"Analysis: US bishops at odds over abortion and 'the Francis test'"

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well, looks like the US bishops agree on abortion, will the argument still be used that is only one bishop.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, who was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2016, said that “The short answer is that yes, abortion is the preeminent [concern] and the vote makes that obvious.”
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This looks more like an issue of control than of substance. There is no need to engage in such uncharitable language, like “Pope’s cronies,” as if be a Catholic, that is, following the Holy Father, is a bad thing for a bishop to be.
 
Pope’s cronies? That is a horrible description. It is offensive to me. 😡
 
As others have said I object to the “pope’s cronies” language. Unhelpful and uncharitable.

I think AB Chaput said it best. To suggest that Pope Francis does not believe that abortion is the preeminent issue is to create a false narrative that pits the USCCB against the pope unnecessarily.

Pope Francis is very much pro life. To suggest any less is to ignore his words and deeds over many many years. Bishop McElroy did Pope Francis a disservice with his remarks.
 
“In a rare break with etiquette, the bishops in the hall broke into applause in support of Chaput.”
 
OK, I take back my “cronies” remark. Instead, I’ll just call them animals. Pope Francis has called priests “animals” before so that’s OK.
I’m being sarcastic…or am I? I don’t even know these days.

Also, I wouldn’t be so sure that Pope Francis would disapprove of what Cardinal Cupich and Bishop McElroy did. I don’t think that it’s an outrageous possibility that they may have made this intervention on direct orders from Rome, especially after the speech that Archbishop Pierre made to open the meeting this week. Pope Francis, after all, has been the one that has said that he doesn’t want to focus on issues like abortion all the time. He might not like abortion, but there is little to no evidence that he considers it the “preeminent” social issue of our times.
 
Leave it to god, he will continue to strengthen and guide our bishops!
 
If you really listen to the Gospel, Jesus Himself puts high emphasis on our duty to the poor, sick and disenfranchised. It is the most serious duty associated with embracing the Good News. Today even on this site I can’t count how many times I’ve heard Catholics state that ‘health care is not a right but a privilege’ to justify ignoring the needs of the sick. Then this idea of skiting to the world how ones country is a great, great nation while in the same breath, telling people with the misfortune to be born into less safe and free situations, that they aren’t welcome in ‘our great, great nation’. It’s so offensive to the Good News but the list of hypocrisies goes on. Abortion may be the canary down the mine, but the toxic culture of death is the real disease and Pope Francis has an excellent eye on that truth.
 
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From the article…

Cupich’s paragraph, including language insisting that the “firm and passionate” defense of the unborn should be matched with support for the “equally sacred” lives of the poor, inform, elderly, and marginalized.

The objection seems to be about declaring abortion preeminent.

“It is not Catholic teaching that abortion is the preeminent issue that we face as a world in Catholic social teaching. It is not.” (Bishop McElroy)

That’s the comment that really caused a stir among the bishops, and prompted this response from Abp Chaput that the statement:

…was not just correct but necessary, pointing out that in the current American political context it was the most pressing concern.

The difference is this: abortion is a moral issue about which there is only one valid position. As for the “poor, infirm, elderly, and marginalized” the issue is not whether to aid them but what is the best way to do so. That is, it is essentially a political issue about which the church offers no opinion.
 
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Emeraldlady said:
If you really listen to the Gospel, Jesus Himself puts high emphasis on our duty to the poor, sick and disenfranchised. It is the most serious duty associated with embracing the Good News. Today even on this site I can’t count how many times I’ve heard Catholics state that ‘health care is not a right but a privilege’ to justify ignoring the needs of the sick.
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the keyword is our duty, wanting less government is not against what Jesus teaches.

some just disagree with the way the government proposes handling healthcare. contrary to popular opinion. there are other solutions to this issue than bankrupting the middle class or reducing care to where care is inadequate.

St. Pope John Paul II is clear on it (bold mine for emphasis)
The inviolability of the person which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, fínds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights-for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination.
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the US bishops seem to agree with him
At the meeting, the bishops also approved a letter saying that “The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives it destroys.”
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What I’m wondering is why CNS even published this. How does it help us to know about the inner bickerings of our bishops?

