Press Release—2 March 2006Is this tactic of attacking others, such as William Donohue and George Bush, in response to the overwhelming criticism they have received, any different than that which these people always do? Is it not from the same, old playbook that has been used for so many years? One might also notice that the word "conscience" is conveniently left out of this press release, perhaps because they were "hammered" on it for the past couple of days.
55 Catholic members of the House made a public statement this week declaring their determination to decrease abortions in the United States. But William Donohue, the Catholic face of the Heritage Foundation’s pro-Republican agenda, responded yesterday with an ideologically-driven condemnation of this serious effort to address the whole range of Catholic issues. The reason? Because the 55 members in question are Democrats, and William Donohue has once again shown that the Catholic League’s Republican loyalties trump any concern about the unborn.
Dr. Patrick Whelan responded, “Nowhere in the pronouncements of the Catholic League has there been any recognition of the Bush Administration’s failed abortion strategy. Indeed, Mr. Bush has become the ‘Abortion President,’ reversing 13 years of declines in the number of abortions through policies that have created record numbers of poor people, cut Medicaid spending, and driven unprecedented numbers of workers onto the rolls of the medically uninsured. Four Republican-sponsored laws passed by Congress professed to address the abortion issue, including the so-called ‘partial birth abortion’ ban, but not even the supporters of these laws have claimed that they would have any meaningful effect on the abortion rates in America. And now the latest CDC data have proven just how weak the Bush Administration has been on the abortion issue, showing the first increases in abortions since 1990.”
In contrast, the House Democratic Catholic Caucus letter advances Catholic Social Teaching: “As legislators, in the U.S. House of Representatives, we work every day to advance respect for life and the dignity of every human being. We believe that government has moral purpose.” On abortion, the statement puts forth a positive vision of action: “Each of us is committed to reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and creating an environment with policies that encourage pregnancies to be carried to term. We believe this includes promoting alternatives to abortion, such as adoption, and improving access to children's healthcare and child care, as well as policies that encourage paternal and maternal responsibility.”
All the anti-abortion rhetoric in the world cannot make up for Mr. Bush’s de facto pro-abortion policies that increase poverty, boost medical uninsurance rates, and ignore the continued threat of HIV substantially responsible for the changing sexual practices in the 90s that led to the plummeting abortion rates under President Bill Clinton. Donohue may parrot the Republican line on abortion, that reversing Roe-v-Wade is the only answer, but this misrepresents the Catholic view. As Catholics, the moral question we face on abortion is how we actually bring these children into the world. 55 House Democrats have thrown down a gauntlet, and as Catholics we have an opportunity to reverse the Bush pro-abortion policies that Donohue refuses to condemn. Concerted action, rather than insults slung toward Democratic leaders, would seem to be the appropriate Catholic response.
The Catholic Democrats are a national network of state-based groups, working within the Democratic Party to advance Catholic Social Teaching and its commitment to the common good. Questions? Dr. Andrew Clarkson, Communications Director (617-308-1584 media@catholicdemocrats.org).
Those who reject the teachings of the Church are not forced to remain Catholic. What reason causes them to continue to make the claim of being faithful Catholics while rejecting Church teachings. Usurping for themselves a position of moral authority in what amounts to a pseudo-magisterial status wherein they can interpret and decide what is right and wrong - apart from the Church - is not only anti-Catholic, but gravely scandalous. Their stated "disagreement" with the Church places them in an untenable situation which, objectively, where their souls are in grave danger.
Perhaps, a catechetical lesson (or several) would be useful in helping to enlighten their minds and convert their wills.
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