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Barbara Samuells, president and co-founder of Catholics for Freedom of Religion joins Michael Sheedy to discuss the longstanding history and principle of religious freedom in America. Certain policies and ideas continue to threaten freedom of religion today, even in places such as schools and hospitals. Barbara and Michael discuss some of these threats and what the laity can do in their local parishes and communities to defend religious freedom. 

In the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, how can the Church renew its commitment to supporting families and mothers in need? What is the state of legal protection for the unborn in Florida, and what further restrictions could we expect the legislature to consider in 2023? Michael Sheedy, FCCB's executive director, and Christie Arnold, associate for social concerns and respect life, answer these questions and more in this episode of Catholics Across the Aisle. 

Maria DeLiberato, Executive Director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP), joins Michael Sheedy to discuss ongoing efforts to end the death penalty and raise awareness of its injustice.  Maria was part of the legal team that worked to exonerate Clemente Aguirre, who was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death in 2006. Maria outlines the details and her involvement in the frustrating legal battle that took place before Aguirre’s conviction was finally overturned in 2018. Michael and Maria also discuss what policy efforts may be anticipated in the upcoming 2023 legislative session and the importance of protecting people with serious mental illness from receiving a death sentence. Find more information about FADP at https://www.fadp.org/ 

Corporal Alan Wilkett, retired, Pasco County Sherriff’s Department, shares from his years of professional experience working to prevent human trafficking. Florida is the third highest state for reported human trafficking cases. The numbers are overwhelming, yet there are ways that we can better protect those we love. Learn how you and your faith community can work to end the scourge of human trafficking and support survivors.  This episode of Catholics Across the Aisle was recorded live as a presentation at the 2022 Florida Culture of Life Conference, hosted by the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The audio has been edited and formatted for this podcast. Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, this podcast is suitable for mature audiences only.

Paul Malley, president of Aging with Dignity, shares how Catholics are called to love and care for those near the end of life, providing a tangible vision for building a Culture of Life. Paul draws from personal stories, and the life of St. Teresa of Calcutta, as examples of how to care for, and recognize the inherent human dignity of all. This episode of Catholics Across the Aisle was recorded live as a presentation at the 2022 Florida Culture of Life Conference, hosted by the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The audio has been edited and formatted for this podcast. 

Chelsy Gomez, Program Consultant, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, introduces the USCCB’s new pastoral initiative to increase support for pregnant and parenting mothers in need in our Catholic parishes. She shares how parishes can implement the Walking with Moms in Need process locally and renew the Church’s commitment to serve and accompany mothers in difficult circumstances. Chelsy also talks through common misconceptions, concerns, and questions about bringing Walking with Moms to a parish or diocese, and shares examples and stories from around the country. This episode of Catholics Across the Aisle was recorded live as a presentation at the 2022 Florida Culture of Life Conference, hosted by the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The audio has been edited and formatted for this podcast. 

Michael Sheedy, FCCB executive director, highlights the key commitments of the Church to address the needs that confront our society. Can Catholics transcend partisanship and polarization and heal our society? It’s not easy, but yes, they can.This episode of Catholics Across the Aisle was recorded live as a presentation at the 2022 Florida Culture of Life Conference, hosted by the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The audio has been edited and formatted for this podcast. 

In recent years, gender ideology has pervaded education, athletics, popular culture, politics, and even the workplace. How do we respond to this movement in a way that recognizes the God-given physical reality of being created male or female while also respecting the human dignity of those who struggle with gender dysphoria? FCCB’s Ken Kniepmann, associate for health, and Michael Barrett, associate for education address how Catholics can provide a solid anthropological, scientific and pastoral response, especially in cases or environments where youth are influenced or affected by these issues. Michael Sheedy, FCCB executive director, moderates the discussion. This episode of Catholics Across the Aisle was recorded live as a presentation at the 2022 Florida Culture of Life Conference, hosted by the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The audio has been edited and formatted for this podcast. 

FCCB staff, Michael Sheedy, executive director, and Michele Taylor, associate director for communications, discuss the voter guide and several key issues that Catholics should consider as they prepare to cast their ballots.  

