Subterfuge in Florida: Catholic League is Right, Catholics for Choice Lies

By Deacon Keith Fournier
4/28/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

'Catholics for Choice' is neither Catholic nor supportive of authentic human choice

People like Jon O'Brien of "Catholics for Choice" spread confusion about conscience in order to promote their own deadly agenda. Not only do our consciences need to be formed, they can become deformed.

Not only does every procured abortion kill an innocent child, it hurts women who have been lied to by the opponents of the Right to Life

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - One of the privileges I have as Editor in Chief of Catholic Online is working with Catholic men and women who love the Lord and His Church and want to defend her in the public square. They realize that we are in a new missionary age and that the Church is under ferocious assault because she is the pillar and bulwark of the truth. (1 Tim. 3:15) Recently, one of our writers, Billy Atwell, said "yes" to another invitation to serve. He became the Director of Communications for the Diocese of Venice in Florida and no longer writes for us so that he can offer his gifts to the Diocese.

I thought about Billy during the Easter Vigil when 30 men and women entered into full communion with the Church in my parish. This was multiplied by hundreds of thousands around the globe. Many who were received in my parish were young - and they all are eager to defend the Catholic faith, just like Billy. I prayed for Billy and his family at the Vigil as I knelt beside our priest at the moment of consecration. The Diocese of Venice received a gift, a seed of the New Springtime. Then, Monday morning I came across the following Press Release from the Diocese of Venice in Florida, from Billy Atwell, Director of Communications:

*****
Statement Regarding "Catholics for Choice"

Despite that we are heading into the holiest week in the Church's calendar, it is important to address an issue of immediate concern. In our diocese, it is sad to say, there is an attempt to distort Catholic teaching to advance a particular agenda that is offensive to Catholics and likeminded people of good will. So-called "Catholics for Choice" seeks to mislead the public by displaying advertisements about an upcoming workshop.

The workshop, which is scheduled to be held in Collier County, purports to do the impossible to bridge the gap between the Catholic teaching that all human life is sacred and worthy of protection, and the notion that abortion, the deliberate killing of unwanted human life, "can be a moral choice," as the group states. The Catholic Church is unquestionably clear in Her teaching that, "direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. This doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon the written Word of God, is transmitted by the Church's Tradition and taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium (Evangelium Vitae, � 62)."

While praying for the unborn children who are killed through abortion, the Church also prays for and reaches out to women who have had abortions. It is hoped that families impacted by the scourge of abortion may receive the healing they need. For this reason the Diocese of Venice supports an after birth home for mothers and their children, and a post-abortion healing outreach and helpline. It is our prayer that the members of this organization reconcile their position with that of the Catholic Church, rather than promote a belief contrary to the Faith they claim to profess. This statement is made for the sake of clarity and honesty in understanding the teachings of the Catholic Church.

*****

Well done, Billy! The statement is clear, compassionate, strong and loving. You are right where you belong.

Since I can editorialize a bit, I will. This group called "Catholics for Choice" is neither Catholic nor supportive of authentic human choice. There are some choices which are always and everywhere wrong such as the taking of innocent human life. I am very familiar with this group. I remember when their "foundress", Francis Kissling retired at the beginning of 2008. Her retirement would have been welcome news but for the fact that she replaced herself with an equally notorious dissident named Jon O'Brien.

O'Brien came to the organization from the International Planned Parenthood Federation's European Bureau in London. Archbishop Charles Chaput once rightly said of this nefarious organization that it is "a tool to use against the Catholic Church, nothing more". Kissling retired after 25 years of opposing the Catholic Church leading an organization that has the audacity to actually use the name "Catholic" in its title. This anti-Catholic, anti-choice, anti-freedom, and anti-life group has been openly and repeatedly renounced by the Catholic Church.

O'Brien called Kissling a "a prophetic voice," in an article he wrote in 2007 entitled "How Catholics for a Free Choice Saved Civilization." In 2008, in an opinion piece in the San Francisco Chronicle entitled "Pelosi views on abortion in synch with most Catholics" he wrote, "The U.S. bishops are erroneous in not reflecting the fullness of Catholic teaching on abortion nor what the majority of Catholics nationwide believe." He compounded his lack of integrity with this claim, "It is telling that the ...

