Priests thank US Bishops for Statement

In a statement released on Saturday June 19, Fr. Frank Pavone expressed the gratitude of the Priests for Life association, of which he serves as National Director, for the June 18 statement of the US Bishops, "Catholics in Political Life."

Fr. Pavone noted, "The bishops' statement dispels the confusion that leads some to conclude that all moral issues are equal, or that it suffices for one's opposition to abortion to be "private and personal" rather than public. '…[T]he killing of an unborn child is always intrinsically evil and can never be justified,' the bishops declare. This cannot be said about war, capital punishment, or particular policy decisions that do not contradict fundamental moral principles.

"Moreover, some stands that public officials take can be sinful, thus rendering them unfit for Communion. As the bishops explain, 'Those who formulate law therefore have an obligation in conscience to work toward correcting morally defective laws, lest they be guilty of cooperating in evil and in sinning against the common good.'"

Fr. Pavone also thanked the bishops for urging "dialogue and engagement" with public officials. Priests for Life regularly initiates personal encounters and dialogue with public officials who disagree with Catholic teaching.

As part of an effort to prepare Catholics for the elections, Priests for Life will release special television programs and parish resources in September, including recent interviews which Fr. Pavone recently conducted with Vatican officials.

Priests for Life networks and equips the nation's 45,000 Catholic priests with pro-life resources. Fr. Pavone served at the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family, which fosters the pro-life ministry of the Church worldwide. Find out more at www.priestsforlife.org