Priests for Life Newsletter
Volume 10, Number
6
November - December 2000
Articles
Priests for Life Holds Press Conference and
Places Full Page Ad in NY Times
Voter Info Guide
Quotes from our Bishops
Prayer Intentions
Get Out the Vote
Homily Helps
Get Out the Vote!!!
"Every voice matters in the public forum. Every vote counts. Every act of
responsible citizenship is an exercise of significant individual power. We must
exercise that power in ways that defend human life, especially those of God's
children who are unborn, disabled or otherwise vulnerable" (US Bishops, Living
the Gospel of Life, 1998, n. 34).
Priests for Life urges every priest to
encourage his people to exercise their responsibility to vote!
Priests for Life Holds Press Conference and
Places Full Page Ad in NY Times
On July 18, 2000, over 20 priests, invited from 14 different states,
joined with Fr. Frank Pavone at the National Press Club for a press conference
about abortion and the upcoming elections. The room was filled with cameras and
reporters from the nation's largest media outlets, and many stations carried
reports about it on the evening news. Political talk shows across the country
also began commenting on the effort. Three days later, a full page ad appeared
in the New York Times, echoing the same message and signed by Fr. Frank and by
46 other priests, representing 39 states. (Note: the signatures were
representative; the ad was not meant to gather a large number of signers.)
Following are some excerpts from Fr. Frank's remarks at the press conference:
What we are doing here today is exactly what the Church has done for
centuries: defending human life, and challenging the government to do the same.
No matter what nation or period of history we are speaking of, when a human
government attempts to legitimize an act of violence, the Church declares that
such an attempt is devoid of all authority or juridical validity.
…
When we elect our lawmakers in America, we influence the moral character of
this nation for better or for worse. When our laws permit violence against
little babies, incidents like the Columbine High School shootings are the
logical outcome.
It should be understood from the outset that we are speaking here today as
clergy, enunciating the teachings of our Church in matters regarding the
fundamental rights of the human person. We are not endorsing candidates,
commenting on any electoral races, or presenting any political strategies.
…
Our message here is not that we want to control the way people vote.
The message is one of integrity: don't claim to be a believer if you don't act
like one, and don't claim to be a member of the Church and then misrepresent its
teachings.
…
No public official of any party or religion can responsibly take a
"pro-choice" position on abortion. Anyone who identifies himself as "pro-choice"
on abortion contradicts the teachings of the Catholic Church. There is not more
than one Catholic teaching on abortion. Furthermore, this is not only a Catholic
issue, but one of fundamental human rights. Catholic teaching holds that
stealing is wrong. That doesn't mean that non-Catholics can steal. Nor does it
mean that laws against stealing are an imposition of one group's religious
beliefs on the nation.
…
The educational effort we announce today is unprecedented in the magnitude
and variety of the ways we are getting the message out. We intend to employ
every means known to humanity, short of space travel, to reach people with this
message. We will utilize the Churches, by means of preaching and teaching. We
will take the message to the streets with peaceful demonstrations and other
First Amendment activities. We will mail information to clergy across America.
We will utilize phone banks to encourage the clergy in this effort. We will
submit articles and purchase ads in major newspapers. Our NY Times ad is
available to you here today. We will deal with these themes in our regular radio
and television programs, which air nationwide, and on our web page. We are
currently preparing TV commercials and planning media buys. Our priests on staff
will teach these themes in their regular nationwide travels to local communities
and in visits to elected officials. We are ready to spend $1million on this
effort. We will do everything that needs to be done within the boundaries of
what we are allowed to do by civil and canon law.
…
Some in the media have interpreted our effort to be an attack on certain
specific candidates for office. This is not the case. Voters are free to
elect whom they choose. But to be free, one has to be informed of the
implications of one's choice, including the moral and spiritual implications. It
is our mission, as spiritual leaders, to instruct them on the moral principles
that should inform their voting decisions.
Our educational effort is completely non-partisan. Lawmakers and voters in
both major parties have a wide range of positions on the abortion controversy
and may at any time change those positions. No matter who changes positions, or
what positions they change, our message always remains exactly the same.
If a candidate were to approve of shooting sprees, or race riots, the primary
question is hardly what party or religion they belong to. The question is, Is
that position compatible with public service?
Nor is our effort an issue of "What is the Church going to do to
pro-abortion politicians?" …This is an issue of what the voters are
going to do when they vote as people who oppose violence against little babies
and hold that the government should protect all life.
