Bishop Martino: Kings College Should Not have Sen. Casey for Commencement

Sen. Casey is a reliable vote for President Barack Obama's aggressive pro-abortion agenda.

SCRANTON, Pa. (Catholic Online) - Bishop Joseph Martino is a Bishop who has stood out for his thorough and unflinching pastoral oversight of the Diocese and all of the Catholic institutions under his care.

He has also shown genuine pastoral care for Senator Robert Casey, the son of the late Governor Bob Casey who was a courageous and uncompromising champion of the Right to Life. His son, Senator Robert Casey has a decidedly mixed record concerning the fundamental Right to Life. His Bishop is engaging him regularly to remind him of his obligations to be what Pope Benedict has called "morally coherent" in discharging his public office as a Catholic.

Now, Bishop Martino has spoken out critically of the choice by Kings College, sponsored by the Holy Cross congregation and located within his Diocese, to invite Senator Robert Casey to speak at their commencement exercises. The Bishop said: "I do not believe he has the moral stature to stand before the graduates of a Catholic college to address them about their futures and the challenges they will face when on the most important issue of the day--the sanctity of human life--he cannot muster the courage to oppose the pro-abortion agenda which is currently being promoted in Washington."

The full text of the statement can be found on the web site of Diocese of Scranton and is set forth below:

Bishop Martino Regrets King's College Commencement Speaker Selection

Bishop Joseph F. Martino said today that the decision by King's College to have Sen. Robert Casey serve as commencement speaker on May 17 is, in view of his affirmative vote for Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services, an affront to all who value the sanctity of life.

Previously, the Bishop had asked Sen. Casey to reflect on his oft-stated pro-life beliefs and oppose the nomination of Gov. Sebelius who as a Catholic has been a committed advocate of abortion while she served as governor of Kansas.

It is the Bishop's position that his vote on April 28 demonstrates that Sen. Casey is a reliable vote for President Barack Obama's aggressive pro-abortion agenda, one which pro-life advocates claim is promoting the "culture of death" in the United States.

"Sen. Casey's appearance at King's graduation ceremony is sad and disappointing in view of his recent alignment with anti-life forces in the Senate and the highest offices of our government," Bishop Martino said. "I do not believe he has the moral stature to stand before the graduates of a Catholic college to address them about their futures and the challenges they will face when on the most important issue of the day--the sanctity of human life--he cannot muster the courage to oppose the pro-abortion agenda which is currently being promoted in Washington."

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Bishop Martino acknowledges that the decision to invite Sen. Casey was made by King's College prior to the vote on Gov. Sebelius and prior to his vote to rescind the Mexico City Policy which allows taxpayer funds to be used abroad by Planned Parenthood and other organizations to promote abortion and contraception. At the time of the Senator's selection to deliver the commencement address, he had no objection to the invitation.

"Now, however," the Bishop said, "it is truly unfortunate that this Catholic institution will be seen as providing a forum for a politician who is steadily distancing himself from pro-life principles and, sadly, from his father's legacy as a statesman who championed the rights of the unborn. As Bishop, I will continue to challenge Sen. Casey whenever he fails to cast a vote or advance a position that will protect the most vulnerable in our society."

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