Convincing Catholics

During the past two weeks of convention frenzy, we haven’t heard much about “the Catholic vote.” But plenty is happening there.

Sen. Obama is trying to win them over.

The Catholic vote has traditionally been a bellwether for presidential elections. Some new poll data shows Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has some work ahead of him if he’s going to woo white Catholic voters.

At the same time, more and more bishops are coming out with statements in response to Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent televised comments misrepresenting Catholic Church teaching on abortion.

Like Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.

In the midst of a lengthy political campaign, matters of public policy that are also moral issues sometimes are misrepresented or are presented in a partial or manipulative fashion. While everyone could be expected to know the Church’s position on the immorality of abortion and the role of law in protecting unborn children, it seems some profess not to know it and others, even in the Church, dispute it. Since this teaching has recently been falsely presented, the following clarification may be helpful.

The Catholic Church, from its first days, condemned the aborting of unborn children as gravely sinful.Not only Scripture’s teaching about God’s protection of life in the womb (consider the prophets and the psalms and the Gospel stories about John the Baptist and Jesus himself in Mary’s womb) but also the first century catechism (the Didache or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) said: “You shall not slay the child by abortions. You shall not kill what is generated.” The teaching of the Church was clear in a Roman Empire that permitted abortion. This same teaching has been constantly reiterated in every place and time up to Vatican II, which condemned abortion as a “heinous crime.” This is true today and will be so tomorrow. Any other comments, by politicians, professors, pundits or the occasional priest, are erroneous and cannot be proposed in good faith.

This teaching has consequences for those charged with caring for the common good, those who hold public office. The unborn child, who is alive and is a member of the human family, cannot defend himself or herself. Good law defends the defenseless. Our present laws permit unborn children to be privately killed. Laws that place unborn children outside the protection of law destroy both the children killed and the common good, which is the controlling principle of Catholic social teaching. One cannot favor the legal status quo on abortion and also be working for the common good.

Which explains why a candidate who supports abortion is having a hard time ‘winning over’ faithful and informed Catholics of any color.