Moreover, I stress that we conduct these efforts as clergy, as pastors. We
speak publicly about whether support for abortion does or does not conform to
the Gospel. We do not speak publicly about the standing of any particular
person. It is our hope that our public comments will motivate candidates or
office-holders who do support abortion to approach the members of their clergy
and discuss these issues in private and confidential settings, and we pledge our
readiness to be available for that kind of pastoral service to anyone who
desires it.
Finally, may I appeal to you in the media to repeat the offer we make to any
woman anywhere, no matter what her ethnic or religious background, that if she
is pregnant and feels unable to continue that pregnancy, she can come to us, to
our Churches, to me personally, and we will see to it that she and her
child receive all the help they need. And to anyone who suffers the pain and
grief that follow abortion, we declare that the doors of the Church are open. We
are ready to assist you to find the forgiveness, healing, and peace that you
seek.
VOTER INFO GUIDE
As of the time of this writing, we expect a voter's guide, containing
information on the positions of candidates in the upcoming election, to be
available on the website of the US Bishops,
www.nccbuscc.org
We urge you to use this resource for your parishioners and organizations.
Quotes from our Bishops
The following can be used as bulletin inserts or quotes for homilies,
articles, and presentations:
"The Gospel of Life must be proclaimed, and human life defended, in all
places and all times. The arena for moral responsibility includes not only the
halls of government, but the voting booth as well. Laws that permit abortion,
euthanasia and assisted suicide are profoundly unjust, and we should work
peacefully and tirelessly to oppose and change them. Because they are unjust
they cannot bind citizens in conscience, be supported, acquiesced in, or
recognized as valid" (US Bishops, Living the Gospel of Life, 1998, n.
33).
"We encourage all citizens, particularly Catholics, to embrace their
citizenship not merely as a duty and privilege, but as an opportunity
meaningfully to participate in building the culture of life. Every voice
matters in the public forum. Every vote counts. Every act of responsible
citizenship is an exercise of significant individual power. We must exercise
that power in ways that defend human life, especially those of God's children
who are unborn, disabled or otherwise vulnerable" (US Bishops, Living the
Gospel of Life, 1998, n. 34).
"We get the public officials we deserve. Their virtue -- or lack thereof --
is a judgment not only on them, but on us. Because of this, we urge our fellow
citizens to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric
critically, and to choose their political leaders according to principle, not
party affiliation or mere self-interest.." (US Bishops, Living the Gospel
of Life, 1998, n. 34).
"Sometimes it seems few candidates and no party fully reflect our values. But
now is not a time for retreat. The new millennium should be an opportunity for
renewed participation. We must challenge all parties and every candidate to
defend human life and dignity, to pursue greater justice and peace, to uphold
family life, and to advance the common good" (Administrative Board, US Bishops,
Faithful Citizenship, 1999, p.5).
"We hope the campaigns and elections of the year 2000 become turning points
in our democracy, leading to more participation and less cynicism, more civil
dialogue on fundamental issues and less partisan posturing and attack ads. Let
us turn to a new century with renewed commitment to active citizenship and to
full democratic participation" (Administrative Board, US Bishops, Faithful
Citizenship, 1999, p.5).
"Catholics are called to be a community of conscience within the larger
society and to test public life by the moral wisdom anchored in Scripture and
consistent with the best of our nation's founding ideals. Our moral framework
does not easily fit the categories of right or left, Democrat or Republican. Our
responsibility is to measure every party and platform by how its agenda touches
human life and dignity" (Administrative Board, US Bishops, Faithful
Citizenship, 1999, p.8).
"For Catholics, public virtue is as important as private virtue in building
up the common good. In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a
virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation. Every
believer is called to faithful citizenship, to become an informed, active, and
responsible participant in the political process" (Administrative Board, US
Bishops, Faithful Citizenship, 1999, p.9).
Prayer Intentions
You are encouraged to remember the
following intentions as you pray the Liturgy of the Hours:
November intention: That elected officials carry out their responsibility
to protect the vulnerable.
December intention: For an end to the practice of capital punishment.
Get Out the Vote!!
Another election is upon us. You, the clergy, have spent countless hours
of preaching, teaching, and counseling to form your people in the Word of God.
Many other priests have likewise assisted them in past years. They have said
"Yes" to the Lord in the privacy of their hearts, their homes, and their
Churches.
