The Moral Obligations of Voters, Politicians and Religious Leaders |
Statements by religious and other leaders * NON-CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS "I am committed never again to cast a vote for a politician who would kill one innocent baby… Some would ask, 'Shouldn't we vote for the lesser of two evils when the choice is between pro-abortion candidates?' I believe not. To compromise on so fundamental an issue gives [pro-life politicians/parties] no incentive to defend the pro-life position". (Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family March, 1995) …would you vote for a candidate who would support the killing of 5-year-old boys and girls whose parents no longer wanted them? Would it matter whether or not you agreed with that politician on economic matters or other issues? Would you get under a "big tent" with a party that had this one teeny weeny flaw which they might call "pro-choice on child eradication" within its platform? I pray not." (Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family) Abortion "is such a fundamental wrong, that when it comes to voting, a candidate's stance on the issues is irrelevant if he or she favors abortion," since "the voter participates in promoting the agenda of the candidate in an intentional action." "You shall not murder ... Therefore ... a Christian cannot debate the pros and cons of abortion any more than he can debate the pros and cons of rape or stealing or adultery." (Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life, from a pamphlet written prior to the 2000 U.S. Election) "Christianity
and the Cultural Mandate:" Vote Wisely Warns
US Evangelical Leader Colson “Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights – for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture – is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition of all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination” (Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, “The Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World” [December 30, 1988], n. 38b). Civil leaders have a duty "to make courageous choices in support of life, especially through legislative measures. No one can ever renounce this responsibility, especially when he or she has a legislative or decision-making mandate which calls that person to answer to God, to his or her own conscience and to the whole of society for choices which may be contrary to the common good." (Evangelicum Vitae 90). Peterborough
Bishop Nicola De Angelis - June 18, 2004 Bishop
Fred Henry of Calgary Alberta - June 6, 2004 "I must
remind you of your duty to uphold what is necessary for the common
good of the country. Those who defend abortions whether
legalized or not, or who refuse to make a clear commitment to
defend the rights of the unborn or the aged and the ill, or who
in other ways promote the corruption of family life, disqualify
themselves from public office, no matter what their other qualifications
may be. Conscientious citizens may not support such politicians
any more than they could support racists, hate peddlers, opponents
of true social justice, or anyone else who, in a similar manner,
threatens the common good". (Bishop
James Mahoney, Diocese of Saskatoon, Pastoral letter,
march 19, 1977) COMMENTS ON DUTIES OF RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP U.S.
Catholic Bishops Conference Says Pro-Abortion Politicians Should
be Shunned Pope
Warns Bishops Failure to Speak-Out Firmly on Defence of Family
is "Grave Omission" Congressman Henry HYDE: "I
am greatly disappointed," Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) told columnist Nova
Scotia Pro-Life Leader Asks Bishops and Clergy for Leadership
During Election Florida
Bishop Rebukes Criticizes Failure to rebuke Pro-Abortion Politicians U.S.
Catholic Bishops Conference Says Pro-Abortion Politicians Should
be Shunned US
Bishop: It is a grave sin to Vote for Pro-Abortion and Pro-Homosexual
Marriage Politicians Archbishop
Raymond L. Burke, of the La Crosse Diocese Orders Priests
to Refuse Communion for Anti-Life Politicians - decree is
binding on priests Archbishop
Burke Issues Pastoral Letter Saying Right to Life is
Most Important Political Issue Archbishop
Charles Chaput of Denver, Colorado - June 12, 2004 Archbishop
John Myers of Newark, New Jersey - May 4, 2004 Bishop
Robert McManus Warns Catholics of Serious Spiritual Harm
from Support of Homosexual Unions US
Bishop Aquila Warns Catholic Pro-Abortion Politicians
They "Risk the Possibility of Hell" Many Catholic leaders both clerical and lay have urged that citizens not vote for anyone who does not have a strong pro-life position. I do not see how a disciple of the Lord could ignore the fundamental importance of public policy protecting human life.To support candidates who would continue or even expand the possibilities for more people to die by human choice is seriously wrong. -- Bishop John Myers, Bishop of Peoria, October 17, 2000 ARLINGTON, VA, Jan 15, 2001 (LSN.ca)"What disturbs me, then, is the politician, man or woman, who wants to have it both ways." "They say, 'I'm a Catholic,' then espouse all sorts of things that the Catholic Church says are wrong," said Bishop Thomas J. Welsh, the founding bishop of the Arlington Diocese in an interview with the Arlington Catholic Herald. "If you say the Church is wrong about one serious issue like the pro-life stance, then you're undermining the whole nature of the Church. DENVER, Colorado,
Jan. 25, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Archbishop Charles