 Listen to FCCB staff Michael Sheedy and Michele Taylor as they talk through the stances of candidates for governor Charlie Crist (Democrat) and Ron DeSantis (Republican) on key issues of concern to the Catholic Church. The information in this podcast is taken directly from the FCCB 2022 Gubernatorial Candidate Comparison, where supporting sources for each issue are linked.  The issues discussed in this podcast do not represent a complete list of issues that may be of importance to Catholics. The FCCB neither supports nor opposes any candidate for public office.  

 As hurricane season approaches its peak in Florida, Michael Sheedy speaks with Gabe Tischler, Emergency Management Specialist for the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, to hear his real life stories, experience and tips to be prepared for natural disasters or any crisis event. Gabe shares the background of his career in Emergency Management, and how organizations like Catholic Charities and local churches can work together to provide help and resources after a disaster occurs. 

Louis Brown, executive director of Christ Medicus Foundation, joins Michael Sheedy to discuss religious freedom and conscience protection rights within the realm of modern health care. Louis shares the background of Christ Medicus Foundation, the role of conscience and faith in protecting human dignity within the medical industry, and analyzes some of the legislative policies that could threaten freedom of medical conscience. 

While the nation awaits a monumental Supreme Court decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade, the state of Florida is impacted by several recent victories in pro-life policy.  Join Michael Sheedy, FCCB executive director, and Christie Arnold, associate for respect life & social concerns, as they discuss legislation that bans abortion in Florida after 15-weeks’ gestation, and a circuit court ruling that puts a 24-hour waiting period in effect. Michael and Christie also discuss possible outcomes of the upcoming SCOTUS ruling, and strategies for continuing to build a culture of life. 

 Michael Sheedy discusses the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on health care in Florida with Loraine Brown, Chief Mission Integration Officer with Ascension Florida & Gulf Coast. Loraine shares stories of how healthcare workers and hospital administrators strived to provide the best care possible in the midst of so many difficulties, and the value of a healthcare system based on Catholic principles that recognize the dignity of all people.   

David Spicer, Senior Policy Advisor at USCCB’s Office of Migration Policy & Public Affairs, joins Michael Sheedy to discuss the immigration challenges facing our nation from a lens of Catholic social and moral teaching. 

Michael Sheedy is joined by Ken Kniepmann, associate for health, and Michael Barrett, associate for education, to discuss how transgender ideology is impacting sports, schools and society. Their conversation considers the background of the transgender movement, current implications for our culture, and how Catholics can respond with truth and compassion. 

 Our policy team sits down to discuss an eventful 2022 legislative session and the outcome of bills that were a priority for the FCCB. Christie Arnold analyzes the details of a big pro-life victory for the state. Ken Kniepmann shared the efforts behind a proposal that sought to provide conscience protection for health care workers and entities. Mike Barrett talks about bills impacting both Catholic and public schools in Florida. 

In this latest episode of Catholics Across the Aisle, FCCB Executive Director Michael Sheedy talks with Matt Vallière of the Patients Rights Action Fund (PRAF), a national organization that works to ensure patients receive the best possible end-of-life care and, in doing so, opposes legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia. In this informative episode, Vallière counters the myth that assisted suicide has strong public support. Once the facts are known and the implications of public policies legalizing assisted suicide are realized, public support dramatically drops off. “This is not a right/left issue. This is not a religious/secular issue. This is a human issue,” says Vallière.  Related resources are available on several websites including the FCCB’s. See also praf.org or patientsrightsaction.org, dredf.org and notdeadyet.org.  Listen to the episode online or on your preferred podcast streaming platform.

In this episode Terry Coonan discusses immigration in FLorida and the United States. He also talks about his role as the Executive Director of Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. He talks about how he came into this role and what his experience have been like. He shares what made him pursue this line of work and some fascinating experiences he's had during his career.

In this epsidoe we were joined by Gary Tester, the Executive Director at Catholic Charities of Central Florida. Gary talked about his faith jouney, what brought him to this role, and what are some of their key focuses at Catholic Charities of Central Florida.