Posted on 10/29/2009 1:00:21 PM PDT by marcbold
Wow! This is big news. For months the bishops have been threatening to oppose the healthcare legislation as long as it included abortion funding. But I didn't expect this. Wonderful news. Catholic.org reports:
An E-mail directive has been sent from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Pro-Life Activities Secretariat mobilizing every parish in the United States of America. It contains an urgent message which is to be distributed in every parish this weekend and announced at every single Mass. This massive and urgent appeal may be unprecedented in our history as Catholics in America. It is an effort to mobilize the Catholic faithful on an urgent matter of public policy concerning the fundamental and foundational human right to life.
The E-Mail specifically asks that no parish opt out of this initiative.
The bishops are urging all parishes to insert a document into all parish bulletins across the country. The pdf of the file is here.
The text reads:USCCB NATIONWIDE BULLETIN INSERT
Tell Congress: Remove Abortion Funding & Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform
Congress is preparing to debate health care reform legislation on the House and Senate floors.
Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of conception until natural death. The U.S. bishops’ conference has concluded that all committee approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience, and do not provide adequate access to health care for immigrants and the poor. The bills will have to change or the bishops have pledged to oppose them.
Our nation is at a crossroads. Policies adopted in health care reform will have an impact for good or ill for years to come...
“No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion...
(Excerpt) Read more at creativeminorityreport.com ...
Nonsense. Gibberish.
Bishops Announce Unprecedented Massive Catholic Opposition to Obamacare
Archbishop Charles Chaput on the Current Struggle Between Catholics and "Caesar"
The Bishop's Ax Falls on Obama. And on the Vatican Curia (bombshell article)
US Bishops: Heath Package Still Funding Abortions (Urge Congress to Keep Working)
Catholic Bishops Declare They Will ‘Vigorously’ Oppose Health Care Bill as It Now Stands
Bishops Restate Vow vs. Obamacare's Abortion
Important: US Bishops taking the gloves off on health care reform
BREAKING: Catholic Bishops On Health Care - Change Bills Or Else
U.S. bishops warn of vigorous opposition if Congress fails to fix health care bills
List: *41* Bishops against Obamacare (and counting!)
Bishop Murphy Issues Video Statement on Health Care Reform [Diocese of Rockville Centre]
Health Care Principles [Bishop Samuel Aquila, Fargo, ND]
Florida Bishop [Thomas Wenski] Weighs in on Health Care Reform
ObamaCare and Catholic social teaching [Bishop Neckless]
Some Catholic bishops question gov't health care
Boston’s Roman Catholic Cardinal Says He Confronted Obama about Abortion in Health Care Plan....
Iowa Bishop: Don’t Be Railroaded into the Current...Health Care Proposals
in a message issued by the Diocese of Sioux City (The Church on Universal Healthcare)
Nazi Health Care A Catholic Bishop Speaks Out Against "End of Life Care" (Germany, 1941)
Bishop Nickless: "No Health Care Reform is Better than the Wrong Health Care Reform"
Cardinal Rigali, Abp. Chaput Intensify Warnings Against Obamacare's Abortion Expansion
Thanks to netilsmom for the ping!
As a libertarian Catholic, I am exasperated by about 95% of what the USCCB does. However, I think the bishops — for motives that may range from noble to pragmatic to suspect, but who cares about their motives, anyway? — are going to stand firm on this one.
The American Bishops sold out long ago, but since our new Pope there has been a resurgence of conservative viewpoints. I cannot even defend my own Bishop, but I will defend the faith. Don’t label all of us.
Wot
A
Riot
=
WAR.
;)
What makes you think I love/hate the [Catholic] Church so much?
You wouldn’t hate the Church so much if you didn’t love her.
People who don’t care - well, they simply don’t care. You care.
I reckon that if the pro-life church people unite on this, we could sink the HealthScam for another decade, if not another generation (in politics nothing is forever.)
If 1/10 of the Catholics (joined by 1/10 of the non-Catholic pro-life people) act on this, it will
Because if a Life/Conscience amendment is demanded by, oh, say, 6 - 10 million voters, and the ghastly Madame Pelosi blocks it from going to a floor vote, people will raise holy hell and the center-prolife-BlueDog section of Dems in the House will revolt and kill the bill.
If a Life/Conscience amendment is, in fact, brought up, it will pass and the Left will kill the bill.
And again with this "I hate the Church so much" stuff.
Show me - cite the posts, provide the links - where I hate the Church.
I'm sorry, I think you missed my point. If the only objection they have is abortion what stops the Rats from pulling it and counting on the courts to reinsert it later after it's passed. They are taking the same approach to illegal immigrants. They pulled those provisions, but they know court precedent will require them to be covered.
As a libertarian Catholic...
Where's the liberty in the govt taking over health care and the individual losing the responsibility for their own life?
I just called my pastor. He'd already heard from Bishop Stika in Knoxville.
Y'know, in some parishes this isn't going to make a bit of difference, but in some, people will take 'holt and run with it.
We may activate just the percent of active ingredients we need, and tip this dang boulder over the edge. By a milligram. By a whisker.
I’ll be shocked if we actually have this mentioned at our parish.
Also, my bet, if it is mentioned, is that it will be framed in terms of retaining Catholic hospitals’ independence and as a part of vaguely supporting life as a seamless garment, from conception through natural death.
They’ll ask us to consider thoughtfully taking some action, and keeping this issue in our prayers.
I think my parish shies away from politics, as there are a wide spectrum of political opinions among the members, and also the pastor doesn’t want to endanger the tax exempt status of the parish (even though that is not affected by a legislative effort, as opposed to endorsing candidates.)
I’ll be interested to see how this plays out in real parishes.
Don’t neglect Confusion & Delay.
Abortion is a side issue for them.
Once they get the overall plan signed into law, they can add amendments to it all they want. This may be a deal breaker for some Catholics, but the left doesn’t give up and plays the game very well.
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