Posted on 02/23/2018 5:14:45 PM PST by ebb tide
Fake Republicans in Texas are losing, and the Catholic bishops seem ready to sacrifice a faithful pro-life leader to defend them.
On Thursday, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops issued a rebuke to Texas Right to Life, warning parishes "not to participate in their activities or allow the organization to use parish sites."
Texas Right to Life, headed by outspoken Catholic Jim Graham, has openly, consistently criticized the "soft push" of GOP Establishment leaders who have obstructed pro-life legislation. The bishops, meanwhile — members of the Church Establishment — are cozy with Texas RINOs (Republicans in Name Only).
The bishops' denouncement of Texas Right to Life comes in the wake of a split looming inside the Texas Republican Party — a winnowing of the conservative wheat from the Establishment chaff. Internal polling indicates Lone Star State RINOs are facing extinction in the upcoming elections, and political insiders believe the bishops' "advisory" is a ploy to save their political hides. By demonizing Texas Right to Life, they suggest, the bishops hope to preserve their political allies in office.
According to their "advisory," the bishops are spurning Texas Right to Life for three reasons:
This isn't the first time Texas Right to Life has run afoul of the Church Establishment. In 2013, Jeffrey Patterson, executive director of the Texas Catholic Conference, wrote to state Representative Dan Huberty on behalf of the bishops, blasting Texas Right to Life's voter guide as "unconventional," "subjective" and producing "perplexing results." He complained that the voter guide assigned low scores to "pro-life lawmakers who have worked long and hard to protect and preserve life."
But Republican lawmakers like Byron Cook and Joseph Straus, key leaders of the Texas GOP Establishment, have been criticized by Texas Right to Life for obstructing pro-life laws.
As Church Militant reported in October 2017, "Cook, as the chairman of the Texas House State Affairs Committee, has worked overtime to block pro-life legislation from being passed in the Texas legislature despite claiming to be pro-life." For example, he killed HB1113, the Pro-Life Health Insurance Reform, which would prohibit insurance companies from paying for elective abortions.
The pro-life bills Cook did support were considered "weak" and "fake" by Texas Right to Life — "ineffective or non-priority" measures that were actually "detrimental to the pro-life movement."
Straus, meanwhile, as Speaker of the House, "put a sudden end to a special legislative session" that Gov. Greg Abbott had called in order to address important bills Establishment Republicans ignored during the 2016–17 regular session.
Seeing the writing on the wall, in 2017 Cook and Straus announced they wouldn't seek re-election.
Texas Right to Life responded by declaring the news "worthy of an epic celebration," aruing, "In order for the Establishment ship to stay afloat, Straus and Cook had to walk the gangplank, rather than face an embarrassing electoral pummeling and sink the entire Establishment ship."
"If the members of the Texas House think they should merely change the name on the door of the speaker's office to another one of Gordon Johnson's puppets," Texas Right to Life added, "they too, should resign and resign in shame and be treated for Stockholm syndrome, before they are defeated by their electorate in the March 6, 2018 primary."
This primary, political insiders say, is what sparked today's denunciation of Texas Right to Life. If RINOs have any hope of retaining office, they have to silence the voice of unrelenting critics like Texas Right to Life. The "advisory," observers suggest, is the work of collusion between the bishops' conference and RINOs desperate to cling to power in the face of an approaching wipe-out at the ballot box.
Representing the Lone Star State's 13 dioceses and 2 archdioceses, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops includes:
The conference is available for comment:
Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops
PO Box 13285
Austin, TX 78711
(512) 339-9882
Email: https://txcatholic.org/contact/email-us/
Twitter: @TXCatholic
FYI
Texas right to Life is the state affiliate of
National Right to Life
They can and must teach the relevant principles where public policy intersects with moral law. E.g. we must oppose abortion. We must never approve or facilitate or advance or fund or encourage abortion.
BUT! They cannot make binding prudential decisions. E.g. take this pro-life legislative option rather than that one. That is, assuming that neither one flatly violates the moral law.
It is not the clergy's job job to "rule" on competing legislative strategies. That is precisely the proper sphere of action of the laity.
Clericalism at its worst.
The Catholic Conference in many States is a pro choice organization
They say leave it legal n work to reduce the number of abortions. Volunteer to do babysitting and donate diapers
. . . the Cuomo philosophy
This sounds like fake news.
BINOs like RINOs.
Ping
Intramural fight over
Prolife legislation
Death panels, etc
If we could convince them unborn children were third world immigrants, they’d get right on board.
The feud seems to center around hospital death panels
Diocese wants to give patients right to appeal to the panels.
TRTL wants to abolish the panels
? I don’t find any precise description of difference between Bishops and Texas life group... In area of end of life. I thought this was slready defined by Church.
https://www.texasrighttolife.com/where-did-the-senate-bills-go/
I think Catholic Conf supported an alternative bill
https://www.texasrighttolife.com/consensus-reached-on-dnr-consent-bill/
Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.
Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys.
Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.
Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving. Amen.
https://www.texasrighttolife.com/2017-disappointment-profile-byron-cook-texas-house-district-8/
Keep in mind that the Diocese owns hospitals & other facilities
That 2013 letter talks about balancing needs of patient and providers
Thanks! I got the picture. I know we have some bad bishops, but this is another shock. They’re out of line in so many ways.
The duties of citizens
2238 Those subject to authority should regard those in authority as representatives of God, who has made them stewards of his gifts:43 “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution.... Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God.”44 Their loyal collaboration includes the right, and at times the duty, to voice their just criticisms of that which seems harmful to the dignity of persons and to the good of the community.
2239 It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. the love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community.
2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country:
FRoM THE CATHOLIC catechism
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