PRO-LIFE GROUP PLEADS WITH BISHOPS AND PRIESTS OVER ABORTION POLITICS

WASHINGTON, October 21, 2002 (LSN.ca) - American Life League, one of the largest pro-life groups in the United States, has issued a public plea to the nation's Catholic leaders to "expose pro-abortion Catholics to the truth!" The national campaign, the Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church, aims to support Catholic clergy in reasserting their position of moral authority. The campaign includes a petition addressed to Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"The despicable practice of tolerating pro-abortion Catholics has gone unchecked long enough," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "When an allegedly Catholic senator like Tom Daschle can use his powerful position to stop pro-life initiatives -- while insisting that his Catholicism should not be challenged -- something is dreadfully wrong."

The petition calls on Catholic clergymen to proclaim their absolute opposition to abortion, contraception and euthanasia. They are asked to eliminate all associations between Planned Parenthood and the Church, including associations in partnerships such as United Way. Additionally, bishops and priests are asked to deny the Eucharist to professed Catholics known to support abortion, contraception and euthanasia.

"Canon Law clearly states that Catholics in grave sin are not to receive Holy Communion," said Mrs. Brown, a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life in Rome. "Many pro-abortion politicians continue receiving the Eucharist. I have to wonder why."

Mrs. Brown identified senators Daschle, Kennedy, Leahy, Biden, Kerry and many others as "misguided Catholics who need to understand the seriousness of their error," she said. "Bishops and priests must examine the harm these pro-abortion elected officials are doing by persisting in the grave sin of consistently supporting the act of abortion. Tolerance of this continued scandal is simply not healthy for the Church and most especially for the souls of those who are so very misguided."
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2002/oct/02102101.html