Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison
Posted on 01/16/2008 6:29:55 AM PST by NYer
.- A dispute over a proposed Wisconsin law mandating emergency contraceptive coverage for rape victims has resulted in a clash between a group calling itself Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC) and Bishops Robert Morlino and Jerome Listecki. The pro-abortion organization is calling opposition to the bill a violation of patients’ rights, while the bishops assert that the bill violates the rights of doctors and the freedom of conscience.
At issue is whether the emergency contraception law will include conscience clauses exempting Catholic hospitals and medical practitioners with objections to such treatment, because it could endanger the life of a newly conceived child.
In a January 11 letter to a member of the Wisconsin legislature, Catholics for a Free Choice president Jon O’Brien attacked Catholic support for exemptions given to conscientious objectors and lobbied for the bill to be passed without conscience clauses.
O’Brien cited the stance of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), which took a neutral view of the law, and contrasted this neutrality with the opposition of two Wisconsin Catholic bishops, Bishop Robert Morlino and Bishop Jerome Listecki of the Diocese of Lacrosse.
Calling the two bishops’ protests an “opposition tactic,” O’Brien wrote, “Under the guise of protecting religious freedom, opponents of contraception and abortion aggressively use the political process to allow health-care professionals, including emergency room doctors, nurses, and even pharmacists to opt out of providing essential reproductive health-care services and medications.”
O’Brien claimed that the refusal to provide such services “violates the rights of both patients and health-care providers” who consider the services moral and medically necessary.
Bishop Morlino responded to the CFFC letter with his own letter, sent to the Wisconsin legislature on January 15.
The bishop reaffirmed a 2000 declaration from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops that CFFC is not a Catholic organization and promotes positions contrary to the teaching of the Church. “‘Catholics for a Free Choice’ is not, in fact, Catholic because its members don’t accept basic Catholic teaching. So, it comes as no surprise that when I teach basic Catholic doctrine, which they don’t recognize as such, they call it “political maneuvering” – a claim that is as frivolous as their claim to be Catholic is irresponsible,” the bishop wrote.
Bishop Morlino addressed the neutral stand of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, saying the CFFC used the conference’s position against two of the objectives the conference had sought to obtain. “While I am certain that the WCC sought to protect pre-born life and the rights of conscience, CFFC is clearly pro-abortion and anti-conscience protection.”
“Irresponsibly claiming to be Catholic, while rejecting the basic Catholic values that are to be embodied in emergency contraception legislation, is yet another source of scandal and confusion for faithful Catholics and all those who claim to be pro-life,” Bishop Morlino wrote.
The Catholic approach to emergency contraception, the bishop reiterated, rested on the three concerns of compassionate care for victims of rape, concern that possible pre-born life not be destroyed, and concern that the rights of conscience of individuals and institutions be protected.
Bishop Listecki of LaCrosse also warned against the pending legislation and called on Catholics to contact their state representatives.
Any organization can all itself “Catholic” but God knows the difference. I would not want to be associated with them in any way.
So CFFC wants to MANDATE emergency contraceptive coverage, but no ‘conscience clause’? Doesn’t sound like they want to allow CHOICE in the matter, does it?
I wish these “Catholics” with more respect for the Koran than Canon Law, who consistently buck Catholic teachings and traditions, would just break away and get it over with. They bring very little to the table anyway, and the loss of their numbers would soon be wiped out.
Orthodoxy bump to the top.
I wonder if the church could sue them to force them to remove the word “Catholic” from their organizations name? It is not unreasonable for a religion to claim what amounts as a trademark over its unique name.
This organization basically a lobby group supported by non-Catholic financial resources, like the Ford Foundation and other liberal non-profits. It is just a front for the likes of Planned Parenthood. Unfortunately it does represent a significant body of voters who also call themselves Catholic even if they are not contributing members.
Maybe the rest of the bishops could send a group-letter to Archbishop Burke for a definition of the word “excommunication,” then, once they’ve fully comprehended its meaning and usage, DO IT to THESE NITWITS = ONCE AND FOR ALL.
What is so difficult here?
Perhaps some of the bishops agree with some of the other policies of CFFC and don't want to make waves. I can think of several bishops right off the top of my head.
In theory, they have already broken away. Bishop Bruskewitz in Lincoln, NE has stated that those who belong to the group and do not renounce their membership have excommunicated themselves from the Catholic Church.
There were other groups on that same list, namely, Freemasonry (and their associated groups, and the SSPX.
Catholics got the same problem all the other denominations have, anybody that wants to can call themselves one.
I don’t think so.
| Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC) | Promotes artificial contraceptive "rights," including abortion. Their focus is the "intersection of Catholic teaching and public policy." Bishop Bruskewitz excommunicated those that belong to this group in his Diocese. Member of Catholic Organizations for Renewal. They have been condemned by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB). |
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