Elections, Catholics, abortion (United States).

Rockville, N.Y.--On September 21, 2000, Bishop James McHugh of the one million strong diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., sent a letter to all his parishes, laying out a policy with respect to all Catholic politicians who refuse to oppose abortion.

Our participation in the electoral process is an opportunity to build "the culture of life," he said. Accordingly, as we approach Election Day, the following directives are to be carefully followed:

1.) There is to be no mention, for or against, any candidate for public office from the pulpit. The Liturgy of the Word is part of our public worship, and homilies and commentaries are to be directed to proclaiming the Word, not expressing opinions about candidates. Certainly, in our homilies we can and should call attention to the various evidences of the culture of death: abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, violence, discrimination, and to the evident contradiction of claiming to be a faithful Catholic while rejecting the teaching of the Church.

2.) Those who are pro-abortion or claim to be personally opposed to abortion but unwilling to integrate their moral principles with civic responsibilities are not to be given leadership positions in the diocese, parish, or other church agencies or organizations, nor to exercise any liturgical ministry.

3.) Parishes and other diocesan agencies or organizations should not bestow public honors or privileges of any type on such persons.

4.) Such persons should not be invited to be speakers at graduation ceremonies, celebrated lectures, or other public events where the invited speaker is given positive recognition or approval.

5.) Such persons should not be invited as honorary chairpersons of major celebrations or other events, including fund-raising programs.

The policy, as stated, means that no pro-abortion public official or candidate is to be invited to address Catholic agencies or organizations, or school or parish groups, even if he/she does not intend to express pro-abortion views. 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.

At the outset of the letter, Bishop McHugh reminds his priests, "We are not just private citizens but representatives of the Catholic Church." Although, he says, "there is to be no mention, for or against, any candidate for public office from the pulpit", he urges priests to "call attention to the culture of death" including "the contradiction of claiming to be a faithful Catholic."

The letter resulted in the cancellation of 19 candidates forums that had been set up by Catholic Charities. (LifeSite, Oct.4; Text in Origins, Oct. 19, 2000)

New York--New York Archbishop Edward Egan, speaking at a Respect Life Leadership Day for high school students at Yonkers, N.Y., cited former New york state governor Mario Cuomo as an example not to emulate. Cuomo has written him three times complaining that the Catholic Church was attempting to impose its moral views on its faithful but the Archbishop has not answered him.

Mr. Cuomo's anger was apparently ignited by the death last summer of New York's Auxiliary Bishop Austin Vaughan, who had said publicly in the late 1980s that Cuomo risked 'Hell' for his cooperation in funding abortion.

Archbishop Egan told the youth that politicians like Cuomo continue to ignore the abortion issue, attempting to claim "there is no baby." He suggested that people like Cuomo should "open up" to the truth (Wanderer, Oct.26, 2000).

On October 30, 2000, Archbishop Egan urged his 2.4 million parishioners to cast votes for candidates in the upcoming election who "share our commitment to fundamental rights for the unborn."

The archbishop's remarks were contained in a letter he sent to the 413 parishes in the diocese, instructing that it be read before weekend Masses of November 4 and 5.

Chicago--In his column in The Catholic New World of October 1, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago asserted the "abortion is a defining issue," thus contradicting those who argue that abortion is just one of many issues.

The abortion issue, he wrote, "can't disappear for believing Catholics and many others, because it is a matter of life and death, a defining issue not only personally but socially. Poverty can be addressed incrementally, but the death of a child is quite final." (N.C.Register, Oct. 22)

Washington--Cardinal George's recent statement on abortion as a "defining issue" was reiterated earlier by the American Conference of Bishops when they overwhelmingly approved the document Living the Gospel of Life: a Challenge to American Catholics in November 1998.

It unequivocally answers the question "should abortion dominate (the national discussion)?" In Article 23, Living the Gospel of Life lists the issues of poverty, violence, injustice, racism, hunger, employment, education, housing, health care and resistance to the violence of war, and the scandal of capital punishment as the crossbeams and walls of the living house of God; it also says oppostiion to abortion and euthanasia is the foundation of this house. It says that being right on the first group of issues can never excuse a wrong choice on the direct attack on innocent human life, as in abortion and euthanasia.

Other bishops who have spoken out about the "absolute centrality" of the protection of human life when voting are Cardinal Law of Boston and the three other bishops of Massachusetts; and Cardinal Hickey of Washington ("one issue [abortion] rises above the others").

In Rochester, N.Y., however, Hillary Clinton spoke at a Catholic Church while pro-life Catholics who protested were escorted out of the church. Later on, the local bishop protested the visit.