WASHINGTON, DC (CNA) - It is perhaps not surprising that an American priest, Father John Courtney Murray, was one of the key contributors to Dignitatis Humanae, the most important document in modern times on the Catholic Church and religious freedom.

As New York state voters prepare to head to the polls to help decide the most heated and contested presidential primary in recent memory, the New York Catholic bishops are reminding the faithful of their political responsibility in staying true to Catholic doctrine.

With an April 1 deadline approaching to finalize the New York state budget, Western New York Catholics at all levels continue to push for passage of legislation that would include an Education Tax Credit to help families defray the cost of Catholic education.

With the presidential primary for New York State only a month away, Catholic bishops of the state released a statement Friday urging voters to fulfill their political responsibility by double-checking their voting registration.

Jacquie Stalnaker is one of those special people who not only have managed to overcome the very difficult situations in her life, but managed to use them for good and to help others.

The New York State Council of Catholic Charities Directors will hold its annual convening in Albany on Monday and Tuesday, February 8-9. More than 70 representatives from Catholic Charities agencies across the state will participate in an evening reception Monday night, followed by a day of advocacy with lawmakers on Tuesday on issues related to the state budget negotiations.

ALBANY - Students and parents who benefitted from needs-based scholarships appeared today before the Legislature's fiscal committees to urge passage of a bill that would provide opportunities to more New Yorkers like them.

The Department of Catholic Schools wants you to vote, and will do what it takes to help you register.

Once again, Buffalonians had their plans crushed by their archenemy - snow. An incoming blizzard forced a contingent of 360 people from the Diocese of Buffalo to flee Washington, D.C. just an hour before the March for Life began.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - "Women's liberation." "Women's rights movement." "War on women."

Bishop Richard Malone explains the teaching of the Catholic church on the protection of human life in a new "Consider This." Catholics cannot accept abortion as something that is moral and right.

The 2016 March for Life will take place in Washington, D.C. on Friday, Jan. 22. Catholics and others in solidarity will join in a pilgrimage of public witness, penance and prayer for all those victimized by the1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNA/EWTN News) - After the House of Representatives voted Wednesday to pass a budget bill blocking federal funding of Planned Parenthood, the legislation will reach President Barack Obama's desk in a historic first for the pro-life movement.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - Religious sisters should not be forced to choose between caring for the poor and obeying their conscience, the Little Sisters of the Poor told the Supreme Court in a recent legal brief, adding that this is what the government is demanding of them through the HHS mandate.

Parishioners of SS. Peter and Paul in Hamburg with its newly formed environmental committee hope to promote greener living and reflect the message of Pope Francis in his most recent encyclical.

Five Sisters of St. Mary of Namur from the diocese attended a conference on human trafficking which took place at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., on July 9 and 10. The conference titled, "Answering Pope Francis' Call: An American Catholic Response to Modern-Day Slavery," was sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Charities USA.

Issues of religious freedom have become a regular feature of headlines in recent years. Lawsuits have tried to protect small businesses, individuals and even a religious order from being forced to act against their religious morals. During the World Meeting of Families, one of several breakout sessions dealt with religious freedom and the family.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - In his lengthy speech to the U.S. Congress on Thursday, Pope Francis said the family is being threatened today like never before, and praised American figures, including Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr., for their tireless efforts to defend freedom and values.

The 2015 Catholic League Appeal for Religious Assistance to the Church in Poland takes place throughout the month of August in the eight counties of the Diocese of Buffalo. Your contributions will help keep open the Polish Pontifical College and the Polish Pontifical Institute, both in Rome, where bishops of Poland send their talented priests for higher studies.

The tragic and mistaken Supreme Court decision to redefine marriage legally to include so-called "same-sex marriage" has many negative consequences. Among those consequences, one of the most alarming, in my judgment, is the threat this ruling poses to the religious freedom of people of faith and faith-based institutions that honor marriage as God has created it to be, the union of one man and one woman, open to the birth and rearing of children.