Now they have the opportunity to make their "Yes" resound publicly by voting
in an informed and responsible way. Now they have the opportunity to bring the
fruits of your hard work to bear upon the public life and policies of our
nation, and shape those policies according to the Lord's Word.
The People of God are called to change the world. We, their shepherds,
encourage them in this task. In these days, let us do so by urging each of them
to exercise the duty, the privilege, to vote.
The following reflection from our booklet, Reflections on the Political
Responsibility of Christians, can be used to encourage your parishioners to
do so:
The bishops gathered for the Second Vatican Council explicitly taught, in
the document Gaudium et Spes, that we have an obligation to vote.
Now if a priest tells you that you need to do something, you will presumably
take that seriously. If a bishop tells you, you will take it even more
seriously. What if a few thousand bishops tell you that you need to do
something? That is the case here!
We don't tell you whom to vote for…We shouldn’t have to! Our job as ministers
of the Gospel is to form people in the principles and to call forth their
ability to evaluate the situation they face in each election.
Some people feel their vote does not count, does not make a difference. Let's
ask a question. How many people do you suppose think that way? And how many
people thinking that way is too many? If there are too many people thinking that
way, the best thing you can do to start changing that is to not think that way
yourself!
Another document which is central to these considerations is the US Bishops'
1998 statement Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics. The
bishops exhort us, "We encourage all citizens, particularly Catholics, to
embrace their citizenship not merely as a duty and privilege, but as an
opportunity meaningfully to participate in building the culture of life. Every
voice matters in the public forum. Every vote counts. Every act of responsible
citizenship is an exercise of significant individual power. We must exercise
that power in ways that defend human life, especially those of God's children
who are unborn, disabled or otherwise vulnerable" (US Bishops, Living the Gospel
of Life, 1998, n. 34).
Homily Helps
Following are brief reflections on how the Sunday readings, from October
8 to November 5 inclusive, relate to the theme of abortion and political
responsibility. We urge all clergy to address this theme at some point before
the elections, as well as throughout the year.
27th Sunday B - October 8
The Gospel declares that the Kingdom of God demands openness to the children.
Abortion directly contradicts this, both in national policy and personal
choices.
Moreover the teachings on the unity of man and woman in today's readings are
a good starting point to emphasize the Church's teachings on the dignity and
equality of women. To be pro-life is to be pro-woman. We do not say that the
child is more important than the mother, but that both are equal.
28th Sunday B - October 15
The prayer for wisdom (First reading) is one we should make not only for
ourselves, but for our national leaders, and those who seek elected office.
Wisdom in practice is reflected in the Gospel passage. It starts with
observance of the commandments, and the first one our Lord mentions is "You
shall not kill." The commandments are the path to life, for individuals and
nations. In our system of democracy, we the people govern the nation, and do so
especially by exercising our right to vote. When we enter the voting booths, we
do not cease to be Christians, exercising the wisdom God gives.
29th Sunday B - October 22
The Gospel makes it clear that the Christian is called to serve. Those in
public office are also called to serve. This means taking account of the needs
of all and protecting the lives of all. Abortion does exactly the opposite. It
ignores the most fundamental rights of an entire segment of the public. Support
for abortion cannot be reconciled with public service, and it is up to the
Christian community to make this clear to the rest of the nation.
30th Sunday B - October 29
The first reading speaks of the promise of return from exile. One of the
causes of the exile was the fact that God's people fell into the practice of
child-sacrifice (see 2 Kings 24:3-4).
Our nation allows child sacrifice, most vividly exemplified by partial-birth
abortion. Yet God gives us an opportunity to come back to him as a nation,
including the mothers with child (First reading), and to see again (Gospel) the
dignity of every life. Our national elections give each of us a chance to
participate in bringing our nation back to moral uprightness before God.
31st Sunday B - November 5
Both the first reading and the Gospel teach us that our first allegiance is
to God alone. In preparing to vote this week, therefore, we remind ourselves of
what the bishops have said in their 1998 document Living the Gospel of Life:
" we urge our fellow citizens to see beyond party politics, to analyze
campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose their political leaders according to
principle, not party affiliation or mere self-interest (n.34)."
Again, as they wrote in Faithful Citizenship (1999), "Our moral framework
does not easily fit the categories of right or left, Democrat or Republican. Our
responsibility is to measure every party and platform by how its agenda touches
human life and dignity."
