Are pro-choice Catholics as misinformed about their faith as
House Speaker Pelosi? The self-proclaimed devout Catholic
appeared on "Meet the Press" recently and tried to
rationalize her abortion stance by claiming the church was not
specifically against it. Her remarks drew an unprecedented
response from Catholic leaders around the country, including our
own Edward Cardinal Egan, who refuted her argument and affirmed
in no uncertain terms that the church opposes abortion.
In a press release issued by the Archdiocese of New York, he
said, "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."
On the August 24 "Meet the Press," Mrs. Pelosi said:
"I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is
an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is,
over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able
to make that definition. And senator - St. Augustine said at
three months. We don't know. The point is, is that it shouldn't
have an impact on the woman's right to choose."
I'm not sure what sources Mrs. Pelosi has been studying, but it
certainly wasn't the catechism of the Catholic Church, which is
very clear on abortion: Human life must be respected and
protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the
first moment of existence, a human being must be recognized as
having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable
right of every innocent being to life.
Citing religious dogma on the issue of abortion means nothing in
New York State, which is the abortion capital of the nation. In
June, an unlicensed abortionist in California, Bertha Bugarin,
was arrested and jailed after botched abortion victims came
forward. Bugarin, who owns five abortion mills, was charged with
10 felonies and one misdemeanor for practicing medicine and
prescribing drugs without a license. She has pleaded not guilty.
She should move to New York, where legislation is pending to
allow nonphysicians to perform abortions.
Governor Spitzer proposed the Reproductive Health and Privacy
Protection Act during his administration. This legislation, which
would make abortion a civil right, has been condemned by both
pro-life groups and women's health organizations. The specifics
in the bill are the most radical ever proposed, and Governor
Paterson has indicated no opposition to the bill.
The bill will grant very young girls access to chemical birth
control and abortion and prevent the passage of parental
notification laws for minors. A grassroots organization called
New Yorkers for Parental Rights was formed to alert the public of
the dangers of this bill.
Women's health organizations recognize how deadly the provisions
of the bill are. It would eliminate the need for doctors and
hospital environments in the performance of an abortion. A
"licensed health care provider" will become a legal
abortion provider. Providers will not be subject to prosecution
for manslaughter if they cause the death of a woman during an
abortion procedure.
In July, a sponsor of the bill, state Senator Craig Johnson, a
Democrat, met with members of Feminists for Life to discuss it.
One was Camille Gagliano who reported that his response to all
the comments made about how this bill is bad for women was simply
to say, "I am pro-choice."
I'm sorry, but pro-choice politicians who claim they care for
women's rights lose all credibility with me when they refuse to
recognize that this bill makes abortion anything but
"safe." What they may care more for is who will fund
their re-election campaigns.
At the Democratic National Convention, the pro-abortion
contingency was represented by the presidents of NARAL and
Planned Parenthood, both of whom spoke at the convention. Emily's
List sponsored a select gathering of pro-abortion women and there
were diversity parties everywhere.
In the closing lines of his press statement, Cardinal Egan was
obviously chastising Catholic politicians such as Mrs. Pelosi
when he spoke of the innocent lives in the womb: "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."
Catholic politicians may not care what the bishops think, but
Catholic voters should.