We speak as bishops, as
teachers of the Catholic faith and of the moral law. We have the duty to teach
about human life and dignity, marriage and family, war and peace, the needs of
the poor and the demands of justice. Today we continue our efforts to teach on
a uniquely important matter that has recently been a source of concern for
Catholics and others.
It is the teaching of the Catholic Church from
the very beginning, founded on her understanding of her Lord’s own witness to
the sacredness of human life, that the killing of an unborn child is always
intrinsically evil and can never be justified. If those who perform an
abortion and those who cooperate willingly in the action are fully aware of
the objective evil of what they do, they are guilty of grave sin and thereby
separate themselves from God’s grace. This is the constant and received
teaching of the Church. It is, as well, the conviction of many other people of
good will.
To make such intrinsically evil actions legal is itself
wrong. This is the point most recently highlighted in official Catholic
teaching. The legal system as such can be said to cooperate in evil when it
fails to protect the lives of those who have no protection except the law. In
the United States of America, abortion on demand has been made a
constitutional right by a decision of the Supreme Court. Failing to protect
the lives of innocent and defenseless members of the human race is to sin
against justice. Those who formulate law therefore have an obligation in
conscience to work toward correcting morally defective laws, lest they be
guilty of cooperating in evil and in sinning against the common good.
As our conference has insisted in
Faithful Citizenship,
Catholics who bring their moral convictions into public life do not threaten
democracy or pluralism but enrich them and the nation. The separation of
church and state does not require division between belief and public action,
between moral principles and political choices, but protects the right of
believers and religious groups to practice their faith and act on their values
in public life.
Our obligation as bishops at this time is to teach
clearly. It is with pastoral solicitude for everyone involved in the political
process that we will also counsel Catholic public officials that their acting
consistently to support abortion on demand risks making them cooperators in
evil in a public manner. We will persist in this duty to counsel, in the hope
that the scandal of their cooperating in evil can be resolved by the proper
formation of their consciences.
Having received an extensive interim
report from the Task Force on Catholic Bishops and Catholic Politicians, and
looking forward to the full report, we highlight several points from the
interim report that suggest some directions for our efforts:
- We need to continue to teach clearly and help other Catholic
leaders to teach clearly on our unequivocal commitment to the legal
protection of human life from the moment of conception until natural death.
Our teaching on human life and dignity should be reflected in our parishes
and our educational, health care and human service ministries.
- We need to do more to persuade all people that human life is
precious and human dignity must be defended. This requires more effective
dialogue and engagement with all public officials, especially Catholic
public officials. We welcome conversation initiated by political leaders
themselves.
- Catholics need to act in support of these principles and policies
in public life. It is the particular vocation of the laity to transform the
world. We have to encourage this vocation and do more to bring all believers
to this mission. As bishops, we do not endorse or oppose candidates. Rather,
we seek to form the consciences of our people so that they can examine the
positions of candidates and make choices based on Catholic moral and social
teaching.
- The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor
those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should
not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for
their actions.
- We commit ourselves to maintain communication with public
officials who make decisions every day that touch issues of human life and
dignity.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic life.
Therefore, like every Catholic generation before us, we must be guided by the
words of St. Paul, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of
the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the Body and Blood
of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:27). This means that all must examine their consciences
as to their worthiness to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord. This
examination includes fidelity to the moral teaching of the Church in personal
and public life.
The question has been raised as to whether the denial
of Holy Communion to some Catholics in political life is necessary because of
their public support for abortion on demand. Given the wide range of
circumstances involved in arriving at a prudential judgment on a matter of
this seriousness, we recognize that such decisions rest with the individual
bishop in accord with the established canonical and pastoral principles.
Bishops can legitimately make different judgments on the most prudent course
of pastoral action. Nevertheless, we all share an unequivocal commitment to
protect human life and dignity and to preach the Gospel in difficult times.
The polarizing tendencies of election-year politics can lead to
circumstances in which Catholic teaching and sacramental practice can be
misused for political ends. Respect for the Holy Eucharist, in particular,
demands that it be received worthily and that it be seen as the source for our
common mission in the world.
Catholics in Political Life was developed by the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Task Force on Catholic Bishops and
Catholic Politicians in collaboration with Francis Cardinal George, OMI,
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFMCap, and Bishop Donald W. Wuerl. It was
approved for publication by the full body of bishops at their June 2004
General Meeting and has been authorized for publication by the undersigned.
Msgr. William P. Fay
General Secretary, USCCB
July 07, 2004 Copyright © by United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops
|