Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 2:19am

PopeWatch: Pro-Abort Bishops Out in the Open

 

Well, some of the main Francis Bishops and Cardinals are dropping the pretense of being pro-life:

BALTIMORE, Maryland, November 12, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — American Catholic bishops showed today that the current pontificate has divided them on fighting abortion as a social justice priority, voting 143-69 to keep the issue “pre-eminent.”

This morning during the Fall General Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the bishops debated, and voted upon, a letter based on the USCCB’s document on political life, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizens.”

At issue was the letter’s insistence that the slaughter of the unborn remains the pre-eminent social justice priority for the USCCB. Bishop Robert W. McElroy of San Diego objected, saying, “It is not Catholic teaching that abortion is the pre-eminent issue that we face as the world in Catholic social teaching. It is not.”

McElroy also said he believes that saying the threat of abortion remains the USCCB’s “pre-eminent priority” is “at least discordant with the pope’s teaching if not inconsistant” and that it is a “grave disservice to our people if we’re trying to communicate to them what the Magisterium teaches.”

The bishop of San Diego was contradicted by Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas and Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia. Strickland stated that the word “pre-eminent” must remain in the letter, and Chaput underscored that abortion is indeed the most important social issue of our time.

“I am against anyone stating that our saying it’s ‘pre-eminent’ is contrary to the teaching of a pope because that isn’t true,” Chaput said.

“It sets up an artificial battle between the Bishops’ Conference of the United States and the Holy Father which isn’t true,” he continued.

“So I don’t like the argument Bishop McElroy uses. It isn’t true, you know. We support the Holy Father completely. What he says is true. But I think it has been the very clearly articulated opinion of the bishops’ conference for many years that pro-life is still the pre-eminent issue. It doesn’t mean the others aren’t equal in dignity.”

The bishops applauded Archbishop Chaput’s intervention.

The debate began when Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago asked (see video below at 49:25) for an amendment to the short letter that would include the entire paragraph 101 from Pope Francis’s controversial 2018 apostolic exhortation “Gaudete et Exsultate.”

Go here to read the rest.  PopeWatch is surprised, pleasantly, that 143 bishops had the courage to vote against that attempt to neuter the Church’s opposition to abortion, since it was obvious that the initiative for this probably came from the Pope.  Four bishops abstained in a display of cowardice that symbolizes this current low point in the history of Mother Church.

 

0 0 votes
Article Rating
42 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 2:55am

Yes, today–at this stage of the game–we can say that it is heartening that 143 Bishops thought that “unborn remains the pre-eminent social justice priority for the USCCB.” The truth is the battle is being lost. We see it every day. 69 Bishops that saving the unborn was not pre-eminent. 70% of Catholics don’t believe in the Real Presence, etc. The faith of most Catholics is Protestant and many Bishops are leading the way.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 3:57am

When opposition to abortion, which is the bare bare minimum for a Catholic bishop, is seen as an act of courage, things are bad in the Church, real bad!

Bob Kurland, Ph.D.
Admin
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 4:03am

Where can one find a list of how the bishops voted on this? I’d like to see how my bishop voted.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 5:01am

I will say here what I said elsewhere. Those Catholics, whether cleric or laity, who deny abortion is the pre-eminent issue of our time, who replace the Gospel of conversion & repentance, righteousness & holiness with the useless, worthless gospel of social justice, the common good & peace at any price, need to follow Ananias and Sapphira out of the Church. Acts 5:1-10.

father of seven
father of seven
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 6:29am

Who listens to the USCCB anyway? Seriously, these neutered cats can quibble all they want. They have already done such a bang-up job that whenever anyone hears the terms “social justice” and “Catholic Church”, pro-life is not the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, it’s way at the bottom of the list these days, if it makes it at all. Will they come out of this meeting and talk about saving babies from the ongoing holocaust being the top priority of the Church? No chance. Even Chaput couldn’t tell the difference between voting for President Trump or Margaret Sanger award winner Hillary. Nothing will change until we have actual men as bishops who care more about Christ than their own comfort.

Bill H
Bill H
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 7:32am

I really find it quite remarkable that a pope who finds dogma and doctrine too “rigid” and incompatible with “accompaniment” (whatever that is) allows the Magisterium of the Catholic Church to be referred to as “Francis’ Magisterium” or the “Pope’s Magisterium”. What was that old truism? There’s no “i” in” team” or something. Isn’t it the “Magisterium of the 266, and a bunch of other guys & gals- you know, Saints?

