[Mrs. Don-o]

The problem here is the sloppy and illegitimate mixing-together of true up-and-down moral issues with, on the other hand, purely prudential political issues. The hierarchy has to take a strong doctrinal "position" on up-and-down moral issues like prohibiting, for instance, murder. On the other hand, the hierarchy has no business prescribing policy positions on the huge wide range of public issues into which they are so regrettably eager to stick their noses.

A lot of it is that they confuse the duties of "society" with the duties of "the State." This is an error the USCCB makes in almost every one of their policy pronouncements.

And the USCCB has no canonical authority to make these policy pronouncements. None whatsoever.

Do click over here (Link) to get the distinction I'm talking about.

The public policy wing of the USCCB should be disbanded.

[correctthought]

Thanks for the explanation, bump for later read.