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President Joe Biden has excluded the Hyde Amendment from his budget request to Congress for the 2022 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits the funding of elective abortions in Medicaid. According to one estimate, it has resulted in some 60,000 fewer abortions per year. Catholic leaders have warned that without the Hyde Amendment, billions of federal tax dollars would go toward the funding of elective abortion.
The Pope will lead the Sunday Angelus from his hospital room, as he continues to recover from intestinal surgery. The pope underwent surgery on July 4 to remove part of his colon. Francis is staying in the same room where Saint John Paul the Second stayed during many of his hospital treatments.
The non-profit organization Young Catholic Professionals is expanding. The organization is slated to open five more chapters around the country by the end of this year. Young Catholic Professionals brings together young adults and business professionals in a variety of programs, to foster Catholic identity, encourage community and inspire action.
Pope Francis and two other Christian leaders have sent a message to the political leaders of South Sudan on the 10th anniversary of the country’s independence. In the message, the leaders said that “much more needs to be done in South Sudan to shape a nation that reflects God’s kingdom, in which the dignity of all is respected and all are reconciled.”
Today, the Church celebrates the feast of 120 Martyrs of China. Religious persecution has a long history in China, especially persecution of Christians, thousands of whom have died for their faith in the last millennium. These 120 martyrs were killed between the years 1648 and 1930. They were canonized by Saint John Paul the Second in 2000.