U.S. Bishops: FOCA is ‘Evil’

NCRegister.com ^ | November 12, 2008 | Tom McFeely

[Salvation]

U.S. Bishops: FOCA is ‘Evil’

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 3:34 PM

Here is the statement Cardinal Francis George of Chicago has just released, on behalf of all of America’s Catholic bishops, about abortion and the election of President-elect Barack Obama:

“If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.” (Psalm 127, vs. 1)

The Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States welcome this moment of historic transition and look forward to working with President-elect Obama and the members of the new Congress for the common good of all.  Because of the Church’s history and the scope of her ministries in this country, we want to continue our work for economic justice and opportunity for all; our efforts to reform laws around immigration and the situation of the undocumented; our provision of better education and adequate health care for all, especially for women and children; our desire to safeguard religious freedom and foster peace at home and abroad.  The Church is intent on doing good and will continue to cooperate gladly with the government and all others working for these goods.

The fundamental good is life itself, a gift from God and our parents.  A good state protects the lives of all.  Legal protection for those members of the human family waiting to be born in this country was removed when the Supreme Court decided Roe vs. Wade in 1973.  This was bad law.  The danger the Bishops see at this moment is that a bad court decision will be enshrined in bad legislation that is more radical than the 1973 Supreme Court decision itself. 

In the last Congress, a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was introduced that would, if brought forward in the same form today, outlaw any “interference” in providing abortion at will.  It would deprive the American people in all fifty states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry.  FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars.  It would counteract any and all sincere efforts by government and others of good will to reduce the number of abortions in our country.

Parental notification and informed consent precautions would be outlawed, as would be laws banning procedures such as partial-birth abortion and protecting infants born alive after a failed abortion.  Abortion clinics would be deregulated.  The Hyde Amendment restricting the federal funding of abortions would be abrogated.  FOCA would have lethal consequences for prenatal human life.

FOCA would have an equally destructive effect on the freedom of conscience of doctors, nurses and health care workers whose personal convictions do not permit them to cooperate in the private killing of unborn children.  It would threaten Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Charities.  It would be an evil law that would further divide our country, and the Church should be intent on opposing evil. 

On this issue, the legal protection of the unborn, the bishops are of one mind with Catholics and others of good will.  They are also pastors who have listened to women whose lives have been diminished because they believed they had no choice but to abort a baby.  Abortion is a medical procedure that kills, and the psychological and spiritual consequences are written in the sorrow and depression of many women and men.  The bishops are single-minded because they are, first of all, single-hearted.

The recent election was principally decided out of concern for the economy, for the loss of jobs and homes and financial security for families, here and around the world.  If the election is misinterpreted ideologically as a referendum on abortion, the unity desired by President-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis will be impossible to achieve.  Abortion kills not only unborn children; it destroys constitutional order and the common good, which is assured only when the life of every human being is legally protected.  Aggressively pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans, and would be seen by many as an attack on the free exercise of their religion.

This statement is written at the request and direction of all the Bishops, who also want to thank all those in politics who work with good will to protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us.  Those in public life do so, sometimes, at the cost of great sacrifice to themselves and their families; and we are grateful.  We express again our great desire to work with all those who cherish the common good of our nation.  The common good is not the sum total of individual desires and interests; it is achieved in the working out of a common life based upon good reason and good will for all.

Our prayers accompany President-elect Obama and his family and those who are cooperating with him to assure a smooth transition in government.  Many issues demand immediate attention on the part of our elected “watchman.” (Psalm 127) May God bless him and our country.”

— Tom McFeely

[Salvation]

For your information and discussion.

May each and every Bishop speak out against FOCA!

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Everyone needs to go to http://www.fightfoca.com and sign the petition!

[Salvation]

A Psalm to pray during the inaugaration: *Thanks, lightma.)

Psalms
Chapter 146

1

¹ Hallelujah!

2

Praise the LORD, my soul; I shall praise the LORD all my life, sing praise to my God while I live.

3

I Put no trust in princes, in mere mortals powerless to save.

4

When they breathe their last, they return to the earth; that day all their planning comes to nothing.

5

Happy those whose help is Jacob's God, whose hope is in the LORD, their God,

6

The maker of heaven and earth, the seas and all that is in them, Who keeps faith forever,

7

secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free;

8

the LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.

