CNS Applauds Bishops’ Political Statement
Urges Enforcement of 2004 Ban on Honors, Speaking Platforms
The Cardinal Newman Society today hailed the U.S. bishops’ efforts to clarify Catholic moral positions as related to American politics and urged renewed attention to the bishops’ 2004 ban on “awards, honors or platforms” for opponents of Catholic moral teaching.
At the U.S. bishops’ annual meeting this week in Baltimore, they are considering a statement on faith and politics, titled Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States.
“The bishops have done a great service by helping Catholics understand the enormous significance of a candidate’s position on abortion and the sanctity of human life, as well as the many other moral concerns facing voters,” said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society.
“We hope that the U.S. bishops and Catholic institutions will now place renewed emphasis on the bishops’ 2004 prohibition against honors and speaking platforms for public opponents of Catholic teaching,” Reilly said. “Since 2004, a number of Catholic colleges have repeatedly invited scandal with honors and lectures featuring politicians who are leading the fight for abortion rights, homosexual unions and other serious moral catastrophes. In so doing, they give politicians a place of special honor and respect before a Catholic audience, with obvious political implications.”
In November 2004, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops overwhelmingly approved the document “Catholics in Political Life,” which includes the following admonition: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”
Fortunately, a solid core of Catholic colleges are taking the Bishops' statement to heart, including the 21 recommended Catholic colleges profiled in The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College: What to Look For and Where to Find It, published by The Cardinal Newman Society in November 2007.
Written By: CNSwebDate Posted: 11/12/2007Number of Views: 1859
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