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 8:17am

McElroy also said he believes that saying the threat of abortion remains the USCCB’s “pre-eminent priority” is “at least discordant with the pope’s teaching if not inconsistant” and that it is a “grave disservice to our people if we’re trying to communicate to them what the Magisterium teaches.”

Ladies and gentlemen, there goes the next chief of police Archbishop of Washington D.C., or maybe New York.

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 8:43am

Isn’t it the “Magisterium of the 266, and a bunch of other guys & gals- you know, Saints?

When it’s capitalized like that, yes. Lower case “m” and it’s just a puffed-up way of saying “teachings.” Although, I suppose we ought in charity just to call it jargon.

(And as long as we’re on the subject, wouldn’t it be a hoot if the USCCB issued a statement saying they’d happily begin implementing the magisterium of Pope Francis if they knew what it was, so would his Holiness kindly answer the dubia and remove all doubt?)

BrotherBeowulf
BrotherBeowulf
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 12:36pm

Why o why would you ever expect the American bishops–who come in two predominant flavors, fag and fem–to defend life.

They will only defend the clerical criminal Homosexual Network Strangling the Church. Their group. Their party. Their pope–Antipope Francis the Apostate.

trackback
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 3:21pm

[…] “SURPRISED, PLEASANTLY, THAT 143 BISHOPS HAD THE COURAGE TO VOTE AGAINST THAT ATTEMPT TO NEUTER THE CHURCH’S OPPOSITION TO ABORTION, SINCE IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE INITIATIVE FOR THIS PROBABLY […]

Arthur McGowan
Arthur McGowan
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 5:49pm

Anyone who gives a publicly pro-abortion person Communion is declaring that abortion is not unjust. Every violation of Canon 915 causes grave scandal, and is therefore, on that count alone, always a mortal sin.

McElroy, like McCarrick, Wuerl, Wilton, Cupich, and O’Malley, has been pre-eminent in campaigning for Communion for pro-aborts–for more than fifteen years. McElroy attacked Cardinal Burke in an article in America mag, and Wuerl was directly, personally involved in the destruction of Burke’s Vatican career.

Canon 915 applies without regard to the species of grave sin the would-be communicant is noted for. To promote Communion-for-adulterers, as Bergoglio does, is to promote Communion-for-abortionists. The Nuncio has delivered Bergoglio’s threat: We are taking names. Give Communion to adulterers and abortionists–or else.

Arthur McGowan
Arthur McGowan
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 5:53pm

Before he sinks into retirement and oblivion, it should be noted that Chaput’s “pro-life” chest-thumping is particularly stomach-turning. Here is Chaput, literally and actually, sneering at people who, “by some strange calculus,” are able to tell the difference between an abortion fanatic and a pro-life candidate:

http://catholicphilly.com/2016/08/archbishop-chaput-column/some-personal-thoughts-on-the-months-ahead/

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 6:43pm

From the column thoughtfully linked by Mr. McGowan:
“This year, a lot of good people will skip voting for president but vote for the “down ticket” names on their party’s ballot; or vote for a third party presidential candidate; or not vote at all; or find some mysterious calculus that will allow them to vote for one or the other of the major candidates. I don’t yet know which course I’ll personally choose. It’s a matter properly reserved for every citizen’s informed conscience.

That doesn’t seem sneering to me. And remember, there was no good reason in 2016 to believe Trump was genuinely pro-life. Fortunately, and thanks be to God for it, events have proven him to be the most pro-life President in a generation or more.

And from the same column:

“For Catholics, no political or social issue stands in isolation. But neither are all pressing issues equal in foundational importance or gravity. The right to life undergirds all other rights and all genuine social progress. It cannot be set aside or contextualized in the name of other “rights” or priorities without prostituting the whole idea of human dignity.

You may not miss Archbishop Chaput, when he’s gone, but I will.

Mark
Mark
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 8:18pm

Dear pewsitters, you hard earned dollars are paying for this sophomoric spectacle called a bishops conference.
Close your wallets but sound your voices. These guys are nothing more than fat cats who are unable or unwilling to do their jobs.

