Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. speaks at George Mason University's Prince William County Campus, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008, in Manassas, Va. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
(CNSNews.com) - Bishop W. Francis Malooly of the Diocese of Wilmington, Del., is seeking prayers to help Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) and other public officials become pro-life.
A statement issued by Malooly on Wednesday included the entire text of another statement issued earlier in the day by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In that earlier statement, the bishops challenged Biden’s claim on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the question of when human life begins is a “personal and private” matter. That's untrue, the bishops's statement said.
Bishop Malooly became the bishop of Wilmington, Biden’s home town, on Monday.
“It is my intention to build a supportive and trusting friendship with Senator Biden and as many public officials as I can,” Bishop Malooly said. “I will do my best, with your prayers, to assist him and all public officials as well as all citizens in our Diocese and beyond to understand how crucial the sanctity of human life is to a just society in the State of Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and our entire nation."
Statement of Bishop W. Francis Malooly, Bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, regarding Senator Biden’s statements on Catholic Church teachings on abortion:
September 10, 2008
Earlier today, our United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement to clarify remarks recently made by Senator Joseph Biden. They explain the truth of the matter in a clear and concise way. As your Bishop, I want you to understand our Church teaching, embrace it and promote it.
The USCCB statement is as follows:
BISHOPS RESPOND TO SENATOR BIDEN’S STATEMENTS REGARDING CHURCH TEACHING ON ABORTION
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop William E. Lori, chairman, U.S. Bishops Committee on Doctrine, issued the following statement:
Recently we had a duty to clarify the Catholic Church’s constant teaching against abortion, to correct misrepresentations of that teaching by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on “Meet the Press” (see www.usccb.org/prolife/whatsnew.shtml). On September 7, again on “Meet the Press,” Senator Joseph Biden made some statements about that teaching that also deserve a response.
Senator Biden did not claim that Catholic teaching allows or has ever allowed abortion. He said rightly that human life begins “at the moment of conception,” and that Catholics and others who recognize this should not be required by others to pay for abortions with their taxes.
However, the Senator’s claim that the beginning of human life is a “personal and private” matter of religious faith, one which cannot be “imposed” on others, does not reflect the truth of the matter. The Church recognizes that the obligation to protect unborn human life rests on the answer to two questions, neither of which is private or specifically religious.
The first is a biological question: When does a new human life begin? When is there a new living organism of the human species, distinct from mother and father and ready to develop and mature if given a nurturing environment? While ancient thinkers had little verifiable knowledge to help them answer this question, today embryology textbooks confirm that a new human life begins at conception (see www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/bioethic/fact298.shtml). The Catholic Church does not teach this as a matter of faith; it acknowledges it as a matter of objective fact.
The second is a moral question, with legal and political consequences: Which living members of the human species should be seen as having fundamental human rights, such as a right not to be killed? The Catholic Church’s answer is: Everybody. No human being should be treate
A statement issued by Malooly on Wednesday included the entire text of another statement issued earlier in the day by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In that earlier statement, the bishops challenged Biden’s claim on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the question of when human life begins is a “personal and private” matter. That's untrue, the bishops's statement said.
Bishop Malooly became the bishop of Wilmington, Biden’s home town, on Monday.
“It is my intention to build a supportive and trusting friendship with Senator Biden and as many public officials as I can,” Bishop Malooly said. “I will do my best, with your prayers, to assist him and all public officials as well as all citizens in our Diocese and beyond to understand how crucial the sanctity of human life is to a just society in the State of Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and our entire nation."
Statement of Bishop W. Francis Malooly, Bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, regarding Senator Biden’s statements on Catholic Church teachings on abortion:
September 10, 2008
Earlier today, our United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement to clarify remarks recently made by Senator Joseph Biden. They explain the truth of the matter in a clear and concise way. As your Bishop, I want you to understand our Church teaching, embrace it and promote it.
The USCCB statement is as follows:
BISHOPS RESPOND TO SENATOR BIDEN’S STATEMENTS REGARDING CHURCH TEACHING ON ABORTION
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop William E. Lori, chairman, U.S. Bishops Committee on Doctrine, issued the following statement:
Recently we had a duty to clarify the Catholic Church’s constant teaching against abortion, to correct misrepresentations of that teaching by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on “Meet the Press” (see www.usccb.org/prolife/whatsnew.shtml). On September 7, again on “Meet the Press,” Senator Joseph Biden made some statements about that teaching that also deserve a response.
Senator Biden did not claim that Catholic teaching allows or has ever allowed abortion. He said rightly that human life begins “at the moment of conception,” and that Catholics and others who recognize this should not be required by others to pay for abortions with their taxes.
However, the Senator’s claim that the beginning of human life is a “personal and private” matter of religious faith, one which cannot be “imposed” on others, does not reflect the truth of the matter. The Church recognizes that the obligation to protect unborn human life rests on the answer to two questions, neither of which is private or specifically religious.
The first is a biological question: When does a new human life begin? When is there a new living organism of the human species, distinct from mother and father and ready to develop and mature if given a nurturing environment? While ancient thinkers had little verifiable knowledge to help them answer this question, today embryology textbooks confirm that a new human life begins at conception (see www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/bioethic/fact298.shtml). The Catholic Church does not teach this as a matter of faith; it acknowledges it as a matter of objective fact.
The second is a moral question, with legal and political consequences: Which living members of the human species should be seen as having fundamental human rights, such as a right not to be killed? The Catholic Church’s answer is: Everybody. No human being should be treate