The Bishops Keep Speaking—Updated!
Posted by Rebecca Teti in News on Friday, August 29, 2008 10:00 PM
Thought you might like an update on my post earlier this week about how our bishops have responded to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s statement that the Catholic Church doesn’t know when life begins. Since then, a few more bishops have issued statements. I’ve collected some links with a few sample quotations.
Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo writes:
As your bishop, I have the responsibility to present to you the authentic teaching of the Church, to correct the misinformation she has given, and finally to warn you that those who oppose the true teaching are not in good standing with the Church.
Bishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio and his auxiliary Oscar Cantu affirm their wholehearted agreement with the USCCB statement released by Cardinal Rigali & Bishop Lori.
Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Center corrected Speaker Pelosi in his weekly column.
Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs writes:
The teachings of the Church on abortion are consistent and unambiguous, and it is very disturbing to hear someone who claims to be a Catholic distort these teachings and sow seeds of confusion among the faithful by attempting to relativize the right to life. There can be no compromise on the issue.
Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa:
...the Catechism of the Catholic Church states it with succinct precision: “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception … Direct abortion, that is, an abortion willed either as an end or as a means to an end is always gravely contrary to God’s moral law.” (Catechism, 2270-2271)
Mrs. Pelosi claims to be an ‘ardent, practicing Catholic’ who has ‘studied (the issue) for a long time,’ but in presuming to articulate the Church’s teaching, the Speaker of the House has seriously misrepresented the history and nature of the Church’s moral stance. Perhaps her intention was to justify her long-standing position as a ‘pro-abortion’ politician by claiming a non-existent ambiguity in the moral teaching of the Church. Perhaps her desire was to convince Catholics that the unjust taking of the life of an unborn child can be justified as long as it is handled “respectfully.”
I pray that every Catholic will recognize the danger implicit in this kind of faulty reasoning and I want to take this opportunity to articulate simply and clearly the Church’s unchanging position in this matter.
Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh:
On Sunday, August 24, on “Meet the Press,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped out of her political role and completely misrepresented the teaching of the Catholic Church in regard to abortion. She said that Church teaching condemning procured abortion is somehow new and therefore unsettled. She could not have been more wrong. ...The teaching of the Church on abortion is settled. And as old as the Gospels.
Archbishop Wuerl of Washington responded a second time after Speaker Pelosi’s spokesman defended her remarks. Archbishop Wuerl also seized the issue as the topic of his column for his Archdiocesan newspaper this week.
By my count, that brings to 13 the number of American bishops who have explicitly corrected Speaker Pelosi’s understanding of Church teaching. In addition, Archbishop Niederauer of San Francisco (Speaker Pelosi’s diocese) posted the USCCB statement written by Cardinal Rigali and Bishop Lori on his Archdiocesan website. And of course, the USCCB statement speaks for all our bishops.
Update: Make that 16. Here are a few more statements since I posted this last night.
Bishop Listecki of LaCrosse
Let me be clear.To say that there is ambiguity about when human life begins is utterly and completely false, and any Catholic (which Speaker Pelosi professes to be) who tries to interpret Church teaching in such a manner gives scandal and misleads the faithful.
I very much respect House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s right to speak to public policy. However, interpreting the teachings of the Church is not in her domain but is entrusted to our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and to the bishops who are in communion with him. The Catholic Church from the beginning of time has condemned abortion as immoral and contrary to the laws of God.
Archbishop Neinstedt of St. Paul
on behalf of the 650,000 Catholics of this Archdiocese, I wish to reinforce what Cardinal Rigali, Bishop Lori of Bridgeport, Conn. and Archbishop Chaput of Denver have said about Speaker Pelosi’s misinterpretation on the question of when life begins. The Church has taught for centuries that life begins at conception and there is no room for misrepresentation of that teaching.
Here’s an interview with Archbishop Chaput explaining why Catholics who support abortion should refrain from receiving communion.
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