Here's a great example of why thoughtful Catholics must despise the Democrats as a party. This lady is their elected speaker. Pelosi subverts Catholic teaching publicly under the self description of an "ardent, practicing Catholic."
Here's how Archbishop Chaput has responded:
Ardent, practicing Catholics will quickly learn from the historical record that from apostolic times, the
Christian tradition overwhelmingly held that abortion was grievously evil. In the absence of modern
medical knowledge, some of the Early Fathers held that abortion was homicide; others that it was tantamount
to homicide; and various scholars theorized about when and how the unborn child might be
animated or "ensouled." But none diminished the unique evil of abortion as an attack on life itself, and
the early Church closely associated abortion with infanticide. In short, from the beginning, the believing
Christian community held that abortion was always, gravely wrong.
Of course, we now know with biological certainty exactly when human life begins. Thus, today's religious
alibis for abortion and a so-called "right to choose" are nothing more than that - alibis that break
radically with historic Christian and Catholic belief.
Abortion kills an unborn, developing human life. It is always gravely evil, and so are the evasions
employed to justify it. Catholics who make excuses for it - whether they're famous or not - fool only
themselves and abuse the fidelity of those Catholics who do sincerely seek to follow the Gospel and live
their Catholic faith.
The duty of the Church and other religious communities is moral witness. The duty of the state and its
officials is to serve the common good, which is always rooted in moral truth. A proper understanding
of the "separation of Church and state" does not imply a separation of faith from political life. But of
course, it's always important to know what our faith actually teaches.Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Denver
Addresses
Denver, CO - Monday, August 25, 2008
4 comments:
The wonderful archbishop Chaput has hit the nail on the head! It is so dishonest to present oneself as a Catholic and misrepresent Catholic teaching.
Archbishop Chaput is such a stud it makes me want to move to Denver.
To say nothing of the fact that the USCCB and Archbishop Donald Werul also issued clear, concise, and powerful statements on this matter.
This is how I like to see our Bishops acting!
Bishop Chaput's response was good. Did you happen to see Cardinal Egan's response? It's priceless!
Here is his entire statement:
"Like many other citizens of this nation, I was shocked to learn that the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States of America would make the kind of statements that were made to Mr. Tom Brokaw of NBC-TV on Sunday, August 24, 2008. What the Speaker had to say about theologians and their positions regarding abortion was not only misinformed; it was also, and especially, utterly incredible in this day and age.
We are blessed in the 21st century with crystal-clear photographs and action films of the living realities within their pregnant mothers. No one with the slightest measure of integrity or honor could fail to know what these marvelous beings manifestly, clearly, and obviously are, as they smile and wave into the world outside the womb. In simplest terms, they are human beings with an inalienable right to live, a right that the Speaker of the House of Representatives is bound to defend at all costs for the most basic of ethical reasons. They are not parts of their mothers, and what they are depends not at all upon the opinions of theologians of any faith. Anyone who dares to defend that they may be legitimately killed because another human being “chooses” to do so or for any other equally ridiculous reason should not be providing leadership in a civilized democracy worthy of the name."
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