Abortion and Other Issues in an Election Year
Bishop William Murphy
Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York
Article in the Long Island Catholic
September 2008
This week, the same mail brought me two letters. The first was from a
parishioner asking me why my brother priests and I are not speaking out
about those in public life who do not defend life but are instead
“pro-choice” regarding abortion on demand. The second, critical of Church
leadership on a number of issues, ended by wondering that the Church would
try to “influence the election” by threatening to “excommunicate Catholics”
who want to vote for Mr. Obama.
All too often — and once is too often — the Church is accused of being a
“single issue” faith community concerning public issues. A glance at the
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church as well as the U.S.
bishops’ statement, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, puts that
lie to rest. So let’s all agree that the Church and Church leadership are
not guilty of being single issue.
What the Church does teach is the truth that the first and foremost issue is
that of human life. It is the central issue of human living, and it is the
most important measure of a healthy society. How we treat all human life,
but especially vulnerable human life whether in the womb or at the last
moments of earthly life, does determine whether or not we will have the
moral vision to guide the choices we make in our families and communities,
in our nation and the world.
We, United States bishops, address many issues, but we insist as the
teachers of the Church that the priority task of every Catholic is to form
one’s conscience correctly by attending to the teaching of the Church as an
integral and necessary component in a well informed conscience. The Church
teaches that “human life is sacred.” Following the clear teaching of Pope
John Paul II, the U.S. bishops echoed his teaching saying that “abortion and
euthanasia have become preeminent threats to human life and dignity because
they directly attack life itself, the most fundamental good and the
condition of all others. Abortion, the deliberate killing of a human being
before birth, is never morally acceptable and must always be opposed.”
The platform of the Democratic Party for this election year was adopted at
the first day of the convention in Denver. Here is how it reads on this
issue: “The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade
and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of
ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to undermine that right.
The Democratic Party also strongly supports access to affordable family
planning services and comprehensive age-appropriate sex education which
empower people to make informed choices and live healthy lives. We also
recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of
unintended pregnancies and thereby reduce the need for abortions. The
Democratic Party also strongly supports a woman’s decision to have a child
by ensuring access to and availability of programs for pre- and post-natal
health care, parenting skills, income support, and caring adoption
programs.”
The day before, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was interviewed on Meet the Press
by Mr. Tom Brokaw on this issue. She responded as a Catholic defending the
unequivocally pro-abortion position of her party. As a Catholic she said she
had studied the issue and then suggested that the doctors of the Church have
not been able to make the definition that life begins at conception and then
suggesting that it is only in the past 50 years or so that the teaching of
the Church has stated that human life begins at conception. She adds, “And
Senator — St. Augustine said three months. We don’t know. The point is it
shouldn’t have an impact on the woman’s right to choose.”
Within 24 hours, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops through Cardinal
Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the USCCB Pro-Life Committee,
with Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, chairman of the Doctrine Committee,
issued a statement refuting Ms. Pelosi’s incorrect statements about Church
teaching. They said “procured abortion” is a “grave … moral evil … the
Church’s moral teaching never justified or permitted abortion at any stage
of development.” Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington and Archbishop
Charles Chaput of Denver each added their own comments reinforcing the
constant and unambiguous teaching of the Church on abortion, a teaching that
is morally binding on the consciences of all Catholics. Such teaching has
been constant in the Church because it corresponds to an undeniable and
indisputable fact: the direct procuring of an abortion is the destruction of
innocent human life. While the Church as early as the Didache of the first
century has always maintained this, it is a truth that binds not just
Catholics. It binds any and everyone whose conscience has been informed by
right reason. Only if you can justify the direct killing of innocent human
life — and how that can be done is beyond my ability to understand — can you
even countenance the evil of the abortion of the innocent child in the womb.
My aim is not in any way to discredit anyone. Speaker Pelosi, however,
objectively misstated the Catholic Church’s teaching and claimed as fact
things that are not. I am sure she is a fine person and I know she is a
woman of talent. The platform of the Democratic Party stands or falls on its
own words, although it has eliminated the word “rare” as one of their goals
about abortion and it continues to propagate the false idea that more
contraception leads to fewer abortions. The fact is exactly the opposite, as
Pope Paul VI correctly foresaw.
May I close by urging one and all to read the U.S. bishops’ statement,
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. In addition, I am happy to
inform you that on Sunday, September 28, the diocese is sponsoring an
afternoon on this document to be held from noon to 4 p.m. at St. John the
Baptist Diocesan High School, West Islip. Bishop Lori will be the keynote
speaker. It promises to be a stimulating and informative day for all who can
participate.
From The Long Island Catholic, newspaper for the Diocese of Rockville
Centre, 8/27/08
