Abortion
is an intrinsic evil. Being
pro-abortion is also participating
in evil. Now voting for an openly
and rabidly pro-abortion candidate
when there is a pro-life opponent
is also participating in evil.
This can never be the way for
a Catholic, nor for a CFC-FFL
member.
God
bless.
frank
Right
to Be a 1-Issue Voter?
US Bishop Clarifies Reasoning
of Pro-life Ballot
SCRANTON,
Pennsylvania, OCT. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).-
Issues
beside abortion should be taken
into account when voting, but
should not be given the same
relevance unless they carry
the same level of moral gravity,
says the bishop of Scranton.
In
a letter to be read at all Masses
this weekend in the diocese,
Bishop Joseph Martino considers
the argument: "As wrong
as abortion is, I don't think
it is the only relevant 'life'
issue that should be considered
when deciding for whom to vote."
The
prelate clarifies: "This
reasoning is sound only if other
issues carry the same moral
weight as abortion does, such
as in the case of euthanasia
and destruction of embryos for
research purposes. Health care,
education, economic security,
immigration and taxes are very
important concerns. […]
However, the solutions to problems
in these areas do not usually
involve a rejection of the sanctity
of human life in the way that
abortion does."
As
proof of the point, Bishop Martino
said, "Consider this: The
finest health and education
systems, the fairest immigration
laws and the soundest economy
do nothing for the child who
never sees the light of day.
It
is a tragic irony that 'pro-choice'
candidates have come to support
homicide -- the gravest injustice
a society can tolerate -- in
the name of 'social justice.'"
The
62-year-old bishop went on to
say that even the just war theory
"has moral force because
it is grounded in the principle
that innocent human life must
be protected and defended."
He
continued, "Now, a person
may, in good faith, misapply
just war criteria leading him
to mistakenly believe that an
unjust war is just, but he or
she still knows that innocent
human life may not be harmed
on purpose. A person who supports
permissive abortion laws, however,
rejects the truth that innocent
human life may never be destroyed."
The
Church's primary task of helping
men and women reach salvation
means "it is incumbent
upon bishops to correct Catholics
who are in error regarding these
matters. Furthermore, public
officials who are Catholic and
who persist in public support
for abortion and other intrinsic
evils should not partake in
or be admitted to the sacrament
of holy Communion,"
Bishop Martino added.
Precedents
Bishop
Martino concluded by recalling
the example of a German bishop
who similarly spoke out in defense
of the innocent in 1941: He
gave a homily condemning the
Nazis for killing the mentally
ill.
"Should
he have opposed the war and
remained silent about the murder
of the mentally ill? No person
of conscience can fail to understand
why Bishop von Galen spoke as
he did," Bishop Martino
said.
And
he added: "My dear friends,
I beg you not to be misled by
confusion and lies. Our Lord,
Jesus Christ, does not ask us
to follow him to Calvary only
for us to be afraid of contradicting
a few bystanders along the way.
He does not ask us to take up
his cross only to have us leave
it at the voting booth door.
"Recently,
Pope Benedict XVI said that
'God is so humble that he uses
us to spread his word.' The
gospel of life, which we have
the privilege of proclaiming,
resonates in the heart of every
person -- believer and nonbeliever
-- because it fulfills the heart's
most profound desire.
"Let
us with one voice continue to
speak the language of love and
affirm the right of every human
being to have the value of his
or her life, from conception
to natural death, respected
to the highest degree."
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On
the Net:
Full
text of Bishop Martino's letter:
"For
to me life is Christ, and death
is gain." (Phil 1:21)