The
COURIER
Annunciation of the Lord April 8
April 2024
Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN | dowr.org
Pope Says, in a Hostile World,
Minnesota Catholic Conference
the Capitol The Vocation of Christians Is to Hope Inside Faith Under Fire: The Battle for Religious Freedom in Minnesota
By JUSTIN MCLELLAN, Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Though the global situation risks plunging people into pessimism, Christians are called to pursue their vocation of becoming "men and women of hope," Pope Francis said. "As individuals and as communities, amid the variety of charisms and ministries, all of us are called to embody and communicate the Gospel message of hope in a world marked by epochal challenges," the pope wrote in his message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations April 21. Global challenges such as war, migration, rising poverty rates and climate change, in addition to personal difficulties encountered daily, "risk plunging us into resignation or defeatism," the pope wrote in the message released March 19. He encouraged Christians to instead "cultivate a gaze full of hope and work fruitfully in response to the vocation we have received, in service to God's kingdom of love, justice and peace." To be "pilgrims of hope and builders of peace" means "to base our lives on the rock of Christ's resurrection, knowing that every effort made in the vocation that we have embraced and seek to live out will never be in vain," the pope wrote. Pursuing a vocation, he explained, is not an imposed duty but rather "the surest way for us to fulfill our deepest desire for happiness." "Our life finds fulfillment when we discover who we are, what our gifts are, where we can make them bear fruit, and what path we can follow in order to become signs and instruments of love, generous acceptance, beauty and peace wherever we find ourselves," he wrote.
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Pope Francis greets visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray the Angelus at the Vatican March 17, 2024. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
The pope expressed his gratitude for the "hidden efforts" of those who consistently respond to their calls in life, namely parents, workers, consecrated men and women and priests, and he urged young people to make room for Jesus in their lives in order to discover their vocation. "Let Jesus draw you to himself; bring him your important questions by reading the Gospels; let him challenge you by his presence, which always provokes in us a healthy crisis," he told young people.
Hope, cont'd on pg. 2
t a House Committee meeting on Thursday, February 29, it became clear that some Minnesota legislators not only do not respect religious beliefs, but they will no longer tolerate them. The House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee was considering amendments to the Minnesota Human Rights Act (“MHRA”). The MHRA has been in place since the late 1960s and serves the purpose of ensuring that all Minnesotans are treated as equals, and that no one is discriminated against based on personal traits including race, disability, religion, sex, and others. In 1993, two major changes were adopted to the MHRA: (1) sexual orientation was added as a protected status, and (2) an exemption for religious organizations was added to allow them to act in accordance with their religious beliefs regarding sexual orientation. We did not oppose this change because it was meant to be a shield against discrimination for all persons with regard to public accommodations and the basic necessities of life, such as housing and employment. The change also guaranteed religious freedom and allowed Catholics and all other faith communities to live out our beliefs, choose our own clergy and teachers, and teach our values to our children. Last year, the Legislature passed an amendment to the MHRA which added “gender identity” as a protected status but did not include a religious exemption. This change prohibits religious
Inside the Capitol, cont'd on pg. 10
INSIDE this issue
Scriptural Lessons from These Holy Seasons page 4
Child Abuse Prevention Month page 7
Caring for Our Neighbors page 12