty, such as sentences of natural life) and Senate Bill 1334 and House Bill 3700, The Ultrasound Opportunity Act, which would require abortion facilities to offer expectant mothers the opportunity to see a sonogram of the human life developing in their womb.
The bishops expressed their opposition to House Bill 2234, the Civil Unions/Religious Freedom and House Bill 178, Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act. The first provides the benefits associated with marriage to two persons of the same sex in a legal relationship. The second would officially sanction marriage between two men or two women.

With a certain practical urgency, all of the bishops eagerly supported House Bill 749, Prompt Payments and Cost of Doing Business Increase. Many social services provided by the Catholic Church in Belleville and throughout the state are funded in part by the State of Illinois. Many of these payments are long overdue, putting the work of the Church in jeopardy. These same agencies are impaired if they do not receive the cost of doing business increase from the state, based on the Employment Cost Index.

These are only some of the highlights of a very full and worthwhile day for thousands of the Christian Faithful at the Capitol. The work of “Catholics at the Capitol” continues. Our people need to become more and more informed about the complex issues of our day. These issues still need to be discussed, legislators need to be contacted, and work in neighborhoods need to sow the seeds of the Gospel of Christ to bring about conversion of hearts.
As Catholic groups moved through the halls of government, they heard many expressions of welcome. “Good to see you here.” “Come more often!” “This was the largest group I’ve seen in thirty years.” “Catholics have a lot to say. We need to hear you.” “Remember, it’s the squeaky door that gets the oil!” “Why don’t the representatives of the Church arrange to do this every year?” Maybe we will. There are opportunities in various agencies in our diocese, in our parishes, in civic organizations, and in ongoing political engagement that can keep “Catholics at the Capitol” every day. Please contact the Respect Life Office at 235-9601, ext. 133 or visit www.respectlife.catholicweb.com for more information.