August 26, 2008 4:14 PM
Can a Catholic vote pro-abortion?
A Message for Catholic Democrats Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput talks about abortion. by Fred Barnes 08/26/2008 1:23:00 PM DenverCHARLES CHAPUT, THE CATHOLIC archbishop of Denver, won't be delivering an invocation or giving a blessing at the Democratic convention here. He is one of the most influential Catholic leaders in the country, but he wasn't invited to appear at the convention. Or wasn't invited until the Washington Times reported he'd been overlooked, perhaps purposely. That story prompted a hasty invitation from the Democrats last weekend. The archbishop declined.
Too bad--because Chaput has a message for Democrats, especially Catholic Democrats, that they aren't likely to hear from anyone else. He says he could never vote for a pro-abortion candidate like Barack Obama. But he says he respects Catholics who do, so long as they are struggling mightily to turn the Democratic party against abortion on demand. Sadly, few are, Chaput told me.
The archbishop makes a persuasive case for political engagement by Catholics and other Christian believers. He defends the separation of church and state. However, "separation of church and state is very different of faith and politics." Political involvement, he says, is required in "the commandment to love our neighbor" and the "duty" to provide "moral witness."
Chaput took sharp exception the claim by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Meet the Press on Sunday that neither doctors nor the Catholic church hasn't determined when human life begins. "The point is, that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose," Pelosi said. She described herself as "an ardent practicing Catholic."
She's wrong, the archbishop said it a statement citing both Catholic theologians and Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. "Ardent, practicing Catholics will quickly learn from the historical record that from apostolic times, the Christian tradition overwhelmingly held that abortion was grievously evil," Chaput wrote. " In short, from the beginning, the believing Christian community held that abortion was always, gravely wrong."
And that includes St. Augustine, who was mentioned by Pelosi for having said human life begins at three months after conception.
Read entire article here.
Posted in Campaign 2008, Pro-Life Issues | Permalink