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Wednesday, November 13, AD 2019 9:49pm

Or better yet, find a bishop you can support and do so. Make that bishop the next McCarrick. And make sure your local ordinary knows what your doing and why.

And if you’re unsure of whom to support, there’s this Paprocki fellow in Springfield Illinois who seems to have the right stuff.

Arthur McGowan
Arthur McGowan
Thursday, November 14, AD 2019 5:17am

Ernst Schreiber: You have quoted, approvingly, precisely the most offensive words of Chaput. Whether to vote for the nominee of the party that has been rabidly pro-abortion since 1972, or the nominee of the party that has been explicitly pro-life since 1976, is NOT up to the individual Catholic’s conscience.

There was all the reason in the world to vote for Trump as the pro-life candidate in 2016: By virtue of nothing else but being the Republican nominee, he would necessarily bring several thousand pro-life appointees to Washington, as Hillary would have brought several thousand rabid baby-killers.

I know people who voted for Hillary because they had convinced themselves that Trump was “not truly pro-life.” If ever a phrase was both meaningless and demon-spawned…

Foxfier
Admin
Thursday, November 14, AD 2019 6:24am

And remember, there was no good reason in 2016 to believe Trump was genuinely pro-life.

Except there was, at least as opposed to the only other option– he was willing to say he was, get up and talk about his change of heart, and openly humanize the infants by refusing to draw a distinction between the newborn baby you’re holding and the baby that is still in mom.

I wasn’t sure how trustworthy he’d be, but he was willing to say “that baby is a real human being,” rather than trying to ignore the baby and talk about reproduction as a punishment.

Mary De Voe
Thursday, November 14, AD 2019 7:15am

Note: Had Chaput mentioned the name of a political party or candidate, Chaput would have been campaigning and breeching the wall of separation of church and state held over the Catholic Church since atheism is imposed on the nation.
Taxing the Catholic Chrurch is taxation without representation since the parishioners have already paid their taxes as private citizens. One vote, two taxes.
The Catholic Church and all of its property and holding are held in trust for all generations and not owned by any particular individual. The debt laid on the upcoming generations cannot be compounded by taxation of our Constitutional Posterity.
“I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION” is the truth under which all persons including bishops must rally for life for life begins with the creation of the rational, human soul infused at procreation by God. Abortion is atheism imposed by our government and taxation for abortion is extortion and taxation without representation. The Supreme Court never bore the burden of proof that the newly begotten legally and morally innocent sovereign person begotten, the standard of Justice for the state was not a sovereign person created by God for his parents. How convenient to reject the acknowledgement of God and God’s creation to kill babies.
Abortion is the imposition of atheism on America, literally displacing the Catholic Church and all of the Church’s members and clergy. The bishops no longer are citizens. The bishops are “persona non grata”
Sodomy is not the marital act. Sodomy is not marriage. Sodomy is the crime of assault and battery of another person. Informed consent cannot come from a sodomite.
Transgendering is a lie and neutering of another human being; eunuchs through false advertising and malpractice.
Pornography is a lie about human sexuality and perjury in a court of law.
The American bishops have been disenfranchised, as are all males of their fatherhood, and dispossessed of their citizenship.
The American bishops need to realize that the American gulag is their new home.

Agnes
Agnes
Thursday, November 14, AD 2019 7:48am

Name the bishops who abstained and those who voted against! If this was yet another secret vote, then the time has come for the laity to disavow the USCCB as being no longer Catholic. That McElroy and Cupich were so brazen in their comments and efforts to undermine this issue speaks for itself

OrdinaryCatholic
OrdinaryCatholic
Thursday, November 14, AD 2019 9:02am

“Had Chaput mentioned the name of a political party or candidate, Chaput would have been campaigning and breeching the wall of separation of church and state held over the Catholic Church since atheism is imposed on the nation.”

I would believe that if it wasn’t for all the political candidates that are invited to campaign at Protestant churches to appeal for their votes especially the Baptists and black congregants. No, it is the Catholic Church that this so-called wall of separation is held over. “I ain’t no way tired” Hillery has no problems campaigning at churches as long as it’s not the Catholic Church. Remember Podesta.

CAM
CAM
Thursday, November 14, AD 2019 9:02am

To echo Dr. Kirkland – Anybody know where we can see a list of how each bishop voted? Also the names of the 4 abstainers?

