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…
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…
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…
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…
As our country approaches Election Day 2016, it is important for us to reflect on our responsibility to be both faithful Catholics and good citizens. We are called to exercise our civic duty by voting while doing so with informed consciences based on the teachings of Christ reflected over time Read more…
The USCCB Office of General Counsel is providing these guidelines to (arch)dioceses, parishes, and other Catholic organizations (“Catholic Organizations”) to assist them in distinguishing activities that are permitted during election campaigns from activities that are prohibited. The intended audience is Catholic organizations included in the USCCB group ruling that are Read more…
The South Dakota Legislature will consider legislation during the 2016 Legislative Session to repeal the death penalty. In 2012 we, the Roman Catholic Bishops of the Dioceses of Rapid City and Sioux Falls issued a statement on the Death Penalty. We re-issue that statement for consideration of the legislative, executive, Read more…
We the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in South Dakota support House Bill 1008 because it protects the rights and respects the innate dignity of all persons in our schools. We begin by making clear that God’s love is present to every person including those who manifest themselves as Read more…
2015 USCCB Document – Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States was developed by the chairmen, in consultation with the membership, of the Committees on Domestic Policy, International Policy, Pro-Life Activities, Communications, Doctrine, Education, and Migration of the United States Conference Read more…
A deeply divided United States Supreme Court has issued a tragic ruling for our country and its future by redefining marriage – forcing all states to license and recognize marriages between two persons of the same sex. The Court has made a tragic error in its conclusion and this decision Read more…
In a statement released during the 2013 Legislative session I noted that “access to adequate health care is fundamental to embodying a demonstrated respect for life and human dignity.” It is a basic human right. Accessible, adequate and affordable health care assures that individuals and families can live fulfilling lives Read more…
The following is an excerpt from the September 2014 edition of The Bishop’s Bulletin addressing marriage “Among these counter cultural teachings under attack today are those on marriage, the family and human sexuality. Marriage as intended by God is the joining together of a man and a woman for the Read more…
It is expected that the South Dakota Legislature will consider legislation during the 2014 legislative session to repeal the death penalty. In 2012 we, the Roman Catholic Bishops of the Dioceses of Rapid City and Sioux Falls issued a statement on the Death Penalty. With slight modification to reflect the Read more…
The Diocese of Sioux Falls, reflecting the teaching of the Catholic Church, has and will continue to affirm that access to adequate and affordable health care is fundamental to assuring respect for life and the dignity of every person from conception to natural death. Developing policies at the national and Read more…
We are in the midst of one of the most contentious elections in memory, as the screaming ads and commentators attest. Through seemingly every media outlet, we are inundated with information that is colored by personal attacks or by dooms-day portrayals of one ideology over another. Many news stories based upon Read more…
From October 2010 – The Bishop’s Bulletin Several years ago when I was rector of St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison, Wisconsin I gave a homily on Respect Life Sunday which emphasized what the Church has always taught, the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death and that Read more…
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, having received the opinion of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, has decided that it would be appropriate to publish the present Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life. This Note is directed to the Bishops Read more…
A sense of the dignity of the human person has been impressing itself more and more deeply on the consciousness of contemporary man,(1) and the demand is increasingly made that men should act on their own judgment, enjoying and making use of a responsible freedom, not driven by coercion but Read more…