“In division, there is sin.” -Origen
 
It was an open meeting of US Bishops, it is their responsibility to objectively report what occurs in such meetings. Certainly the Church needs more transparency these days, we do not want every contentious issue only discussed in executive session.
 
tafan2 said:
It was an open meeting of US Bishops, it is their responsibility to objectively report what occurs in such meetings. Certainly the Church needs more transparency these days, we do not want every contentious issue only discussed in executive session.
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I couldn’t agree more. It is just unfortunate that we have been taught to see this sort of process like some soap opera, or worse, a spectator sport where we choose up sides to root for out side. In the end, a compromise wording, shorter wording, was deemed best.

I am not saying the issue wasn’t important, but it is not what it is being made out to be. No one is supporting abortion, and no one is diminishing its moral gravity. The question is simply one of what is the best way to move on abortion, especially in light of the totality of morality and Catholic social teaching. There is only one right opinion about abortion, just like there is about injustice to the poor. In both cases, there might be different approaches to addressing the sins. I do not envy the bishops trying to emphasize the need to oppose abortion, but without conceding every shred of moral integrity and social justice outside of abortion.
 
blackforest said:
What I’m wondering is why CNS even published this. How does it help us to know about the inner bickerings of our bishops?
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it is an item that many people are confused on where the bishops stand on the issue. this article makes it clear. Their statement makes it clear.

this may clear it up for some and it will just be ignored by others who have other agendas to follow.
 
upant said:
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Emeraldlady:
If you really listen to the Gospel, Jesus Himself puts high emphasis on our duty to the poor, sick and disenfranchised. It is the most serious duty associated with embracing the Good News. Today even on this site I can’t count how many times I’ve heard Catholics state that ‘health care is not a right but a privilege’ to justify ignoring the needs of the sick.
Click to expand...
the keyword is our duty, wanting less government is not against what Jesus teaches.

some just disagree with the way the government proposes handling healthcare. contrary to popular opinion. there are other solutions to this issue than bankrupting the middle class or reducing care to where care is inadequate.

St. Pope John Paul II is clear on it (bold mine for emphasis)
The inviolability of the person which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, fínds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights-for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination.
Click to expand...
the US bishops seem to agree with him
At the meeting, the bishops also approved a letter saying that “The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives it destroys.”
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Why do you think that I am arguing for diminishing the importance of the unborn? People seem to be so stuck in the mentality that prolife means either/or. Expand your mind and heart to see that a Christian can be unconditionally prolife and demand a government that seeks to be prolife also. It’s entirely possible.
 
Emeraldlady said:
Expand your mind and heart to see that a Christian can be unconditionally prolife and demand a government that seeks to be prolife also. It’s entirely possible.
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the keywords are “seeks to be”

when the one-party knowingly works against pro-life members of its own party, there is little hope for that party. it leaves the US with one party, that has a chance to win, to vote for if you are anti-abortion.
 
upant said:
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Emeraldlady:
Expand your mind and heart to see that a Christian can be unconditionally prolife and demand a government that seeks to be prolife also. It’s entirely possible.
Click to expand...
the keywords are “seeks to be”

when the one-party knowingly works against pro-life members of its own party, there is little hope for that party. it leaves the US with one party, that has a chance to win, to vote for if you are anti-abortion.
Click to expand...
Think bigger than US party politics. The Pope wants us to think outside politics and be radically prolife. The whole point of democracy is that ‘the people’ together influence the government. It seems in the US that people seemed trapped in their political identity and just go along with everything their chosen party dictates to them. That is ironic considering the Constitution was all about giving people a voice to prevent dictatorship style government. If Christians were all on the same page regarding all issues of prolife, they could run candidates that would win by a mile. Christians just aren’t on the same page. They allow themselves to be divided by political loyalty and have a poor Christian voice as a result.

Pope Francis can see bigger than that. That is his superpower in my opinion. I’m totally on board with how he is guiding Christian prolife consciences to become a powerful force of change in the world.
 
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