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Thursday, November 14, AD 2019 4:01pm

I would say I quoted it innocuously, since I don’t read it as Archbishop “sneering.” In my “calculus, I didn’t think there was sufficient reason to believe Trump meant to keep any of his campaign promises. Other’s, like Foxfier, believed there were. Happily, they were right and I was wrong.

I’ll add that in my opinion, nothing Archbishop Chaput said in that column would lend support to those Hillary voters you know. Which is why I emphasized his statemen,t earlier in the column, that the right to life is foundational.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Thursday, November 14, AD 2019 5:53pm

The pro-open borders, pro-gun control, and anti-death penalty advocacy bishops like Chaput have engaged in over the past few decades made this empty gesture of placing opposition to abortion necessary. Chaput is far more nasty in his attacks on those who express legitimate disagreement with him on the aforementioned issues. And Strickland is just a company man fan boy of that wing of the USCCB.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Thursday, November 14, AD 2019 6:47pm

The word hero no longer has any meaning then, Don.

Mary De Voe
Friday, November 15, AD 2019 6:57am

“Those Catholics, whether cleric or laity, who deny abortion is the pre-eminent issue of our time, who replace the Gospel of conversion & repentance, righteousness & holiness with the useless, worthless gospel of social justice, the common good & peace at any price, need to follow Ananias and Sapphira out of the Church. Acts 5:1-10.”
LQC: Citizenship is good will for the common good. There is no common good with no good will. Good will is the love of God and country.

Mary De Voe
Friday, November 15, AD 2019 7:15am

Principles must be judged. Persons must be loved. Baby killers must be voted out of office. Any person enabling baby killers becomes an accomplice to homicide.
Vote the baby killers out of office and get their hands off of our tax money.
Silence gives consent. Anyone not voting implicitly votes for baby killing.
Then God will say: “I WANTED TO LIVE AND YOU ABORTED ME.”

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Friday, November 15, AD 2019 1:41pm

Being passed over for a red hat isn’t exactly a heroic sacrifice. Under that rubric you’d have to call Cardinal Dolan a hero because if he had not already been a Cardinal when Bergoglio became pope, he would not be one today. He did more to directly stand up to Francis than Chaput ever has when was one of those 13 Cardinals who signed that letter during Extraordinary Synod in 2014. It allegedly sent the pope into such a rage, he fainted and those present thought he died. Neither you or I would consider Dolan anything close to hero.

When it comes to issues Pope Francis really cares about, opposing capital punishment, open borders and other elements of left wing social policy, Chaput is as hard left and heterodox as Francis. Chaput also defends CCHD. So, as long as you defend Chaput you renounce any moral right to condemn CCHD.

Chaput is also a spitting image of Pope Francis when it comes to how he treats those who express legitimate Catholic disagreement with him. Ask the late Justice Scalia about that. That postmortem “tribute” was another empty gesture because it bore all the sincerity of a Mark Shea mea culpa. The 2000 calumnious comparison to Francis Kissling was what Chaput really thinks of Scalia. About a decade ago, a well-known Catholic media figure who shall remain nameless told me in a private phone conversation Chaput is the most thin skinned bishop in the U.S. who cannot take any criticism. He was saying this as a Chaput fan boy. His attack on Scalia was revenge for getting destroyed by by Nino in a First Things debate on the death penalty.

Funny thing is Chaput doesn’t attack Fr. LGBT aka Martin that way. The only reason why Chaput said anything criticizing Martin recently was because Church Militant outed Martin speaking within the archdiocese of Philadelphia and Chaput’s silence. Chaput’s critique of Martin was so cordial as to be nauseous. He doesn’t treat conservative critics that way. In fact, he gave Martin a platform in the archdiocesan newspaper to respond. Chaput would never extend such courtesy to a conservative critic.

Strickland supports a fellow bishop using children as props to shore up the criminal enterprise of illegal immigration. Among other things, illegal immigration is one of world’s most serious human trafficking problems. You and I both know how children are treated by the cartels who run the operation on the other side of the border. Despite all this, Strickland is, at best, willing to carry the water for the pro open borders crowd. Like every other pro-borders bishop, if Chaput and Strickland don’t know about the human trafficking element of illegal immigration, it’s because they don’t want to know. But yet, they still give unqualified support to the open borders agenda.

