Biden Pick Assailed On Abortion Grounds
A conservative Catholic group is denouncing the selection of Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) as the Democratic vice presidential candidate over the issue of abortion.
Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama chose Biden as his running mate, presumably for Biden's long foreign-policy resume. Obama made his running mate selection official with an email and text message to supporters today shortly before 6 am.
Biden had been long-rumored as Obama's choice, and Biden made a last-minute trip last week to visit the nation of Georgia in the midst of an invasion by Russia.
Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972. Today he chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He previously served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"Barack Obama has re-opened a wound among American Catholics by picking a pro-abortion Catholic politician," says Brian Burch, president of the Fidelis, a Catholic organization that says it is dedicated to traditional views of marriage and family. "The American bishops have made clear that Catholic political leaders must defend the dignity of every human person, including the unborn. Sadly, Joe Biden's tenure in the United States Senate has been marked by steadfast support for legal abortion."
During the recent Democratic primary campaign Biden was himself a candidate for the Democratic nomination, and said: "I am a long-standing supporter of Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose."
In 2004, then-Democratic nominee John Kerry's support for abortion sparked a nationwide controversy over whether Catholics who support legal abortion can receive Communion. The debate was re-activated in 2007 when several bishops criticized Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Guiliani, also a pro-abortion Catholic.
"Now everywhere Biden campaigns, we'll have this question of whether a pro-abortion Catholic can receive Communion. Senator Biden is an unrepentant supporter of abortion in direct opposition to the Church he claims as his own. Selecting a pro-abortion Catholic is a slap in the face to Catholic voters," says Burch.
Not a Catholic, Obama also favors abortion rights, but recently said he would allow restrictions on those rights.
The issue is less potent elsewhere for other Catholic politicians. For instance, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi receives little trouble for her pro-abortion views at home in California.
In its statement, Fidelis cites Biden's own home bishop in the abortion controversy.
Bishop Michael Saltarelli of Wilmington, Del., has said that the issues pertaining to the sanctity of human life are the "great civil rights issues of this generation," according to Fidelis.
Bishop Saltarelli has denounced the notion that politicians can personally oppose abortion, but refuse to pass laws restricting abortion, Fidelis says.
"No one today would accept this statement from any public servant: 'I am personally opposed to human slavery and racism but will not impose my personal conviction in the legislative arena.' Likewise, none of us should accept this statement from any public servant: "I am personally opposed to abortion but will not impose my personal conviction in the legislative arena," says Bishop Saltarelli.
In fact, Bishop Saltarelli made clear that pro-abortion Catholic politicians should refrain from receiving the Eucharist, Fidelis adds.
"The promotion of abortion by any Catholic is a grave and serious matter. Objectively, according to the constant teaching of the Scriptures and the Church, it would be more spiritually beneficial for such a person to refrain from receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. I ask Catholics in this position to have the integrity to respect the Eucharist, Catholic teaching and the Catholic faithful."
Burch of Fidelis adds: "The American bishops have instructed Catholic voters to consider many issues, but have characterized the defense of human life as 'foundational' and have explained that the issue has a special claim on the conscience of the Catholic voter. This means that a political candidate like Biden, because of his strong support for abortion rights, forfeits any claim for support despite his views on other issues like health care and the economy."
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Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama chose Biden as his running mate, presumably for Biden's long foreign-policy resume. Obama made his running mate selection official with an email and text message to supporters today shortly before 6 am.
Biden had been long-rumored as Obama's choice, and Biden made a last-minute trip last week to visit the nation of Georgia in the midst of an invasion by Russia.
Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972. Today he chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He previously served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"Barack Obama has re-opened a wound among American Catholics by picking a pro-abortion Catholic politician," says Brian Burch, president of the Fidelis, a Catholic organization that says it is dedicated to traditional views of marriage and family. "The American bishops have made clear that Catholic political leaders must defend the dignity of every human person, including the unborn. Sadly, Joe Biden's tenure in the United States Senate has been marked by steadfast support for legal abortion."
During the recent Democratic primary campaign Biden was himself a candidate for the Democratic nomination, and said: "I am a long-standing supporter of Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose."
In 2004, then-Democratic nominee John Kerry's support for abortion sparked a nationwide controversy over whether Catholics who support legal abortion can receive Communion. The debate was re-activated in 2007 when several bishops criticized Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Guiliani, also a pro-abortion Catholic.
"Now everywhere Biden campaigns, we'll have this question of whether a pro-abortion Catholic can receive Communion. Senator Biden is an unrepentant supporter of abortion in direct opposition to the Church he claims as his own. Selecting a pro-abortion Catholic is a slap in the face to Catholic voters," says Burch.
Not a Catholic, Obama also favors abortion rights, but recently said he would allow restrictions on those rights.
The issue is less potent elsewhere for other Catholic politicians. For instance, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi receives little trouble for her pro-abortion views at home in California.
In its statement, Fidelis cites Biden's own home bishop in the abortion controversy.
Bishop Michael Saltarelli of Wilmington, Del., has said that the issues pertaining to the sanctity of human life are the "great civil rights issues of this generation," according to Fidelis.
Bishop Saltarelli has denounced the notion that politicians can personally oppose abortion, but refuse to pass laws restricting abortion, Fidelis says.
"No one today would accept this statement from any public servant: 'I am personally opposed to human slavery and racism but will not impose my personal conviction in the legislative arena.' Likewise, none of us should accept this statement from any public servant: "I am personally opposed to abortion but will not impose my personal conviction in the legislative arena," says Bishop Saltarelli.
In fact, Bishop Saltarelli made clear that pro-abortion Catholic politicians should refrain from receiving the Eucharist, Fidelis adds.
"The promotion of abortion by any Catholic is a grave and serious matter. Objectively, according to the constant teaching of the Scriptures and the Church, it would be more spiritually beneficial for such a person to refrain from receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. I ask Catholics in this position to have the integrity to respect the Eucharist, Catholic teaching and the Catholic faithful."
Burch of Fidelis adds: "The American bishops have instructed Catholic voters to consider many issues, but have characterized the defense of human life as 'foundational' and have explained that the issue has a special claim on the conscience of the Catholic voter. This means that a political candidate like Biden, because of his strong support for abortion rights, forfeits any claim for support despite his views on other issues like health care and the economy."
Watch more breaking news now on our video feed:
Bookmark http://onthehillblog.blogspot.com/ and drop back in for more news from the nation's capital.
posted by Scott Nance at
7:48 AM
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