Religion and politics.

Denver -- Religion and politics also continues to occupy attention in the United States. In January, Denver's Archbishop Charles Chaput strongly criticized the Catholic governor of Colorado, Bill Ritter, for his pledge to restore eligibility requirements for family planning programs to receive state funding. Days after his January 9, 2007, inauguration, Ritter announced his intention to lift the restrictions that prevent state money from going toward clinics that offer abortions (Denver Post, Jan. 16). These restrictions had been imposed by his predecessor Bill Owens, also a Catholic. As a result of Owens' decision, Planned Parenthood was deprived of almost $400,000 in state funding.

Archbishop Chaput termed Ritter's proposal a "seriously flawed policy." (Denver Cath. Reg., Jan, 17, 2007). He criticized the actions of Ritter, who ran as a pro-life candidate: "In the long run, all of us--homemakers, shopkeepers, clergy, athletes and public officials--are judged by what we do, not by what we say."

Choosing wisely

Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Oregon, reflected on what someone he described as "a prominent Catholic public person," had said regarding abortion. This person commented that it was a question of exercising free will; you can choose it or reject it, but we cannot tell someone else what to do. Bishop Vasa pointed out that some choices are just and others unjust. "An unjust choice would be to choose to terminate the life of another human being," he said. Furthermore, it is a choice clearly contrary to Church teaching. "What we believe must inform what we do," he concluded (Cath. Sentinel, Mar. 1, 2007).