HOW DARE YOU CALL THESE MEN HEROES!!!

OrdinaryCatholic
OrdinaryCatholic
Friday, November 15, AD 2019 1:48pm

Knowing who voted for and against makes no never mind. It’s not like we can impeach or vote them out of office. If they can’t act Catholic, we can. Pray for them that their faith be strenthened and let your wallets do the squeezing.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Friday, November 15, AD 2019 3:01pm

Don, I do Chaput justice by presenting the truth. I have made accusation against that I have not supported with facts and you know it!!!

By the way, I have also praised Chaput when I thought he deserved it. https://the-american-catholic.com/2016/11/30/popewatch-chaput-2/#comment-292427

You might want to read your own damned blog before hurling baseless accusations.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Friday, November 15, AD 2019 3:08pm

I meant to say I’ve made no accusation. Anyway, this “ we just disagree on immigration” is bullshit. If McElroy had did what Strickland did you’d be spoiling yourself from here to doomsday about it. You’re the one not willing to extend justice because you continually deny the clear truth about the behavior of these bishops.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Friday, November 15, AD 2019 3:39pm

Umm, once again, it’s merely a matter of where they stand on the death penalty and immigration as matters of policy. Setting aside the fact they have no business taking sides on the policy aspect of these issue, this is done in such a way that undercuts the credibility of Church teaching across the board. Chaput openly treats Catholics who take issue with him on these matters as publicly disputing Church teaching, as he did with Scalia on the death penalty and he did with immigration during a pro-“immigration” mass. Of course, I have cited this multiple times here. And Strickland goes beyond merely voicing an opinion, but openly defends a disgusting political stunt. If McElroy did this, you’d of characterized it in just that way.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Friday, November 15, AD 2019 3:57pm

If Bishop Elroy was a little smarter than he appears to be, in addition to disgustingly shilling for Pope Francis when making a “case” to downplay abortion as the preeminent social issue (it’s more than a social issue but I digress), he could have cited multiple statements from Abp. Chaput that have, as an upshot, said pretty much the same thing Francis does.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Friday, November 15, AD 2019 5:09pm

Chaput has been engaging in Bergoglio like smear attacks against orthodox Catholics who dare express disagreement with him long before any of us had an inkling as to who Bergoglio was. But yet, for the same amount of time, Chaput gone out of his way to be “charitable” to heterodox Catholics like Fr. James Martin. He has crawled into bed with some of the worst pro-abort hard left pols like Jared Polis and Luis Gutierrez to support in state tuition for children of illegals. Don, you live in Illinois, so you know full well what a thug piece of shit Gutierrez is. Can you cite for me any instance Chaput has publicly locked arms with Republicans to advance any pro-life legislation? I know of no such instance. If there is, I’d like to see it.

He has also made statements that, at the very least, give the appearance of moral equivalence between the judicious use of the death penalty and the murder that merits it.

He was also a bishop member of the sham Fortnight for Freedom ad hoc Committee that equated just state immigration laws with the HHS Contraception Mandate.

Oh, McElroy would have had a ton of evidence to discredit Chaput’s commitment to the “abortion is the most important issue” stance if he chose to go that route.

Regardless of whether or not Chaput was on Pope Francis’ shit list from the jump, Chaput is major contributor to the Seamless Garment mindset that has infected the minds of both much of the clergy and laity alike. If you really respect these guys, Don, you will not look the other way when they engage in wretched conduct. Otherwise, all this talk about standing up to clerical malfeasance is verbal flatulence.

Micha Elyi
Micha Elyi
Saturday, November 16, AD 2019 5:06am

“I didn’t think there was sufficient reason to believe Trump meant to keep any of his campaign promises.”

I didn’t either. I wouldn’t buy a used car from Trump. Still won’t.

Elaine Krewer
Saturday, November 16, AD 2019 6:20am

“there’s this Paprocki fellow in Springfield Illinois who seems to have the right stuff.”
Did you know (you probably don’t, unless you live in his diocese like I do) that he replaced the USCCB’s Catholic Campaign for Human Development collection with a diocesan-based drive called the Diocesan Collection for Justice and Peace (or something like that) that specifically funds only LOCAL organizations that conform to, or at least don’t advocate anything contrary to, Catholic teaching?

Discover more from The American Catholic

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Scroll to Top