Priests Urge Voter Participation; Right to Life is First Issue

As Pennsylvania voters prepare for the April 27 primary, some 1300 Catholic priests have released a statement calling for active voter participation, and echoing statements of the Catholic bishops that identify abortion as the primary issue.

The statement, coordinated by Priests for Life, quotes the bishops' 1998 document Living the Gospel of Life when it says that Catholics should "embrace their citizenship not merely as a duty and privilege, but as an opportunity meaningfully to participate in building the culture of life" (n.34).

Drawing from the bishops' 2001 Pastoral Plan for Pro-life activities, the statement also says that "among important issues involving the dignity of human life with which the Church is concerned, abortion necessarily plays a central role."

The statement also takes aim at candidates who support abortion, and states, "No public official … can responsibly advocate for or actively support direct attacks on innocent human life" (Living the Gospel of Life, n. 32).

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, urged Pennsylvania citizens to examine closely the positions taken by the candidates on abortion. He recommended the Pennsylvania Pro-life Federation (www.paprolife.org) as a helpful source of information.

The full text of the priests' statement is at www.priestsforlife.org/elections/politicalresponsibility.htm