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Bishops, please do something about Emily’s List

"The five pro-abortion public officials highlighting today's 20th anniversary luncheon for Emily's List each need to hear the Catholic Church's teachings about abortion," said American Life League president Judie Brown. "These women, who claim to be Catholic, all adamantly defy the Church. It would be my hope that each of their bishops contacts them as soon as possible to remind them it is impossible to be Catholic and pro-abortion."

U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Ct.), Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich.) and State Sen. Joan FitzGerald (D-Colo.) all claim to be Catholics in good standing despite their continuing support of legalized abortion. "The fact that their public support of abortion is seemingly going unchallenged is a cause of great scandal," said Mrs. Brown. "Several bishops say they are involved in ongoing private dialog with pro-abortion public figures, and that is an excellent first step. However, the apparent reluctance of many bishops to publicly rebuke these pro-abortion Catholics is a source of confusion, not only for their fellow Catholics, but for all Americans who would benefit from a clear understanding of Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human beings' lives."

Mrs. Brown said the message is simple. "Abortion is an intrinsic evil that is always wrong. The Catholic Church clearly teaches this. Therefore, it is unacceptable for any Catholic, especially known public figures, to claim to be good Catholics while supporting or promoting the violence of abortion. Why is it so hard for some bishops to say so regarding specific individuals?"

The Emily's List event demonstrates how much work has yet to be done in order to fully explain to people in the pews why a pro-abortion political stance is inconsistent with Catholic teachings. However, the topic is not included in the news release listing highlights of the bishops' discussions at the annual United States Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting next month in Washington. "It's a question we must ask with all respect," said Mrs. Brown, "but it's a question we must ask: Why is this critical topic not mentioned as one of the highlights of the November meeting? It is only when the bishops make the scandal of pro-abortion 'Catholics' a primary concern that we will begin to see any change from those who condone abortion while claiming to be followers of Jesus Christ."

Release issued: 17 Oct 05