Catholic Archbishop Forthright On Pro-Abortion Politicians

The President of the Bishops’ Conference of Chile has made it very clear that Catholic politicians cannot support abortion.

A politician who claims to be Catholic, whether of the left or of the right, cannot support abortion, warned Archbishop Alejandro Goic, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Chile, after the Chilean parliament took up a measure last Friday that would legalize “therapeutic” abortion under any circumstances.

This is indeed what needs to be said, and said often, by Catholic leaders. After all, they have spiritual responsibilities for their flock and in offering clear direction to Catholic politicians on this matter, they are simply fulfilling their responsibilities to Catholics (but indirectly protecting the whole of society).

Think how helpful such a course of action would be in Canada if only our Bishops as well as the President of the CCCB were to make such statements regularly. Of course we must include the Catholic priests as well in this formula. Imagine the statement that would have been made to Canadian society and to Catholics particularly if, during our last federal election, and just after Catholic PM Paul Martin made forceful comments about a woman's "right to choose," the President of the CCCB had publicly and nationally made the same statement as Chilean Archbishop Goic. Imagine further if scores of other Bishops and priests throughout Canada were to make similar statements regarding the impossibility of such "schizophrenic" behaviour by Catholic politicians. Thankfully at least one Canadian Bishop, Frederick Henry of Calgary, did in fact make an issue of the PM's "incoherent" remarks.

Only when Christian leaders throughout Canada possess such integrity, and possess it consistently, will the unborn in Canada begin to have hope beyond the womb.