9

The LORD protects the stranger, sustains the orphan and the widow, but thwarts the way of the wicked.

10

The LORD shall reign forever, your God, Zion, through all generations! Hallelujah!

Table of Contents Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Footnotes

¹ [Psalm 146] A hymn of someone who has learned there is no other source of strength except the merciful God. Only God, not mortal humans (Psalm 146:3-4), can help vulnerable and oppressed people (Psalm 146:5-9). The first of the five hymns that conclude the Psalter.

[Salvation]

Thanks for that link!

[Salvation]

Oops,

(Thanks, lightman)

[Reddy]

bookmark

[Salvation]

Prayer for the Helpless Unborn



Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the
devil,

those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life.

Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today

 who are not thinking of motherhood.

Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image

 - as well as theirs - made for eternal life.

Dispel their fear and selfishness and give them true womanly hearts

to love their babies and give them birth

and all the needed care that a mother can give.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord,

Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit,

One God, forever and ever. Amen.

[Salvation]

Novena for the Protection of the Unborn

URGENT: Novena request for the defeat of FOCA to start Jan.11

[5thGenTexan]

What the pro-abortion crowd does not get is "Parental notification and informed consent precautions would be outlawed... means anything that could cause a parent to be placed into a informed consent position could be attacked with this. That could completely undermine parental rights in general, handing our children over to the state.

[Judith Anne]

Thank you for posting. When I think of a USA with FOCA passed into law, I am sick with fear.

[5thGenTexan]

Speaking out is great. Will they act? Let's see if the Pelocis and Kennedys are blocked from Communion.

[LonePalm]

It is truly evil.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[massgopguy]

Thank’s for the heads up TQC. I will present it to my Knights of Columbus Council 13966 at tonight’s meeting.

[oldbill]

Sorry, but there is too much hypocrisy from these bishops (granted, there are a few honest ones).

Their staff at USCCB is overwhelmingly liberal and strident. They even used Campaign for Human Development monies to fund ACORN’s Get-Out-The-Vote for Abortionist-in-Chief Barry Obama.

Soon after next week’s March for Life in Washington these same bishops will be breaking bread with “Catholic” abortionists Kennedy, Biden, Kerry, Leahy, Mikulski, Pelosi at various dinners and festivities. Most of them are even voting for them.

When these bishops start practicing what they preach, they might get the faithful to take up the cause.

[paguch]

I believe this is a scam put on by the Bishops to cover themselves and keep the contributions coming from the pews.

Take a look at the first paragraph of the statement and you will see their real agenda, one supported by Obama and the Democrats. Look at their declarations from their annual meeting in Maryland and you will see that their agenda is not to fight this fight with vigor. It was low , along with stopping abortion on their agenda.

There is a reason that 54% of Catholics voted for Obama, they were following the leadership of the Bishop's.

The 45% that did not vote for Obama are most of the Catholics who go to church and fund the Bishops. The Bishops can't loose their support so they pretend to care more about abortion than the Democrat party social agenda.

[paguch]

I obviously agree with oldbill. I have also talked to the staff at the USCCB. They have given millions to ACORN over the years.

Did the Catholic Church stan by while Hugo Chavez took power?

[oldbill]

". . . our efforts to reform laws around immigration and the situation of the undocumented"

Lost me right there. Synopsis: Enact laws that will stop abortion, but ignore or break laws that deal with the criminal invasion of law breaking aliens.

Care to explain to us what other laws we should break to advance your liberation theology, Your Excellencies?

[Salvation]

I don’t have time to find the links right now, but will find them this evening. FYI, the U. S. Bishops have discontinued giving money to ACORN because of all the fraud that ACORN committed during the lead up to the election.

If I forget — please ping me and ask for the FR links.

[Salvation]

The numvers are wrong. It was verified later that less Catholic (supposed) voted for Obama than what you cite from what was originally reported.

ACTUALLY, no REAL Catholics voted for Obama — only Catholics In Name Only —CINOs — voted for him.

[paguch]

The Bishop’s discontinued the contribution this year after the fraud by the ACORN founder of stealing funds was exposed. Surely the Bishops have been aware of the voter fraud of ACORN for the past ten years, perpetrated with Catholic support.

By the way, I am a Catholic who is concerned with the leadership of the Bishop’s. I asked my Bishop to make a strong statement before the election.. Two days later he made a weak statement. Lip service.