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October 13, 2023


News


Overview: With the House of Representatives still deciding on who will be the next speaker, and with no clear candidate in sight, conversations have turned to how the House might continue its work. The CCUSA social policy team continues its visits to new members and, most recently, its surveying of the Catholic Charities network on proposed changes to nursing home staffing, overtime-exempt salary threshold for salaried workers, and the labor certification process for the H-2A temporary agricultural workers program.

Climate change: CCUSA President Kerry Alys Robinson, along with other chief executives of Catholic NGOs, endorsed support for a Loss and Damage Fund to mitigate the detrimental and unjust impacts of climate change already affecting the poor. Many Global South nations contribute the least to the climate crisis, yet pay the heaviest price of other nations' operations. At COP28 (November 30 - December 12), these faith leaders will deliver a statement ([link removed]) calling on world leaders to protect the poor and work towards true climate justice.

Economy: In the week ending October 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims ([link removed]) was 209,000, unchanged from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 207,000 to 209,000. The 4-week moving average was 206,250, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 208,750 to 209,250.

Mental health: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released a Novena for Mental Health ([link removed]) during the month of October. CCUSA, the Catholic Health Association, the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and other Catholic organizations helped to develop the novena ([link removed]). The novena is meant to raise awareness and remove the stigma around issues concerning mental health. Each day of the novena reflects on a theme related to mental health, or a particular population affected by mental health challenges, using a "Pray, Learn, Act" structure. The goal is to inspire more prayer, reflection, and creative action to address these challenges.

 

Trivia

Q. In his newly released apostolic exhortation, Laudate Deum, Pope Francis mentions COPs frequently. What are COPs?

Please send your answers to Our Lady of the Rosary ([link removed]) feast day commemorates the Battle of Lepanto (1571), when the prayers via the rosary to Our Lady saved Italy from the siege of the Ottoman empire who were advancing on the nation."

 

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