Over the past few years, there's been a lot of excitement over the new economic developments and community revivals in Buffalo. Canalside, the nearby HarborCenter, Larkinville and the Buffalo medical corridor have seen lots of new construction, businesses and people come to the city.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNA) - A bill in Congress that brands itself as fighting discrimination might end up doing the exact opposite, said legal experts last week.

CHICAGO, ILL. (CNA/EWTN News) - A Bible publisher based in Illinois has won its lawsuit against the federal contraception mandate, with a final ruling delivered July 15 by a federal district court.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - An upcoming conference being held at the Vatican examining the link between climate change and human trafficking is a reflection of the importance that ending modern slavery holds for Pope Francis, according to one of its organizers.

DENVER, COLO. (CNA/EWTN News) - The Little Sisters of the Poor have reiterated their commitment to following their conscience as they care for the poor and dying, following a federal appeals court ruling that they must obey the federal contraception mandate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNA/EWTN News) - Friday's Supreme Court ruling against the traditional understanding of marriage may pose huge obstacles to the free exercise of religion and conscience across the US, the nation's bishops have said in response to the decision.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNA) - With the release of Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment this week came a wave of controversy over the Pope's statements about climate change, species extinction and other scientific topics.

Bishop Richard J. Malone discussed the current status and future of several religious liberty issues on "EWTN Live" Wednesday night. Host Father Mitch Pacwa interviewed the bishop about gay marriage, human trafficking and the HHS mandate forcing religious institutions to provide health care coverage for contraception and abortion-inducing drugs, with Bishop Malone explaining that government intrusion is starting to prevent the Catholic Church from performing its ministries.

As the battle for the Parental Choice in Education Act wages on, Assemblywoman Margaret Markey of Queens has sponsored a bill that would reopen child sexual abuse cases to lawsuits years after the abuse. Currently, the state permits the accuser to file suit up to five years after his or her 18th birthday.

ST. LOUIS, MO. (CNA/EWTN News) - With Pope Francis' encyclical on ecology and the environment to be released next week, the U.S. bishops are reflecting on possible themes of the upcoming document.

In the final days of this legislative session in Albany, Governor Andrew Cuomo and key legislators are leading the fight to enact the Education Tax Credit. The governor's plan, called the Parental Choice in Education Act, will help keep Catholic schools affordable.

At the invitation of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Bishop Richard J. Malone and several other New York State Bishops and representatives from all eight dioceses will meet with members of the New York State Senate and Assembly today, June 1, at the Executive Mansion in Albany

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - As the Obama administration's massive immigration order met a roadblock in federal court, Catholic immigration advocates are unhappy but are helping undocumented immigrants any way they can.

A dozen educators, parents and students marched around the office of New York State Assemblymember Sean Ryan on May 20 chanting those slogans and carrying signs to let him know that as voters, they wanted him to pass the Parental Choice in Education Act.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and Bishop Richard J. Malone joined together today to introduce the Parental Choice in Education Act, a revised version of the Education Tax Credit bill. Educators and students alike gathered together at Eggertsville Youth and Community Center to hear of the common goal of religion and government.

Bishop Richard J. Malone has named former New York State Regent Chancellor Robert M. Bennett to the Diocese of Buffalo's Catholic School Advisory Council, the panel which advises the bishop on matters related to Catholic education.

Welcome to our new feature, Monday Morning Roundup, where we note a couple of interesting Catholic stories from the weekend to get you tuned up for the week.

BALTIMORE, MD - Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is launching a major relief effort in response to the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday, April 24. A CRS team is on the ground in Kathmandu, the capital city and one of the most affected areas, and our local partner Caritas Nepal has started distributing food and shelter.

More than a hundred people went to Mass first thing Saturday morning in North Buffalo; not just for the Eucharist, but also to show support for the Catholic teaching on life and marriage. Bishop Richard J. Malone noted the consistent attacks on pro-life beliefs and traditional marriage resembled the work of Satan as he presided over a Rosary Novena for Life and March for Marriage celebration at St. Rose of Lima Parish.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNA) - After six weeks of gridlock, members of both parties in the Senate bridged a disagreement over abortion funding in a new human trafficking bill by dividing up funding streams for the new project.