House Bill No. 1193 Our Position: Support Brief Description: The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of House Bill 1193, a bill to criminalize threatening a pregnant mother with murder, assault, or kidnapping in order to force an abortion. HB 1193 would codify greater protections for mothers, and would Read more…
Religious Freedom is the right to practice one’s faith without coercion or fear, without obstacle or opposition. Religious freedom is a right granted by God, to all human beings. It has its origin in human dignity: we’re all created for the transcendent, and by nature we’re attracted to it and Read more…
House Bill No. 1225 Our Position: Support Brief Description: The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of House Bill 1225. Like Senate Bill 49, which was voted down in the Senate Education committee January 24, HB 1225 would void the South Dakota High School Activities Association “transgender procedure” of 2015, which permits youth Read more…
The family, as intended by God, is the faithful union between a man and a woman open to the blessing of children. It is the foundation stone upon which human society is built and sustained. The marginalization of the core moral values necessary for the flourishing of the family is Read more…
Senate Bill No. 85 Our Position: Support Brief Description: The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of Senate Bill 85, which would direct the state Department of Health to release its annual abortion report on July 1. The law currently provides for abortion data to be published November 15. Read more…
Senate Bill No. 72 Position: Support Brief Description: The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of Senate Bill 72, which would codify a standardized form abortion facilities must use in communicating relevant information to a mother prior to an abortion. Currently, abortion facilities use consent forms that undermine the Read more…
Senate Bill No. 71 Our Position: Support Brief Description: The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of Senate Bill 71, which would eliminate the death penalty as a criminal sentence for the seriously mentally ill convicted of capital crimes. The Catholic Church calls for a culture of life, and Read more…
House Bill No. 1055 Our Position: Support Brief Description: The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of House Bill 1055. HB 1055 would require a physician to obtain parental consent prior to the institution of an order to withhold resuscitation for a child in South Dakota. Also known as “Simon’s Read more…
That all life is sacred and has dignity, from conception to natural death, is a truth we must never tire of speaking, especially in those circumstances where the lives of the voiceless and vulnerable are at stake. It is an unspeakable travesty that our country has permitted the legal abortion Read more…
Catholic Social Teaching, sometimes called the Church’s social doctrine, is that body of teaching and reflection that helps us to form a moral framework for how to approach and respond to society’s challenges of ordering and governing our life together in the world. The truths that social teaching proposes are Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference has been established as one vehicle by which we bishops are able to engage in the public square by raising up core moral issues. God-given truths including life and justice can be obscured by political expediency and the growing demand of many in the culture Read more…
I recently attended a panel discussion of advance medical planning at a conference organized by health care workers. Advance medical planning encompasses those legal tools that we can use to prepare for a time when, due to illness or other incapacity, we cannot make care decisions on our own. This Read more…
Chris Motz, Executive Director of the South Dakota Catholic Conference was on Catholic Views to discuss the concept of human dignity.
Following the issuance of a Warrant of Execution, the state of South Dakota intends to execute inmate Rodney Berget during the week of October 28, 2018. As the Roman Catholic Bishops of the Dioceses of Rapid City and Sioux Falls, we recall once more our statements on the death penalty Read more…
Emily Leedom, Director of Marriage Family and Respect Life office, and Christopher Motz, Director of the South Dakota Catholic Conference, were on Catholic Views to talk about the upcoming month of October, also known as Respect Life Month, and all activities that you can participate in.
Chris Motz, Executive Director of the South Dakota Catholic Conference was on Catholic Views to discuss Economy and Families.
This month we celebrated 242 years since the founding of our nation through the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Amidst the fun of fireworks, parades, and festivity, it’s easy to gloss over what it is we’re celebrating, the anniversary of a historic launching of a great experiment in self-government. Read more…
Chris Motz, Executive Director of the South Dakota Catholic Conference, was on Catholic Views to discuss Religious Freedom Week and the upcoming Red Mass which will be held June 21 at 5:30pm at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Sioux Falls, SD.
Real Presence Live In the first hour, host Fr. James Gross began by visiting with Chris Motz, Executive Director of the South Dakota Catholic Conference, about the importance of religious freedom and the upcoming week dedicated to this crucial topic.
Religious freedom is as American as apple pie and baseball. My wife makes the world’s best apple pie, and I love to root for the home team. However, if I had to pick one of these three as absolutely essential to the health of our country, it’s not a difficult Read more…