2 February 2003
By
Fr. Michael Dolan
This week’s article: “Vatican says Catholics must not promote laws that attack life.”
If you have not read the article in last week’s Catholic Standard (01-23-03) entitled “Vatican says Catholics must not promote laws that attack life,” let me bring you up to date. Note that the emphasis on certain elements of the quotes is mine. The document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) may well be the signal document from the Vatican specifically and unequivocally stating “those who are involved directly in lawmaking bodies have a grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that attacks human life.” It continues, “for them as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them.” And what else does “impossible” mean other than the self-excommunication imposed on those who necessarily cooperate in abortion as cited in Canon Law 1398 of the Catholic Church, a reference work sharing the highest place in the Church’s authoritative documents.
The CDF goes on to say that in the case where it may not be possible to repeal a law allowing abortion “an elected official, whose absolute personal opposition to procured abortion was well known, could licitly support proposals aimed at limiting the harm done by such a law.” Obviously, a Catholic legislator cannot stand in support of the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) or propose its president as the premier woman’s civil rights activist of the generation as recently done by a prominent Catholic lawmaker and presidential hopeful.
If the document so strongly interdicts such behavior on the part of individual politicians as well as on every Catholic, the magnitude of condemnation must be all the more on a political party which adopted and continues to include a pro-abortion commitment as part of its platform, as has the Democratic Party. This is not, as some would say, a statement reflecting a “slavish acceptance of a position alien to politics or some kind of confessionalism,” it is rather “the way in which Christians offer their contributions to building a society which is more just and respectful of human dignity.” Catholics must always and ever defend moral principles that do not allow “exception, compromise, or derogation” particularly with regards to abortion and euthanasia.
How will pro-choice, pro-abortion Catholic legislators respond? How will Catholic voters who elect them and remain loyal to a pro-abortion party respond? We must pray long and hard because the answers to these questions are by no means certain.
May God bless you always,
Father Mike
Next week: TBD