Chaput of Denver "I will give no support by word or action, that could in any way be construed in favour of any politician, or any political party who professes either a pro-abortion position or takes refuge in a so-called pro-choice position. I categorically reject the evasion, I am personally opposed to abortion, but…" (Cardinal John O'Connor, Archdiocese of New York, 1984) ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY, Oct 6, 2000 (LSN.ca) - Bishop James T. McHugh of Rockville Centre, Long Island, NY - "no pro-abortion public official or candidate is to be invited to address Catholic agencies or organizations, school or parish groups, even if he/she does not intend to express their pro-abortion views." The bishop explains, "The reason for this is that it would be foolish and counterproductive to provide a platform to those who favor or support a public policy of abortion on demand or of euthanasia or assisted suicide. It would also be extremely misleading to provide such persons a platform to promote their views, even on other issues, lest they claim that the Church somehow implicitly tolerates their rejection of Church teaching on pro-life issues." Catholic citizens especially should affirm a personal stance that respects and sustains human life and makes it unmistakably clear to all candidates and officials that this will be a determining factor in their choice of candidates. -- Bishop James T. McHugh, Bishop of Rockville Centre, NY ("Voting the Gospel of Life," Columbia Magazine, September 2000). BOSTON, Oct 23, 2000 (LSN.ca) - The Bishops of the four Roman Catholic dioceses in Massachusetts have issued an election statement calling on Catholics to exercise their "moral obligation" to vote and to recognize the "absolute centrality" of the protection of human life when choosing candidates on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7. According to the Bishops' statement, Faithful Citizenship in Massachusetts: "It is our responsibility to vote for candidates who will promote life and the culture of life over the culture of death." The statement emphasizes that support of abortion and euthanasia by any candidate "is always wrong and can never be ustified." Archbishop
Elden Francis Curtiss of Omaha Cardinal James A. Hickey, Archbishop of Washington, Catholic Standard newspaper, October 26,2000 (Many issues) "require careful consideration on the part of all voters. But there is one issue that rises above the others. When you vote on November 7, I hope and pray that you will not forget the most disenfranchised citizens in this land - the unborn. Truly they have no voice but ours." Bishop William Murphy, Archdiocese of Boston, Pilot Column "The four areas of public issues that the bishops propose for our reflection in this election year are human life, family life, social justice and solidarity. Of these four areas the most fundamental and the most important is human life. Defense of human life is the only foundation on which all else must be built, or else, all else is eventually going to collapse. .." I fail to understand how any Catholic can support a candidate who is outspokenly and unambiguously pro-choice", who supports the idea that the child in the womb is the property of the mother to be disposed of at will, and will make appointments to the Supreme Court that will reinforce the tremendous error of Roe v. Wade.-- Bishop William Murphy, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston [Abortion is] a defining issue not only personally but also socially. Poverty can be addressed incrementally, but the death of a child is quite final. -- Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago, October 2000 Abortion is the issue this year and every year in every campaign. .The taking of innocent human life is so heinous, so horribly evil, and so absolutely opposite to the law of Almighty God that abortion must take precedence over every other issue. I repeat. It is the single most important issue confronting not only Catholics, but also the entire electorate.-- Bishop James Timlin, D.D., Bishop of Scranton, "The Ballot and the Right to Life" Fall 2000
Vatican
Cardinal Arinze Says Pro-Abortion Politicians Must be
Denied Holy Communion VATICAN CITY, Oct 3, 2000 (LSN.ca) - Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, the head of the Pontifical Council for the Family has just emphasized that Catholic politicians must act according to the principles of their faith and that, "everything collapses without respect for life." The Cardinal said, "Politicians must have the defense of the right of life in their own heart and mind to offer it to the community. Without this defense, instead of contributing to the construction of society, the politician destroys it." ROME, Oct
12, 2000 (LSN.ca) - A new Vatican document prepared by the Pontifical
Council for theFamily for the Jubilee of Families to be celebrated
this weekend in Rome includes "legislators who have promoted and
approved abortion laws" as bearing "responsibility" for the "abominable
crime" of abortion - which the document describes as "murder". Voters
Guide for serious Catholics Some things always are wrong, and no one may vote in favor of them, directly or indirectly. Citizens vote in favor of these evils if they vote in favor of candidates who propose to advance them. Thus, Catholics should not vote for anyone who intends to push programs or laws that are intrinsically evil. THE FIVE NON-NEGOTIABLE
ISSUES Vancouver
Catholic Diocese Tells Catholics to Vote Pro-Life, Pro-Family
FIRST NEW YORK, July 24, 2000 (LSN.ca) Speaking about the necessity to vote pro-life if you are Christian, Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life said "don't claim to be a believer if you don't act like one, and don't claim to be a member of the Church and then misrepresent its teachings." Moreover, he warned politicians: "To supporters of abortion who profess Christianity, of any denomination, we say stop being a scandal to the Gospel of Jesus Christ." |