Iowa Catholic Conference Newsletter, Jan. 25, 2026

U.S. bishops’ president urges restraint and respect for human life in Minneapolis

Echoing the message Pope Leo XIV delivered at the Sunday Angelus, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reminded the faithful: “Peace is built on respect for people.” 

“Today, Pope Leo XIV reminds us that ‘the Gospel must be proclaimed and lived in every setting, serving as a leaven of fraternity and peace among all individuals, cultures, religions and peoples.’ 

“It is with this in mind that I prayerfully urge calm, restraint, and respect for human life in Minneapolis, and all those places where peace is threatened. Public authorities especially have a responsibility to safeguard the well-being of people in service to the common good. 

“As a nation we must come together in dialogue, turning away from dehumanizing rhetoric and acts which threaten human life. In this spirit, in unity with Pope Leo, it is important to proclaim, ‘Peace is built on respect for people!’”

Action at the Statehouse

Two priorities of the Iowa Catholic Conference advanced last week. Subcommittees of the Senate Judiciary Committee passed HF 864, which would require age verification before visiting an “adult” website, and HF 571, the “Med Act.”

About 25 states have passed similar legislation to HF 864. The Church is opposed to obscene material because it does grave injury to the human dignity of its participants. This law could protect children by simplifying things for parents, some of whom are unaware that filtering options even exist on computers or phones or do not have the technical know-how to activate them. This bill would put more of the obligation for protection on the provider. HF 864 passed the House last year.

HF 571 would provide additional conscience protections for medical professionals. We told Senators that conscience is a fundamental right and emphasized a distinction between refusing people and refusing practices. Freedom of conscience and health care is not about who is cared for, but about which health care practices are ethical. The right of conscience protects an individual's right to not participate in morally controversial actions.

The ICC also supports HSB 604, which was introduced last week. The legislation would help improve access to the state preschool program for community providers such as Catholic preschools by allowing them to apply to the state Department of Education for funding. The bill would allow for continued partnerships with public school districts.

Also last week, Iowa House Democrats released their proposal to improve water quality in Iowa.  While no legislation has been introduced yet, the plan is to include:

• Establishing a statewide water monitoring system run through the Iowa Flood Center, with $600,000 in funding

• Tripling the state funding for the Nutrient Reduction Strategy to $30 million and increase practices that reduce nitrate runoff

• Creating clean water tax credits for farmers who implement the best management practices to improve water quality

• Creating a new property tax credit ($5 per acre) for using practices from the Nutrient Reduction Strategy

• Offering zero-interest loans for purchasing equipment that improves water quality

Thanks to the many of you who participated in our “Advocating for Justice 2026” webinar last Thursday. We hope it was helpful for you.

Coming up

This week is Catholic Schools Week, with the theme “United in Faith and Community.” It’s also National School Choice Week. Catholic schools have an irreplaceable role in the Church’s evangelizing mission. There’s one more week to join your fellow Iowans in an online petition in support of school choice. More than 3,000 people have already signed.

Also scheduled this week are two hearings for bills opposed by the Iowa Catholic Conference. HF 2041 would require “all law enforcement agencies in the state to cooperate with ICE when requested.” Why would we care about that?

First, House File 2041 is duplicative. Iowa’s current law already requires that law enforcement agencies respond to any immigration detainer request by a federal agency. The same law also says that a local entity shall not adopt or enforce a policy or take any other action under which the local entity prohibits or discourages the enforcement of immigration laws.

Second, we believe House File 2041 might take local law enforcement’s time away from policing the community, and we don’t want residents to become afraid to speak to the police or to report crimes. We support the right of local governments to exercise reasonable and appropriate discretion in the handling of immigrant detainees, consistent with the need to maintain public safety.

HSB 552 would forbid Iowa cities or counties from offering local ID cards. Community IDs generally are helpful in doing such things as opening a bank account, registering children for school, cashing a check, visiting a medical clinic or obtaining food assistance from pantries. We believe that local government should be enact policies that promote human dignity and build trust between constituents and their leaders. ID cards could not be used for voting but could provide the cardholder with a sense of community and help to reduce fear of interacting with police.

Bishops welcome legislation to help mothers

At the national level, three bishop-chairmen of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced their gratitude for the U.S. House of Representatives passing the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act and the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act. Both are intended to make sure we help mothers welcome their new children.

Father Nick Stark, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Carlisle, Iowa, will be one of the speakers at the upcoming “Prayer for Life” event on Feb. 5 at the State Capitol. We’ll be part of a “Learn to Lobby” session from 10:30 to 11 a.m.

And finally,

According to Vatican News, three U.S. Cardinals released a rare joint statement last week regarding American foreign policy, picking up several themes from Pope Leo XIV’s Address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.  The statement was signed by Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago; Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington; and Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark. (Read the original statement here).

The cardinals said recent events in Venezuela, Ukraine, and Greenland raise “basic questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace.” They highlighted the sovereign right of nations to self-determination, saying this principle appears increasingly fragile in the current conflictual geopolitics.