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1 - 10 of 11 Comments

JeanCatherine
2 years ago
Let us pray that these brothers and sisters get knocked off of their you know whats like Paul riding on his horse going to persecute we Christians.

Hope the Lord smacks them right between the eyes and let us pray for their poor souls. I feel great sorrow for their narrow thinking. God save us in these ignorant times and may He give us some proper wisdom to learn and follow.

Lets pray we received our information properly from our Lady through her Son regarding these times and we wake up before its too late.
Larry A
2 years ago
Unfortunately, this type of thinking about abortion has been allowed to develop in the Catholic Church over the years in the name of - women's rights, feminism, ecumenism, exploring new ways to understand the Church and its teachings, etc. A lot of this comes out of the thinking and energy of the 1960s and 70s and many people are still fighting the fights of those decades as if nothing has changed. Local Church leaders have not spoken on these issues strongly enough and often enough even though Rome has not changed its view. Some prominent Catholic lay leaders in politics have supported these views (abortion, contraception, women's rights, feminism, ecumenism, etc.) from their own view falling back on "Catholic Conscience" to come to their own conclusions and the Church Leadership has not spoken out against them very strongly or very often. We'll see what Catholic leadership is willing to do - someone should fund a series of videos that explain Catholic teachings, where they come from, what they're rooted in and how they hang together to shape a Catholic view and faith and put it on the web or have it available for parishes - I learned a lot from Fulton J Sheen in his day.
Art
2 years ago
I'm a member of an Intra-Denominational Pro-Life Organization and thank God for the Catholic Church and other Christian Churches who support God's gift of life from Conception to Natural Death. "Catholics for Choice" as well as "Christians for Choice" are Oxymorons. Whatever happened to "Thou Shalt not Kill". Pray for these people to respect God's gift of Life.
John D
2 years ago
This is really very simple. If you are Catholic you believe in Christ. Christ picked 12 Apostles to spread the Gospel throughout the world after his death and resurrection. Those Apostles wrote a document called "The Didache". You can Google this. The Didache is not part of the Bible, but it is part of oral tradition and is referenced in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In The Didache the original Apostles specifically mention abortion as being evil. There is no doubt whatsoever regarding their position on this issue. Go to this link and read the second paragraph: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-roberts.html Any Christian who tries to rationalize the acceptability of abortion (or who advoctes for it)is in direct disagreement with Christ's own hand picked guys. That can't be a good place to be.
JeanCatherine
2 years ago
Priests for LIfe, Susan B. Anthony etc are just two of the places you can learn about the opposition to abortion movement going on right now in this country. There are other sights too numberous to mention here on the firing lines.

I invite anyone who comments or reads here to check these two sights out.

The peaceful good fight is on and may it continue until there is not more abortion in this country and it stops all over the world.
Sunday
2 years ago
I must urge my true Catholic faithful over there in the US never to give up the fight against the evil attacking the CHURCH in their home. For it has been WRITTEN and will never be changed: That the gate of hell will never prevail against the CHURCH. May the GOOD LORD continue to STRENGTHEN & BLESS U.
Troy
2 years ago
Thank you for the information. We must start with informing our neighbors about the wrongs of abortion. We must expose the lies that they have been given to them and show them the Truth. Jesus Christ loves us and does not want to see any of His people die, whether in the womb or outside of the womb. We must think of others more and think of ourselves less. We have truly become a selfish nation, which breeds abortion, since it is itself killing for a selfish purpose.
K C Thomas
2 years ago
The so called " Catholics for choice" has no right to use the word Catholic as they do not care for the Catholic teachings. They should understand one thing. That is the morals taught by the Catholic Church are not framed based on majority votes but they are ordained by the creator and His Organized Body the Church. We should oppose tooth and nail the propaganda under the name "Catholic"
Cathy S
2 years ago
Unfortunately, I've heard a few Catholics in my own parish espouse these very ideas, and the only explanation I can see is that the opposition has been very well versed in getting their message out. We must, as Catholics who know better, make ourselves equally clear, and our message must be shouted from the rooftops to be heard over the din of those who prescribe to the culture of death. Be not afraid!
Katherine
2 years ago
I loved the video and agree %100 with this article. These people are Not being Catholic in ANY way. No excuse can justify them. They are wolves in sheep's clothing - infiltrating the Church and corrupting Her from within. I feel so bad for the young Catholic mothers and fathers who are dealing with these terrible lies. May Jesus help them!

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