Former President George W. Bush receives a pro-life award this weekend from Legatus, an organization of Catholic business professionals.

As thousands gather again this year at the March for Life in Washington, Americans remain divided over abortion and our body politic is fractured by rancorous debates over health care reform. Surely, cynics threw in the towel long ago. Is there any hope for those who still believe in common ground, civil dialogue and bipartisan efforts to address the most contentious issues facing our nation?

Forty-two years ago, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. went to Memphis in support of striking sanitation workers demanding better wages and union representation. A leader of soaring eloquence and historic importance, King had met with presidents, traveled the globe as a hero of nonviolent resistance and at age 35 was the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

While attention is focused on final negotiations over health-care legislation, Catholic bishops have signaled they will play a leading role in pushing for comprehensive immigration reform this year by using the power of their pulpits and bipartisan political influence on Capitol Hill. Earlier this week, bishops hosted a briefing to outline plans for persuading the public and wavering members of Congress that fixing a broken immigration system is a moral and practical priority.

Earlier this week, Andrea Nill at Wonk Room posted this clip from Fox & Friends featuring Roy Beck, the director of the anti-immigrant group NumbersUSA, talking about a rift between religious leaders and people of faith on the issue of immigration reform.

Theologically and ideologically diverse American Christian pastors, theologians and organizational leaders have united to condemn a bill currently under consideration in the Parliament of Uganda that would make homosexual behavior punishable by life imprisonment or even death. Given U.S. Christian groups' extensive history of involvement in Uganda, these numerous Catholic, Evangelical and Mainline Protestant leaders - including several members of the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships - felt especially compelled to speak out against the "Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2009" as counter to Christian values and call on all American Christian leaders to join them.

Roman Catholic bishops have made front page news recently by wielding significant influence over health care debates in Congress. Many pundits and politicians are outraged at the bishops for ensuring passage of the controversial Stupak amendment, which critics argue rolls back access to a legal medical procedure as part of health care reform. Some lawmakers have questioned the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' tax exempt status.

Last Saturday night, the House of Representatives passed HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The legislation brings us one step closer to providing quality and affordable health care as a basic human right, not simply a luxury for the privileged few.