Another example of the confusion...

A wide loophole

Pro-abortion Catholic voters and politicians must be breathing a sigh of relief after Archbishop Burke's clarification about how Catholics can support pro-abortion candidates, so long as they vote for them for other offsetting reasons.

What other reasons are more important? This is a loophole wide enough to accommodate a semi-trailer.

No politician will ever admit to being in favor of abortion. Politicians are all "personally opposed" to abortion, but with an all-important "but" attached. President Jimmy Carter invented the "personally opposed but" defense, and every pro-abortion politician has been using it ever since.

The archbishop's "clarification" is not a clarification at all, but an all-out retreat from his previous principled and courageous stand on this matter.

If this represents my church's official position on pro-abortion politicians and those who put them in office to support the culture of death, our bishops can cease issuing high-sounding guidelines on Catholics in public life. They are beginning to have a hollow ring to them.

F. Douglas Kneibert
Sedalia, Mo.

This is precisely the confusion and dissatisfaction which can occur when a secular newspaper attempts to "clarify" Catholic theological or moral principles. Mr. Kneibert is not the only person who has been mislead and confused by the Post-Dispatch's recent article. We can only hope and pray that Archbishop Burke will issue his pastoral letter sooner rather than later now that this misrepresentation has occurred.

Letters to the Editor Link.