Catholics turn out to press issues of concern

Stem-cell research, poverty and school choice topped the list of issues that drew the interest and action of participants at the Public Policy Forum at the State Capitol on March 8.

About 1,000 Catholics from across New York State fought their way through treacherous winter weather to attend the annual event, which is sponsored by the New York State Catholic Conference. It represents the bishops in matters of public policy.

The participants lobbied state lawmakers on seven legislative issues:

* support for adult stem-cell and umbilical cord blood research, and opposition to embryonic stem-cell research and human cloning;

* fair funding and tax credits to enable parents to choose their children's schools;

* continued reform of the Rockefeller-era drug sentencing laws;

* maintaining New York's current moratorium on the death penalty;

* funding Medicaid and Family Health Plus, expanding outreach, and simplifying enrollment for the healthcare coverage;

* increasing affordable housing for both low-income New Yorkers and those with special needs; and

* providing adequate funding and parity of insurance coverage for behavioral health services.

Pastoral letter

At the forum, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of the Albany Diocese also introduced a new pastoral letter by he and his fellow bishops.

"Restoring the Covenant" explores the growing problem of poverty in New York State and the responsibility of state government -- along with individuals, organizations and faith-based institutions, referred to as the other "legs of the table" -- to provide a "safety net" for low-income persons most at risk, and to work on creating better housing, health care, education and jobs.

However, the letter cautions, "without government fulfilling its role, all legs of the table are in jeopardy."

Speaking for poor

Bishop Hubbard told reporters at a press conference during the forum that the state's bishops "do not pretend to be policy experts" but feel their role invokes a responsibility to speak on behalf of the poor.

"We have a moral and constitutional commitment to care for their needs," he said of state lawmakers. (Learn more about the pastoral letter and efforts surrounding it by searching www.evangelist.org for "Rebuilding the Covenant.")

Keynoter

The forum's keynote speaker was Detective Steven McDonald, a New York City Police officer who was shot in the line of duty in 1986 and became quadriplegic. He shared his story and stated that he believes research using adult stem cells, not embryonic cells, "provides all the answers we need for someone like me to walk again."

Detective McDonald spoke bluntly about his own physical limitations, noting that he needs help to use the bathroom; hasn't been able to embrace his wife, Patti Ann, in 19 years; and has never played catch with his son, Conor, who was born after the shooting.

"There were many days I wanted to die," he told a rapt group of forum attendees. But he joked about being a "captive audience" for God, under whose influence he eventually forgave his teenage assailant -- and came to believe that embryonic stem-cell research was not his best chance at recovery.

"The ends can never justify the means in any moral decisions," he stated. "I would not support [embryonic] research even if it was my only option for a personal recovery. Human life is a gift from God; we should not be destroying it."

Stem cells

Brother Daniel Sulmasy, OFM, of New York Medical College and St. Vincent's Medical Center in New York City, also spoke to the media on stem-cell research. He is a bioethicist and medical doctor.

He asserted, "The debate really isn't about stem cells," but "the problem of destroying human embryos to get stem cells."

Brother Sulmasy pointed out that embryonic cells have caused tumors when injected into mice, but successful research has already been done with adult stem cells. Besides, he said, cloning would be necessary for embryonic research, since it would require cells from four billion human embryos just to treat the 17 million diabetics in the U.S.

"We should never destroy human beings to save human beings," he stated. "Destroying an embryo is incompatible with respecting it in any way."

Press questions

Cardinal Edward Egan of the New York Archdiocese was peppered with questions about school tax credits. He stated his concern that state lawmakers listen to the wishes of all their constituents, not just special-interest groups.

"In too many cases, parents who are desperately seeking an alternative to failing public schools have nowhere else to turn. This should not be," he said. "Parents are the proper arbiters of what's best for their children."

Citing statistics on Catholic school closures in his own archdiocese, Cardinal Egan noted that tax credits would benefit all children. A Catholic Conference position paper on the issue states that "keeping religious and independent schools strong helps to keep public school costs down."

More issues

Among other issues discussed at the forum was reform of the Rockefeller drug laws. As participants prepared to ask lawmakers to continue working on agreement around greater judicial discretion in sentencing drug offenders, reduced sentences and increased availability of addiction treatment, Bishop Hubbard defended those requests at the press conference.

"We believe judges are in the best position to assess and evaluate all the circumstances" involved in a crime and the sentencing of the offender, he said. He added that harsh mandatory sentences are not always warranted. "We don't believe 'one size fits all.'"

Lobbying

After the keynote and a presentation on the day's agenda, forum participants dispersed to meet in groups with state senators and assembly members.

Meg Bergh of the Albany diocesan Family Life Office, who had already met with an aide to Assemblyman John McEneny, reported that he seemed "warm and receptive to all of the public policy issues."

Sister Danielle Bonetti, CSJ, from St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam, worried about the success of her meeting with Assemblyman Paul Tonko on Medicaid reform.

"This is a critical year," Sister Danielle said. "The proposed budget cuts, in addition to the proposed seven-percent tax [on healthcare providers], could really compromise health care."

[During his keynote address, Detective Steven McDonald led forum participants in a decade of the Rosary for Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman whose feeding tube may soon be removed against the wishes of her parents (see page 6). "I feel that she needs this," Detective McDonald said of the prayers. For more on the forum's issues, go to www.nyscatholic.org.]

(3/10/05)