Posted on 11/12/2008 3:46:37 PM PST by Pyro7480
Meeting on the second day of their annual conference, the nation's Catholic bishops urged an aggressive campaign to oppose the pro-abortion bill expected to be the centerpiece of the Barack Obama administration. They also mentioned concerns about Catholic hospitals being forced to do abortions.
The FOCA bill, known as the Freedom of Choice Act, is the number one goal of abortion advocates, who feel emboldened by Obama's election.
It would not only make unlimited abortions throughout pregnancy a national law but it would overturn the laws in all 50 states designed to reduce abortions.
During the meeting, the bishops appeared united in their call for an aggressive campaign to defeat the measure in Congress or to take it to court if it becomes law.
Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco urged his colleagues to oppose FOCA “early and often, both with members of Congress and with the new administration.”
...The bishops also expressed concern about FOCA because it could overturn protections for Catholic hospitals that don't want to do abortions.
Some of the bishops, during the discussion, went as far as saying the Catholic Church should be willing to close some health facilities rather them allow them to be subject to a mandate to do abortions from the Obama administration....
“It could mean discontinuing obstetrics in our hospitals, and we may need to consider taking the drastic step of closing our Catholic hospitals entirely,” [Auxiliary Bishop Thomas of Chicago] Paprocki said. “It would not be sufficient to withdraw our sponsorship or to sell them to someone who would perform abortions. That would be a morally unacceptable cooperation in evil.”
“I do not think I’m being alarmist in considering such drastic steps,” he said. “We need to respond in a morally appropriate, responsible fashion.”
(Excerpt) Read more at lifenews.com ...
"...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...."
Catholic ping!
Blame the 45% or more Catholics who voted for the baby killer. Hypocrites. Sadly for the bishops and cardinals about half of the congregation are morons.
Unborn baby ping!
As Rush Limbaugh has said, liberals care more about being liberals than any other quality. It doesn’t matter what race, religion, background, they are — their liberalism comes first.
Hate to tell you this, but over half the population of the United States are morons.
Does this mean that the bishops will excommunicate any Catholic representatives or senators who vote for such a bill? Not just tell them that they shouldn't receive Communion, but formally excommunicate them?
FOCA -- especially if it overrides conscientious objection -- is part of the hubris that will put an end to Obamamania.
I fear that the Catholic church is quietly experiencing the same kind of schism that the Episcopal church is having. Over half of American Catholics defied the church in voting for Obama. In doing so, a case could be made that they have accepted Obama as an anti-pope.
It is not just unfortunate heterodoxy, is has, or soon it shall have reached the point of heresy.
Just today, a Maryknoll Priest defied the Holy Office in favor of advocating that female Priests be ordained. In the last decade, the number of “demand excommunications” has jumped, as have self excommunications.
As with the Episcopalians, this de facto schism cannot remain hidden long.
Episcopalian Archbishop Gene Robinson met 75 Catholic Priests at a secret meeting unknown to their bishops, to encourage them to defy the Vatican, and to advocate for women Priests as a way of opening the door to homosexual Priests. And to defy their vow of celibacy and seek a libertine lifestyle like his.
The only question that remains is how many of these fallen Catholics can be redeemed to the doctrines of the church.
This is really bothering me. I can see the CC closing hospitals in response. I can also see the strongarm use of Kelso to take them over if the church closes them.
Can you see where this may lead?
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If the bishops had been doing their jobs for the last 40 years, we wouldn’t have had a generation of Catholic voters thinking it was okay to vote for someone like Obama.
From your lips to God's ears, omega.
Make it so.
Yeah, BOF, and getting dumber, in greater numbers, by the day. Good communities to live in are getting scarcer. Wish I could live in "The Republic of Free Republic."
Beloved Levinite
bL
It’s the fault of priests, Bishop’s and Cardinals also, most of whom do not speak out clearly against today’s immoral climate. Too often they’re more interested in being liked. It is no wonder 45% of the Catholic vote went to Obama. And most of those Catholics don’t attend church regularly if at all.
‘Blame the 45% or more Catholics who voted for the baby killer. Hypocrites. Sadly for the bishops and cardinals about half of the congregation are morons.’ For the rest of us who are Catholics, these morons are ours and I for one am not about to give up on them. Most will come home.
Y’all need to stop giving communion to RATS that are pro-death.
IMHO, that would make a VERY strong statement.
This is true. But this is also why The Holy Spirit has raised Pope Benedict XVI to the bark of Peter.
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